WADE RATHKE is the founder of ACORN, Chief Organizer at ACORN International, and Author of "Nuts & Bolts", "Citizen Wealth", "Global Grassroots", and "The Battle for the 9th Ward".
Catania We might have been having an espresso overlooking the working port of Catania with its tall grain towers and massive cruise ships crowding smaller fishing and pleasure boats, as many walked along the edge of the port to breathe in the sea air, but we were talking trouble when we started discussing the issues …
Catania We had been through a series of meetings in Paterno and Catania. There were two full showings of “The Organizer” documentary in each city, plus the long Katrina clip at the University for students and professors there. Organizers of the events, led by Laura Saija, had recruited representatives of organizations, activists, students, and others …
Catania It was pouring down rain, as Laura Saija, professor of community planning at the University of Catania, and her colleagues met me to go to “The Organizer” showing for activists in Catania. They had been drenched in a downpour with water up past their ankles. A hair dryer was furiously applied to the problem …
Catania Sicily is a puzzle to me. I keep coming back, because we always seem right on the verge of breaking through to be able to start ACORN organizing here, but can’t seem to get all the way through the door. Usually the problem is money, and money is a huge problem in Sicily for …
Catania When I returned from various countries where he had never been, my father used to ask me to tell him what he would like to know about what I might have seen or done. I still keep an eye out for him and here’s some of what I would have reported if I were …