Project South Sketches a New Roadmap for a New Moment
From Dothan to Durham
Project South Sketches a New Roadmap for a New Moment
By William Cordery (Development Director)
& Christi Ketchum (Program Director)
After an 18-month period of evaluation, collective discussion, and organizational planning, we joyously approve and implement our new Strategic Plan for 2006-2008. Informed by both external and organizational struggles, this plan provides us with focus and a renewed purpose. Like you, we at Project South know the political, historical, and social relevance of the US South. As an organization, we plan to rebuild and refocus all of our programs around moving the South forward. Our plan includes working with committed and conscious grassroots organizations throughout the South, specifically in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana Tennessee, and Florida, to build movement-based practices for local/regional campaigns and programs. Our work includes getting our movement-building and leadership development tools and curriculum in the hands of community members and organizers at the front of struggles across the region.
Though not always prioritized in times of urgent crisis, strong leadership development has proven an essential component to responding to the root causes of the crisis in the Gulf Coast. Our mission, regional focus, and organizational politics becamefrighteningly more significant when the levees broke in New Orleans and the floodwaters of deeply-rooted oppression and poverty washed over the entire Gulf Coast and Southeast. Project South knows that if there is anything we can offer to our abandoned regional community, it will be to create the space, tools, strategic planning, and infrastructure needed for the South to reemerge out of poverty, free from criminalization of poor people of color, and at the forefront of building a new movement for social and economic justice in the US.
As a movement-building organization in the Southern region we recognize the massive pain, mistrust, and continual devastation that historically reside in the southern region. It became painfully obvious that special attention and the historical reference of W.E.B. Dubois As the South Goes, So Goes the Nation needed to be readdressed as we saw the destruction and distain for our Brothers and Sisters in the Gulf Coast. We have a responsibility to educate and use the rich and powerful history of struggle and perseverance as key to our work. Our current programs reflect a strategy to work on multiple levels and increase constituent participation in movement-wide efforts.
LOCAL
1. Education Teams: Developing Education Teams concentrating on Prison Industrial Complex and Economic Justice
2. Co-Coordinating a Youth and Adult Alliance with local youth and youth-serving organizations in Metro Atlanta to build relationships, collaborate on projects and create plans to fight against injustices happening to todays youth.
3. Creating Model Approaches and Curriculum for Youth Organizing & Leadership Development, particularly for the Youth Council.
4. Coordinating the Local Host Committee for the US Social Forum with local community-based organizations to plan, mobilize, and organize for the 2007 US Social Forum
REGIONAL
1. Preparing for the Southeast Social Forum & Planning Meeting on June 16-18, 2006 in Durham, NC bringing together community, organizers/organizations, youth, students, and those who want to build towards the US Social Forum in 2007.
2. Conducting the 1st Building A Movement (BAM) Institute for regional organizers to strengthen leadership and education skills
3. Actively supporting Gulf Coast organizations and displaced people in the region.
4. Engaging in a year-long organizational partnership with The Ordinary Peoples Society in Dothan, Alabama
NATIONAL
1. We will conduct/facilitate 4-5 Building A Movement (BAM) Sessions & Retreats nationwide for community-based organizations.
2. Connecting National Membership to participate with research projects, special events, organizing internships, and website development.
INTERNATIONAL
3. Attended the World Social Forum in Caracas, Venezuela to continue the work of building relationships and preparing the Social Forum in 2007.
4. Co-Facilitate several workshops at the United States tent for the US delegation of 400+ Participate in the Grassroots Global Justice network as a part of the Coordinating Committee and build the membership of people-of-color led organizations to connect to global movements.
Our strategic plan and shifts in program work are especially important to Project South as two of our founders will be transitioning out of key leadership of our organization. In the next 3 years Jerome Scott (Executive Director) and Walda Katz-Fishman (Board Chair) will shift their participation with the organization. We have formed a Transition Committee of board and staff to make sure their transition is strategic, thoughtful, and smooth. Founder transition is definitely a work in progress for Project South and other organizations we will keep yall posted on our lessons from this process.
Movement Is Building
One of the lessons Project South learned during our 18-month period of evaluation and planning is that we could not always quantify our work with numbers of whos been touched, how many leaders have been developed, or what campaigns were won because folks work with us. We are able to see how important our hard work has been in shaping grassroots movement in our communities and across the country. Organizations and community groups who use our tools and participate in Project South-led trainings continue to seek us out. They tell us that our popular education and leadership development tools provide clarity and give them focus. They are making connections between local everyday struggles and long-standing global infrastructures of money, power, and greed.
Movement building pulsates through the hearts of communities across the South. Though our organizations remain isolated and fragmented to a certain extent, our community partners tell us that they want to evolve their knowledge of whats wrong into a vision of what we (as a community) want. And we are committed to working with them long-term to develop strategies on how to achieve it. Building power in communities and building movement is a significant part of the Souths rich history. Although it may not always be called movement building, deep connections and analysis is needed now more than ever. Our 20-year history, collective operating structure, and our abundant grassroots and community support allow us to respond to that need, and to continue the fight for social and economic justice through long-term change. Thanks to our membership and your hard work to engage, Project South has been able to create opportunities for oppressed peoples to reflect, evaluate, and plan for fundamental transformation. We are excited to continue the work. We are committed to listening to the needs and concerns of the movement in this new moment. We are moving forward.
WWW.PROJECTSOUTH.ORG
Project South Sketches a New Roadmap for a New Moment
By William Cordery (Development Director)
& Christi Ketchum (Program Director)
After an 18-month period of evaluation, collective discussion, and organizational planning, we joyously approve and implement our new Strategic Plan for 2006-2008. Informed by both external and organizational struggles, this plan provides us with focus and a renewed purpose. Like you, we at Project South know the political, historical, and social relevance of the US South. As an organization, we plan to rebuild and refocus all of our programs around moving the South forward. Our plan includes working with committed and conscious grassroots organizations throughout the South, specifically in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana Tennessee, and Florida, to build movement-based practices for local/regional campaigns and programs. Our work includes getting our movement-building and leadership development tools and curriculum in the hands of community members and organizers at the front of struggles across the region.
Though not always prioritized in times of urgent crisis, strong leadership development has proven an essential component to responding to the root causes of the crisis in the Gulf Coast. Our mission, regional focus, and organizational politics becamefrighteningly more significant when the levees broke in New Orleans and the floodwaters of deeply-rooted oppression and poverty washed over the entire Gulf Coast and Southeast. Project South knows that if there is anything we can offer to our abandoned regional community, it will be to create the space, tools, strategic planning, and infrastructure needed for the South to reemerge out of poverty, free from criminalization of poor people of color, and at the forefront of building a new movement for social and economic justice in the US.
As a movement-building organization in the Southern region we recognize the massive pain, mistrust, and continual devastation that historically reside in the southern region. It became painfully obvious that special attention and the historical reference of W.E.B. Dubois As the South Goes, So Goes the Nation needed to be readdressed as we saw the destruction and distain for our Brothers and Sisters in the Gulf Coast. We have a responsibility to educate and use the rich and powerful history of struggle and perseverance as key to our work. Our current programs reflect a strategy to work on multiple levels and increase constituent participation in movement-wide efforts.
LOCAL
1. Education Teams: Developing Education Teams concentrating on Prison Industrial Complex and Economic Justice
2. Co-Coordinating a Youth and Adult Alliance with local youth and youth-serving organizations in Metro Atlanta to build relationships, collaborate on projects and create plans to fight against injustices happening to todays youth.
3. Creating Model Approaches and Curriculum for Youth Organizing & Leadership Development, particularly for the Youth Council.
4. Coordinating the Local Host Committee for the US Social Forum with local community-based organizations to plan, mobilize, and organize for the 2007 US Social Forum
REGIONAL
1. Preparing for the Southeast Social Forum & Planning Meeting on June 16-18, 2006 in Durham, NC bringing together community, organizers/organizations, youth, students, and those who want to build towards the US Social Forum in 2007.
2. Conducting the 1st Building A Movement (BAM) Institute for regional organizers to strengthen leadership and education skills
3. Actively supporting Gulf Coast organizations and displaced people in the region.
4. Engaging in a year-long organizational partnership with The Ordinary Peoples Society in Dothan, Alabama
NATIONAL
1. We will conduct/facilitate 4-5 Building A Movement (BAM) Sessions & Retreats nationwide for community-based organizations.
2. Connecting National Membership to participate with research projects, special events, organizing internships, and website development.
INTERNATIONAL
3. Attended the World Social Forum in Caracas, Venezuela to continue the work of building relationships and preparing the Social Forum in 2007.
4. Co-Facilitate several workshops at the United States tent for the US delegation of 400+ Participate in the Grassroots Global Justice network as a part of the Coordinating Committee and build the membership of people-of-color led organizations to connect to global movements.
Our strategic plan and shifts in program work are especially important to Project South as two of our founders will be transitioning out of key leadership of our organization. In the next 3 years Jerome Scott (Executive Director) and Walda Katz-Fishman (Board Chair) will shift their participation with the organization. We have formed a Transition Committee of board and staff to make sure their transition is strategic, thoughtful, and smooth. Founder transition is definitely a work in progress for Project South and other organizations we will keep yall posted on our lessons from this process.
Movement Is Building
One of the lessons Project South learned during our 18-month period of evaluation and planning is that we could not always quantify our work with numbers of whos been touched, how many leaders have been developed, or what campaigns were won because folks work with us. We are able to see how important our hard work has been in shaping grassroots movement in our communities and across the country. Organizations and community groups who use our tools and participate in Project South-led trainings continue to seek us out. They tell us that our popular education and leadership development tools provide clarity and give them focus. They are making connections between local everyday struggles and long-standing global infrastructures of money, power, and greed.
Movement building pulsates through the hearts of communities across the South. Though our organizations remain isolated and fragmented to a certain extent, our community partners tell us that they want to evolve their knowledge of whats wrong into a vision of what we (as a community) want. And we are committed to working with them long-term to develop strategies on how to achieve it. Building power in communities and building movement is a significant part of the Souths rich history. Although it may not always be called movement building, deep connections and analysis is needed now more than ever. Our 20-year history, collective operating structure, and our abundant grassroots and community support allow us to respond to that need, and to continue the fight for social and economic justice through long-term change. Thanks to our membership and your hard work to engage, Project South has been able to create opportunities for oppressed peoples to reflect, evaluate, and plan for fundamental transformation. We are excited to continue the work. We are committed to listening to the needs and concerns of the movement in this new moment. We are moving forward.
WWW.PROJECTSOUTH.ORG
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