Grassroots Leadership Network

Immigrant Movement Building dialogues 

​One of CSIO’s priority initiatives emerged in response to the needs of immigrant organizers and leaders after the 2016 elections to eliminate the silos that immigrant groups often work in because of competition, segregation, and heightened attacks against immigrants nationally. From 2017-18, we launched and built an Immigrant Movement Building initiative with over 120 immigrant leaders, organizers and Directors from over 40 community and labor groups to build solidarity around a clear message of unity against white supremacy. Quarterly movement-building dialogues continue to develop a strategy to combat xenophobia and Islamophobia across issues, locales, and populations.

The dialogues have brought immigrants together to:

• Foster greater understanding across diverse communities;
• Promote mutual support and cross-community solidarity;
• Build a unified message to fight white supremacy that appeals across all immigrant communities;
• Collaborate on timely political struggles that educate, motivate, and build connections;
• and facilitate healing and relationship-building processes.

​Each dialogue allowed broad organizing efforts to share their campaigns among dozens of fellow immigrant leaders. Community leaders from the TPS Coalition of Massachusetts shared the fight to maintain TPS from Latin@, Haitian, Somali, and other impacted communities; Southeast Asian community leaders from AARW analyzed SE Asian migration patterns that stem from U.S. wars and neoliberal attacks and educated participants on the deportations and other immigration attacks against Asian residents. Young leaders from Student Immigrant Movement shared their efforts to organize undocumented youth across communities. These sessions created broader support for these critical immigrant campaigns and shepherded the development of a shared message among immigrants.

​In September 2012, CSIO launched the Grassroots Leadership Network (GLN) for graduates of the Grassroots Leadership Institute. GLN members are GLI participants who have decided to continue to gather in order to deepen their learning and solidarity with other leaders and organizers from grassroots groups. The goal of the GLN is to build the capacity of organizers and leaders to develop grassroots leadership in social change work and to promote solidarity among communities and organizations. Sessions involve peer learning and highlight the “best practices” of groups doing grassroots leadership and organizing work. 

Participants

Groups participating in these workshops included City Life/Vida Urbana, SEIU Local 32BJ District 620, Agencia ALPHA, Matahari Eye of the Day, Lynn Worker Center, MIRA, Fuerza Laboral, NOAH, Girls LEAP, Essex County Community Organization, Center for Cooperative Development and Solidarity, MassCOSH, CTAC, Bromley Heath Tenant Task Force, Perfiles Publishing Group, Normal, Olneyville Neighborhood Association, JPNDC, Global Child, MAPC, The Neighborhood Developers, and United for a Fair Economy.

2020- 2021 Sessions

Since August, 2020 we have had 7 sessions 3 in two different spaces in English and Spanish and 4 bilingual. Our goal was to continue to hold regular dialogues with our network, during the pandemic and social distress, on Black Lives Matter/the prevalence of anti-Black prejudice in immigrant communities. We wanted to continue to build relationships and trust with immigrant organizers and leaders, raise up the importance of understanding the Black Lives Matter Movement and the pervasiveness of anti-Blackness, deepen the connection of the BLM movement to immigrant justice struggles and explore strategies moving forward to unite immigrant and African American communities. 

Accomplishments

• More than 40% of participants participated in all dialogues this year.
•  Our advisory group guided the planning of these and future dialogues.
• Sustained a strong and representative facilitation team, including nationally renowned Sayra Pinto Torres, Chief Practitioner for Moon Jaguar Strategies LLC, which supports cross sector organizations to engage in transformative change
•  Participants deepened the conversation and their honesty regarding internalized racism. They reflected on the challenges that keep many immigrants in the U.S. blind to structural racism in the U.S.

The group grew its ethnic, geographic and class diversity and via outstanding simultaneous translation (from a cooperative-run organization) participants were able to share and learn from each other fluidly. Participants recognized the differences in mindsets and perspectives that result from cultures, class and geography.

​2017 SESSIONS

In June 2017, CSIO facilitated a dialogue among over 25 immigrant organizers and leaders from Latin American, African, Asian and Caribbean communities to strategize about how to build a more united immigrant movement during these xenophobic times.

Leaders from CSIO’s Immigrant Executive Director Network along with CSIO staff facilitated the dialogue. Using a timeline, participants shared their community’s history over the past 30 years – both in their home countries and as immigrant populations in the U.S. People identified the root causes of their migration to the U.S. – wars, political upheavals, and neo-liberal economic policies, and discussed how U.S. and global economic and political forces have impacted their community’s quality of life here.

They began to address the challenges that prevent immigrant communities from uniting and building a cross-community and cross-issue united front for social justice and resistance to xenophobia, racism, and economic exploitation. We will reconvene the group in September 2017, and imagine it will grow over time. If you are an immigrant organizer or leader who would like to participate in this cohort, send us an email and we will keep you posted on upcoming dates.

2015-2016 SESSION

​In 2016, CSIO provided its Grassroots Leadership Network of organizers and experienced leaders with in-depth workshops on the solidarity economy and popular education methodology in community organizing.

​The Solidarity Economy (SE) workshop introduced the SE framework – a set of practices and theories promoting democratic, just, and sustainable development. Co-facilitated by Penn Loh of Tufts University and CSIO, the training addressed strategies by workers, consumers, and communities that create solidarity and give community members a voice and action against the effects of capitalism. Activists from DSNI, CERO Cooperative and CCDS all shared local and international cooperative development models. We placed the struggles of workers and communities in a broader vision of equity, shared quality of life among all people, and a sustainable environment.

​Taking advantage of a national tour sponsored by CSIO’s partner, United for a Fair Economy, in October 2016 CSIO hosted a workshop on popular education by Equipo Maíz. The team from El   Salvador led some 20 Latino activists from community groups and unions in activities understand the differences between popular and traditional (or banking) education. Participants shared insights into how popular education is used in the process of community organizing and empowerment. They were introduced to a number of tools that they can use to strengthen their grassroots leadership and organizing work.

​In the fall 2015, CSIO developed a two-part workshop series in Spanish whose goal is to help immigrant leaders and activists develop economic literacy about the global economy, understand the impact of capitalism on our communities, and hear about alternative political and economic strategies that promote democratic, just, and sustainable communities.

​The first 5-hour session was facilitated by Equipo Maíz, an El Salvadoran group with decades of experience using popular education methodology in Central America to challenge neo-liberal economic structures and other forms of political and social repression. CSIO had to close registration for this workshop when nearly 30 Latino organizers and activists signed up for 25 available slots. At the October 2015 session, Equipo Maíz led interactive exercises that explored Free Trade treaties and their impact, the Free Trade Zones of the Americas, Neo-liberalism, structural adjustment programs, and the double impact of these economic structures and patriarchy on women.

2012 – 2014 SESSIONS

​The GLN has held half-day sessions in Spanish and English that have involved graduates from the Grassroots Leadership Institute and other experienced leaders and organizers. 2012-14 sessions included:

​How to use popular education tools to cultivate grassroots leadership – led by GLI grads from English for Action.

• ​Attracting foundation grants to support grassroots leadership and organizing efforts, led by CSIO, Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC), and Peter Snoad, Program Officer from Common Stream, Inc, who shared his perspective as a grant maker on strategies to attract resources from foundations.

• ​An analysis of why immigration reform has failed to date – led by a group of GLI grads and long time immigrant rights activist Elena Letona.

• ​How to incorporate social media in grassroots leadership and organizing work –  led by CSIO volunteer Kevin Ferreira.