What People Say

Reviews
"This book provides the nuts and bolts for how people and communities that start on the margins can move to center stage. Tools for Radical Democracy shines the spotlight on what works, and will help spark the next generation of social change movements. To be sure, our country is in dire need of such techniques.”—Andy Stern, president, Service Employees International Union, CTW, CLC

"This manual is an organizer’s organizer. I hope many people will put this to use.”
—Heather Booth, founder and president, Midwest Academy

"This book is ‘the secret’ for building collective power for long-term social change.”
—Nat Chioke Williams, executive director, Hill-Snowdon Foundation

"Minieri and Getsos provide real-world examples of how ordinary people can become leaders who effect positive change. This book will be required reading for our staff and recommended reading for all our members.”
—Janet S. Keating, codirector, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition

"Students, scholars, and social activists alike will find something to their tastes in this how-to guide for rebuilding democracy from the ground up.”
—Joaquin Herranz Jr., assistant professor, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington

Tools for Radical Democracy is for all people who feel themselves closed out by the decisions that affect their lives. Joan Minieri and Paul Getsos bring their solid experience in building a cooperative and forceful voice to the story of a community out and acting powerfully.”
—Colin Greer, president, The New World Foundation

Building the Power to Create Change

Tools for Radical Democracy: How to Organize for Power in Your Community
(Jossey-Bass / Kim Klein's Chardon Press) is an essential resource for grassroots organizers and leaders, students of activism and advocacy, and anyone trying to increase the civic participation of ordinary people. Authors Joan Minieri and Paul Getsos share stories and tools from their nationally recognized and award-winning work of building a community-led organization, training community leaders, and conducting campaigns that changed public policy and delivered concrete results to tens of thousands of people.

This how-to manual includes:

· In-depth analysis of how to launch and win a campaign

· Tools, worksheets and guidelines for training people to lead their own campaigns and organizations

· Insights for using technology effectively, building more powerful alliances, and engaging in the social justice movement

To buy the book now, click here: Amazon.com

Sample Pages

Excerpt from Preface:

WHY WE BELIEVE IN ORGANIZING AND BUILDING POWER
We both came of age during the rise of the conservative agenda in the United States. Yet, over the last 25 years we have seen first hand that organizing and building power for social justice is not only possible in this political climate – it works. We have seen community-based organizing campaigns win changes in social policy, improve the administration of programs that service millions of people, preserve and protect our environment and force companies to pay living wages, provide benefits and pay for community benefits and improvements....

We wrote this book to share the lessons and the tools that we developed while successfully organizing low-income people over the course of 12 years. We believe that others can apply these lessons to their organizations and issues and achieve similar results. Read more.

See the Table of Contents.