Peace and Justice Organizing Training Program

Background

The Chicago Peace Response Coalition has formed an Education Committee to identify training and support needs of various peace and social justice organizations, and to plan some educational activities to address these needs. The goals of this effort are to: (1) increase the knowledge, skills and unity of active members of peace and social justice organizations; (2) foster ongoing opportunities for learning, support and connection among community activists; and (3) help people develop organizing efforts that are effective, vibrant, diverse, active, sustainable and successful. This survey is designed to collect input from a variety of organizations so that the most needed and useful training and educational activities can be planned.

Organizational Information

  1. Name of Organization:

  2. Name of contact person being surveyed:

  3. Mailing address, phone number and e-mail of contact person:

  4. Briefly describe the composition of your organizations. What is the racial make-up, the age of most members, the geographic scope, the size, and any other significant characteristics that describe your constituency?

Interest/Need

  1. Do you think an organizing training program would be beneficial to members of your organization?
    Yes, very much
    Somewhat
    No
    Not sure

Training Dates and Times

  1. Which training dates and times do you think members of your organization would most prefer?
    Weekday evenings
    Saturdays
    Sundays
    Other:

  2. What do you think might work best for the duration of the training?
    An hour
    2-3 hours
    half day
    full day
    weekend
    other:

Training Locations

  1. Can you suggest accessible training sites (that could accommodate 30-50 people)?

Possible Training Topics

  1. Which training topics do you think would be of interest, and beneficial, to members of your organization (check all that apply):

    1. Actions: how to pick and plan actions and activities; more action ideas
    2. Base-building: how to recruit, activate and sustain a base
    3. Coalition-building: how to work with different groups
    4. Current events: what are the implications and opportunities related to current developments
    5. Fundraising: how to raise money to support your efforts
    6. History: what are some lessons from the past that can inform our current work?
    7. Leadership: how to develop new and effective organizational leaders
    8. Lobbying: how to influence elected officials through legislative work
    9. Media: how to develop messages, get media coverage, and create your own media
    10. Meetings and Decision-making: how to run democratic and effective organizations
    11. Movement-building: how to develop a broad-based, multi-cultural peace and justice movement
    12. Multi-racial/Multi-cultural Organizing: how to develop inclusive organizations and activities
    13. Organizational Structure: how an effective structure can help get the work done
    14. Outreach: how to develop basic "talking points" to raise public awareness and get people involved
    15. Public Speaking: how to prepare and present effective public presentations
    16. Racial Justice/Anti-Racist Organizing: how to effectively address issues of race
    17. Strategic Planning: how to develop successful issue campaigns
    18. Vision and Values: how to develop a shared vision and principles for peace and justice
    19. War, Militarization and Globalization: How do we connect local and global issues?

    20. Other Suggestions for Topics:

Training Priorities

  1. Rank your top three choices (only pick three, please). You can list the topics by number, rather than by title:

    1st choice
    2nd choice
    3rd choice

Training Participants

For the initial trainings, we plan to invite each organization to send two participants. We encourage this to be a racially mixed delegation.

  1. Can you suggest some members of your organization who you think may be interested in, and could benefit from, attending a training program? Please list them below, including their race, gender and age range so we can be mindful of diversity. Also, please list their organizing experience level (high, medium, inexperienced/new).

    Suggested Participant
    Race/Gender/Age
    Experience Level

    Suggested Participant
    Race/Gender/Age
    Experience Level

Suggested Trainers / Presenters

  1. Can you suggest people who would be good at presenting any of the training topics listed previously? Please list up to three below, including their race, gender and age so we can be mindful of diversity.

    Suggested Trainer
    Training Topic
    Race/Gender/Age

    Suggested Trainer
    Training Topic
    Race/Gender/Age

    Suggested Trainer
    Training Topic
    Race/Gender/Age

Other Ideas

  1. Besides training workshops, are there other kinds of educational or support activities that would be helpful to your group?

  2. Can you suggest anyone who may want to be involved in planning these activities?

  3. Do you have any other suggestions or ideas for the Education Committee?


Thank you very much for your very helpful input!
   

  For more information please contact:
Estelle Carol
Phone: 708-386-7197
Email: art-design@carolsim.com