Citizen Whip Counts and Other New Organizing Models
The tools available to today’s activists online are making the old organizing models from the 60’s – 90’s irrelevant and obsolete. Safety experts testifying to Congress helped Ralph Nader pass seatbelt laws in 1960, but today a blog or online organization can send that testimony out directly to millions of people in seconds. The massive coalitions which once helped pass environmental protections now find themselves struggling to keep up with smaller, more nimble online groups.
Today’s technology enables 10 dedicated activists to accomplish what it took thousands to do just a few decades ago. This session will explore some of the new organizing models being developed to help fight the progressive battles of the 21st century.
Chris Bowers co-founded Open Left in July of 2007. He was a full-time editor at MyDD from May 2004 until June 2007, and has been the Treasurer of BlogPac since March of 2006.
He has worked as a consultant for MoveOn, Media Matters, SEIU, Progressive Strategies, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. The latter allowed him to work on new media for Joe Sestak for Senate. Chris was also recently a fellow at the New Organizing Institute, which allowed him to work with Americans for Financial Reform.
Chris is 36, and recently moved to Washington, D.C. with his wife Natasha Chart.
Jane Hamsher is the Founder and Publisher of Firedoglake. Jane's work has appeared on the Huffington Post, Alternet and The American Prospect. She has appeared on CNN, MSNBC and PBS and is the author of the best selling book Killer Instinct. She has produced such films Natural Born Killers and Permanent Midnight and currently lives in Washington, D.C.
