I think that the best union and community organizing is done as values-based organizing, meaning that from the very beginning the people involved are engaged in changing their workplaces and communities and themselves and those around them based on what their leading values are. Do we go into making changes by loving those around us more or less than we hate those with power? Do we understand what power and leadership are, and do we know how to work with these in ourselves and with others? Are we doing the work for self-advancement or for collective advancement? Is our work about consumption and exchange or is it about getting everyone on the same boat and working together for everyone's shared interests? How do we identify and work with our interests even when they're in conflict? What are we willing to risk fort the sake of ourselves and the sake of those we care about? These questions come up and drive values-based lives and social change.
The values-based approach to social change owes much to the recovery movement. Think about it: we're all trying to recover from the damage has has been done to us and that we have done to ourselves and others, and we can't separate doing that from taking power and cooperating with others in our daily lives.
With all of this in mind I am pretty interested in the Better Than I Deserve effort that I have mentioned on this blog previously. I don't know where the guy who does Better Than I Deserve is coming from on every count, and I don't agree with everything that I see there, but I'm impressed enough to engage with Better Than I Deserve and consider what he's doing in light of recovery and making social change. If you're on either of those journeys, please watch these and find Better Than I Deserve on Youtube to start with.
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