WHAT YOU CAN DO
The following is an excerpt from Noam Chomsky, perhaps the leading American critic of the established order in the U.S. and abroad. The following (edited) passages come from his book, "What Uncle Sam Really Wants" pages 98-101, and following these will be a list, and a small list at that so check around your neigbourhood for others, of organizations dedicated to activism from a grass-roots level aimed at changing the status quo in the country in which they operate and many also work internationally. Remember, you do not have to live in a country to know it and its problems, especially when many ask for help.
"In any country, there's some group that has the real power. It's not a big secret where power is in the United States. It basically lies in the hands of the people who determine investment decisions-what's produced, what's distributed. They staff the government, by and large, choose the planners, and set the general conditions for the doctrinal system." (This applis very well to the majority of countries, developed or "developing", and certainly in Canada.).
"One of the things they (those who hold power) want is is a passive (and quiet, laid-back) population...one of the things that you can do to make life uncomfortable for them is not be passive and quiescent. There are lots of ways of doing that. Even asking questions that have an important effect."
"Demonstrations, writing letters and voting can all be meaningful-it depends on the situation. But the main point is- it's got to be sustained and organized." Chomsky further states that the state power holders can live with the fact that people may hold demonstartions once in a while, say, when something comes to their attention because this type of protesting makes no threat to their priviledged position. Afterall, you just attend one rally "and then go home. What they can't live with is sustained pressure that keeps buliding, organizations that keep doing things, people that keep learning from the last time and doing it better the next time."
"Any system of power, even a fascist distatorship, is responsive to public dissidence." This is truer in democratic nations where the state cannot overtly coerce individuals, especially in a collective situation. Chomsky uses the Vietnam war as an example where "direct resistance to the war was quite significant, and it was a cost that the government had to pay."
"If elections are just something in which some poprtion of the population goes and pushes a button every couple of years, they don't matter. But if citizens organize to press a position and pressure their representatives about it, elections can matter."
Remember, however, that it is the represenatives closest to you that are the most vulnerable to protest, since you his/her/their direct electors. For instance, Member of Parliaments, Members of the local legislators, municipal officals, etc. Those at the top, like a president or prime minister, are usually less effected especially since, like in Canada, a PM is elected simple by way of his/her party getting the most seats or, like in the U.S., where the president only signs or vetoes bills into law but does not formulate them. This does not mean they should not be pressured--They Should. However, Chomsky warns that when you get to the such high levels in government, "policy is decided almost totally by the wealthy and powerful people who own and manage the country." Remember--almost but not absolute.
"But you can organize on a scale that will influence representatives. You can get them to come to your homes to be yelled at by a group of neighbors, or you can sit at their offices-whatever works in the circumstances. It can make a difference-often an important one."
"You can also do your own research. Don't just rely on conventional history books and political science texts- go back to specialists' monographs and original sources: national secuirty memoranda and similar documents. most good libraries have reference departments where you can find them."
"It does require a bit of effort. most of the material is junk, and you have to read a ton of stuff before you find anything good. Their are guides that give you hints about where to look, and sometimes you'll find references in secondary sorces that look intriguing. Often they're misinterpreted, but they suggest places to search."
"It's no big mystery, and it's not intellectually difficult. It involves some work, but any body can do it as a spare-time job. And the results of that research can change people's minds. Real research is always a collective activity, and its results can make a large contributionto changing consiousness, increasing insight and understanding, and leading to constructive action."
"The struggle for freedom is never over. The people of the Third World need our sympathetic understanding and, much more than that, they meed our help." That is not to say that those individuals in developed societies that are on the outside (ie. the poor, unemployed, the outcasts) do not require assistance, they do but their struggle and that of the developing world are intertwined in that they both suffer so the few can prosper. The third world suffers so the developed nations prosper, the poor, unemployed, outcasts in developed societies suffer so that the nation's rich can be richer and more powerful, and acting as a buffer to the wider society, ie. being blamed for crime, violence, poverty is another role of the disadvantaged in advanced nations. Nonetheless, the struggle is a whole divided into branches; it is a struggle against oppression, overt and covert, suffering, poverty, theft, and murder. The end of this situation on one side, be it in the Third or First world, will most likely precipitate a change in the other. Although a change in the Third World may just speed up changes in the First because, to a large extent, the former supplies the latter with monumental services like cheap resources, labour, etc. which allow First world people to prosper via lower prices than they would be and even higher wages, although this is changing as jobs leave the First world for the Third. The battle on all fronts must be fought, though, to achieve success, whichever front you take is your choice. Multiple fronts can be taken but it is difficult, ie. in terms of time, research required, money, etc. The point is to join the battle for change...YOU ONLY HAVE SOCIAL BETTERMENT TO GAIN.
Changes, albeit small, have historically taken place and there is no reason why they should not occur again. Chomsky himself admits this and has personally seen it in parts of Southeast Asia, Central America, and the occupied West Bank.
Understanding the world is but one challenge to change. "There's a growing Third World at home. There are systems of illegitimate authority in every corner of the social, political, economic and cultural worlds. For the first time in human history, we have to face the problem of pretecting an environment that can sustain a decent human existence. We don't know that honest and dedicated effort will be enough to solve or even mitigate such problems as these. We can quite be confident...that the lack of such efforts will spell disaster."
ORGANIZATIONS
Sorry but most of these organiztions are located in North America. However, they do have international branches so look them up in your area. Also, there are many more out there which are not listed. Most of these groups have an information newsletter or paper that you can write or phone for. These newletters/papers explain the goup's function, etc. You can also just phone and ask or search for some on the web via yahoo. As I become aware of their existence on the web, I'll create a link to their sites here and in my links page.
Affordable Housing
1) Fund for an Open Society
311 S Juniper, #400 Philadelphia, PA, 19107
PH: 215-735-6915
2) Habitat for Humanity
121 Habitat St., Americus, GA, 31709
PH: 912-924-6935
3) South Shore Bank
7054 S Jeffery Blvd., Chicago, IL., 60649
PH: 312-288-1000
Anti-war, Anti-military, and Economic Conversion
1) Campaign for Peace and Democracy
Box 1640 Cathedral Station, New York, NY., 10025
PH: 212-666-5924
2) Center for Peace Information
1500 Massachusetts Avenue, NW.,
Washington DC 20005
PH: 202-862-0700
3) Center for Economic Conversion
222 View St., Mountain View CA., 94041
PH: 415-968-8798
4) Nevada Desert Experience
Box 4487 Las Vegas NV., 89127
PH: 702-646-4814
5) Veterans Speakers Alliance
942 Market St, #709
San Francisco CA, 94102
PH: 415-255-7331
6) War Resisters League
339 Lafayette St., New York, NY., 10012
PH: 212-228-0450
Civil Right
1) American Civil Liberties Union
132 W. 43rd St., New York, NY., 10036
PH: 212-944-9800
2) Asian Law Caucus
468 Bush St., 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA., 94108
PH: 415-391-1655
3) Drug Policy Foundation
4455 Connecticut Ave
NW, #B-500
Washington DC., 20008
PH: 202-537-5005
5) Mexican-American Legal Defence and Education Fund
also called MALDEF
634 S Spring St., Las Angeles CA., 90014
PH: 213-629-2512
6) National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
4805 Mount Hope Dr., Baltimore, MD., 21215
PH: 410-358-8900
7) National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
2320 17th St., NW
Washington DC., 20009
PH: 202-332-6483
8) Native American Rights Fund
1506 Broadway, Boulder CO., 80302
PH: 303-447-8760
9) Southern Poverty Law Center
Box 2087
Montgomery AL., 36102
PH: 205-264-0286
ENVIRONMENTAL
1) Earth First
Box 1415 Eugene OR., 97440
PH: 503-741-9191
2) Greenpeace
1436 U St NW
Washington DC., 20009
PH: 202-462-1177
3) Indigenous Environmental Network
Box 485 Bemidji, MN., 56601
PH: 218-751-4967
4) Student Environmental Action Coalition
Box 1168 Chapel Hill, NC., 27514
PH: 919-967-4600
Human Rights
1) Amnesty International USA
322 Eighth Ave, New York, NY., 10001
PH: 212-807-8400
2) Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights & Services
995 Market St., #1108
San Francisco CA., 94103
PH: 415-243-8215
3) East Timor Action Network
Box 1182 White Plains NY., 10602
PH: 914-428-7299
In San Fran..ph. 415-387-2822
Labor and Community Organizing
1) Center for Third World Organizing
1218 E. 21st St., Oakland CA., 94606
PH: 510-533-7583
2) Industrial Areas Foundation
36 New Hyde Park Road
Franklin Square NY., 11010
PH: 516-354-1076
3) Labor Party Advocates
Box 53177 Washington DC, 20009
PH: 202-319-1932
Latin America
1) Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador
also called CISPES
19 W. 21st St., # 502
New York, NY., 10010
PH: 212-229-1290
2) Guatemalan News and Information Bureau (GNIB)
Box 28594
Oakland CA., 94604
PH: 510-835-0810
3) Guatemalan Partners
945 G St NW
Washington DC., 20001
PH: 202-783-1123
4) Inter-Hemispheric Education Resource Center
Box 4506 Albuquerque NM., 87196
PH: 505-842-8288
5) Nicaragua Network
1247 E St SE
Washington DC., 20003
PH: 202-544-9355
6) Resource Center of the Americas
317 17th Ave., SE
Minneapolis, MN., 55404
PH: 612-627-9445
Middle East
1) Middle East Children's Alliance
905 Parker St., Berkeley CA., 94710
PH: 510-548-0542
2) Middle East Justice Network
Box 495 Boston MA., 02112
PH: 617-542-5056
3) Search for Justice and Equality in Palestine/Israel
Box 3452 Framingham MA, 01701
PH: 508-877-2611
Third World
1) Oxfam America
26 West St., Boston MA., 01701
PH: 508-877-2611
2) World Neighbors
4127 NW 126th
Oklahoma City OK., 73120
PH: 405-946-3333
Women's Issues
1) Connexions
Box 14431
Berkeley CA 94712
PH: 510-549-3505
2) Ms. Foundation
120 Wall St., 33rd floor
New York, NY., 10005
PH: 212-742-2300
3) 9to5, National Association of Working Women
238 W Wisconsin Ave., #700
Milwaukee, WI., 53203
PH: 414-274-0925
3) National Organization of Women (NOW); Legal Defence and Education Fund
99 Hudson St., New York NY., 10013
PH: 212-925-6635
Canadian Organization-Click Here
