Our Values, Our Strategies
by Greg Field, PAM Executive Director
Over the last two years, much of our energy and focus has been turned toward
resistance and reaction. It is our responsibility to resist the
administration's go-it-alone foreign policy and the Bush doctrine of endless
wars. But we also recognize the need for our own vision and goals and a
strategy for getting there.
Bush's agenda is clear: continue to secure cheap raw materials, especially
oil, overseas, and use the military to maintain access; undermine every
government program that fosters the common good and the public interest;
promote a radical individualism that benefits the wealthy few, shrinks the
public sphere, and undermines social movements — labor and community
activism, environmentalism, civil rights and peace groups.
We know what we value: government that lifts the least among us and protects
and promotes the public sphere from local schools to national parks; vibrant
communities that celebrate diversity and compassion; and international
relations built on the rule of law; on consent, and on equity and justice.
So how the heck do we get there? It's a vision that seems so far off, and we
seem stuck in the Bush matrix. We need to rebuild our movement — we can
achieve little without a broader and stronger social movement. We need to
knit together the fabric of a broad array of progressive movements. Together
we are strong; together we can see that an injury to one is an injury to
all.
We need the intellectual and moral discipline it takes to build a movement.
Rather than rigid, top-down hierarchy it will take a common commitment to
focus and bring attention to our creative tension: recognizing our unity of
purpose without the right-wing fascination for authority figures, and
strengthening our diversity without spinning off into our own orbits. We
should ask these three questions about each event we plan and each issue we
address: does it help strengthen our movement? does the language we use
reflect our goals? are we building alliances and networks?
During the successful effort to defeat the tax cap last fall, PAM joined
the Maine Peoples Alliance, environmental groups, and other organizations
that were framing the debate. We value community — schools, emergency
responders, parks, human services. The right values radical individualism,
oil wars, and go-it-alone policies at home and abroad. Working together, we
won.
The message we need to get across when we talk about layoffs at BIW is that
public investment can create jobs building commercial ships or green energy
windmills so that our skilled, unionized workers can continue to make a good
living. We must hold big contractors accountable. General Dynamics and other
companies of that ilk are not responding to public needs.
In order to build this movement, we need to learn to reframe our common
message.
Back to Peace
Talk Index, Spring 2005