Creating a Progressive Values Movement (Good Stuff)

[Carolab]

Creating a Progressive Values Movement by The Rockridge Institute

Progressives must become aware of the values they share in order to achieve a consensus of ideas while maintaining their individuality.
Conservatives, through their think tanks, have worked out a common set of values that divergent conservative groups share and that form the basis for cooperation. Progressives, on the other hand, are still largely unaware of the set of values that unite them. Once progressives understand the moral system that they share, it will be possible to articulate and sustain a movement based on values, principles and policy directions that is needed to win elections and support progressive organizations.

At the moment, progressives tend to organize around particular issues and causes: a sustainable environment, anti-war and peace organizations, labor rights, women's rights, human rights, and so on. Groups working on particular issues often form coalitions that are based on common self-interest to work toward a particular program or policy initiative. But these coalitions are usually short term because once the program or policy is either achieved or is unsuccessful, there is no further basis for ongoing cooperation. Coalitions come apart readily because it is very common for groups to have substantial differences about policy details or tactics. And coalitions are hard to maintain over time since groups often compete with each other for limited funding and resources, creating counterproductive tension.

What is needed is a focus on creating a progressive values movement that recognizes the shared values that define who progressives are, and that encompasses the work done by groups working on many different issue areas and programs. Recognizing the importance of higher-level values, principles, and policy directions can help progressives overcome common differences about policy details and tactics so that more enduring progressive goals can be achieved. The key insight for progressives is that all groups express an aspect of nurturant morality. The movement can be organized around nurturant moral values because these are progressive values. Once this is recognized, supported, and extended, progressives can be on their way to greater unity and achieve a broad-based and lasting progressive values movement to counter conservative efforts to force Strict Father morality into our society and institutions of government. Learning how each issue and program relates to first-order values and how to talk about those values is critical. Enacting broad-based strategic initiatives is one of the best ways to get individuals and organizations to work together to achieve progressive goals based on shared values....

Why, then, do progressives remain divided? Because by and large progressives are not consistently emphasizing their values. This is in stark contrast to the radical Right, who have for decades been organizing, fundraising, and campaigning based on an overarching moral vision. It is time for progressives to realize how much we all share, and to begin building organizations and policies that reflect what unites us rather than what divides us....

(much more)

http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research/rockridge/valuesmovement

[usregimechange]

1. I second that

[Carolab]

2. This is really quite informative. Everyone should read it.

This is where Dean is coming from.

[burrowowl]

3. Kick!

As opposed to the other side, we don't believe in CHILDREN STARVING! as they are doing in the White Christian Corporate/Fascist U$ of A! And this is only to begin with! What about that brochure the ND girl mentionned to have Europeans contribute to starving U$ population!?!

[quaker bill]

4. This is the path to victory