Our good friends and allies at the Courage Campaign continue to take an increasing lead in doing excellent work on behalf of progressive causes throughout California. While there have been many arguments and recriminations after the election concerning who and what was to blame for the final result on Proposition 8, it is nearly universally agreed that a comparative lack of local, independent organization and grassroots, nuts-and-bolts electoral know-how on the issue was a significant contributing factor.
The Courage Campaign has therefore undertaken to conduct Camp Courage, a full day’s program of activist training in advance of the coming fight to repeal Proposition 8, should the California Supreme Court decline to overturn the mobocratic assault on minority rights. Speaking from experience, I can unequivocally say that training programs such as these are by far the most valuable way any activist can spend his/her time, and that the Courage Campaign knows as well as any organization in the state how to organize, deliver votes, and take the fight to the political opposition. From the Courage Campaign website:
To repeal Prop 8, we will need a grassroots army of activists empowered with the tools and skills necessary to effectively organize their own communities.
That’s what propelled President-elect Barack Obama into the White House and that’s what it will take to restore marriage equality for same-sex couples in California.
And that’s why we are kicking off 2009 by launching “Camp Courage” — a training program inspired by “Camp Obama” that will use community organizing methods that have developed leaders and nurtured progressive social movements for decades.
The first Camp Courage starts with a special one-day training in Los Angeles on January 25. Of course, we can’t build an army to repeal Prop 8 in one day in Los Angeles. It will take two-day training camps across California in places like Fresno, San Diego, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo and San Francisco.
Of course, they can’t conduct such a massive project without significant support. If you’re willing and able, please consider chipping in a few bucks–and I hope to see you there in Los Angeles on the Sunday 25th to begin the fight to restore equal rights for all the citizens of our great state.
