Advise me

[hmpf]

Should I join

A: an NGO

B: a party

C: both?

Comments

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Is there any reason not to join both? Clearly you think that both would be useful in actively doing something about the current global crisis or you wouldn't be considering them, so...what are the pros and cons?

[nick-101.livejournal.com]

Whatever you feel like going. Maybe both, depending on what NGO means.

[tiniago.livejournal.com]

Why not look at what's actually on offer and then decide? All NGOs won't be the same and all political parties won't have exactly the same remit or the same chance of actually making a difference. Probably contacting an NGO will be a good starting point, they'll probably have a wide range of information, sensible suggestions, you can think more about what you actually want and can practically do.

[mjlaw.livejournal.com]

well, it seems like you're driven by one specific (and very pressing) set of issues. A political party will most likely be set up with the aim that it would one day be part of the government. This has its ramifications for you as, by signing up to a party, you'll be signing up for a whole suite of policies across the spectrum of governance, when you might not really agree with all of them. It also means that most parties only operate on a national level. Of course, single issue and local parties do exist, and they do good work towards raising awareness, but in terms of effecting policy change in central government, I don't think they're as effective as NGOs.

Now with NGOs, it depends what you want for yourself. I personally felt that a mixture of direct lobbying of world leaders and nationwide or international awareness-raising campaigns was likely to have the most success, and so I plumped for making regular, if modest, financial contributions to an international environment-oriented NGO. Most NGOs will offer you a chance to be more directly involved in raising awareness, petitioning government officials or fundraising. If you really feel a need to be part of the group steering the NGO, however, it would be easier to opt for a smaller, perhaps local group. The trade-off is that their reach wouldn't be quite as broad - although they may be remarkably successful in their community.

Above all of that, you should research the platforms of various likely parties and NGOs, and decide which one you really feel you can commit yourself to.

The main reason not to do both is time.

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

I have a tendency to want to dance on too many weddings at once, and it tends to cause chaos in my life. So, concentrating my efforts in one area seems wiser.

(For the time being I'm just doing some proofreading for 350.org.)

Well...

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

the obvious NGO - based on 'focus' and availability of an actual group where I live - would be Greenpeace. I have certain reservations about them, but then, I can't think of an alternative - least of all one that actually has activists around here. The nearest would be a Robin Wood group in a city about an hour from here.

As for parties, there's just two that make sense for me, the Greens or the SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, i.e. Social Democratic Party). They're both... very much in the doldrums, at the moment. The Greens are slightly closer to my goals, but aren't part of the government currently. The SPD is part of the government, i.e. if I want to have even just a tiny chance of influencing anything the government does - even if just by casting a vote at a party congress - I should probably join *them*. They're in an even deeper crisis than the Greens, though, and inherently less interested in my goals than the Greens.

Both Greenpeace and the Green Party have regular meetings here - the Greens' is even just five minutes away from where I live - but so far, I've always had to work when they were meeting. My job has somewhat inconvenient hours... and it's nearly impossible to find someone else to take my shift, in case I wanted to take a night off. :-(

Hey!

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

>well, it seems like you're driven by one specific (and very pressing) set of issues.

Well, it's a set of issues that's tied up with nearly everything else, though. Can't really do much about it without basically taking the whole complex web of interrelations of our current culture into account. (Full disclosure: I really would like to see us build a *very* different *world*... which probably means I should join some revolutionary organisation, lol)

>A political party will most likely be set up with the aim that it would one day be part of the government.

One of the two I'm considering is actually part of the German government. The other used to be. They're both deeply in crisis, though, so it's anybody's guess how long it'll last/if they'll ever be governing again.

>This has its ramifications for you as, by signing up to a party, you'll be signing up for a whole suite of policies across the spectrum of governance, when you might not really agree with all of them.

Well, you don't have to agree with everything that's in a party program. There are always people who disagree about some aspects. And party programs can be changed, they're subject to relatively frequent revision, in fact. That is why joining a party seems like a good idea to me - not because any of them is currently doing what I'd like them to do, but because I figure if people like me get active in them, they *might*, eventually, start doing what I'd like them to do. The idea is to help build a groundswell within the organisation. Carry some of the urgency I feel into a group of people who might productively get 'infected' by the same sense of urgency.

>It also means that most parties only operate on a national level.

Well, that's still a crucial level for actual policy decisions. And influence runs both ways - sure, decisions taken on a higher level will influence national policy. But national policy, if successful, may also end up influencing decisions on higher levels/other national governments.

>Of course, single issue and local parties do exist, and they do good work towards raising awareness, but in terms of effecting policy change in central government, I don't think they're as effective as NGOs.

Well, I was thinking about a national, multi-issue party anyway. :-)

>Now with NGOs, it depends what you want for yourself. I personally felt that a mixture of direct lobbying of world leaders and nationwide or international awareness-raising campaigns was likely to have the most success, and so I plumped for making regular, if modest, financial contributions to an international environment-oriented NGO. Most NGOs will offer you a chance to be more directly involved in raising awareness, petitioning government officials or fundraising. If you really feel a need to be part of the group steering the NGO,

No, not really. I don't think I'm much of a leader - and that kind of thing tends to eat your life. I'd just like to do my little bit, somewhere. (E.g. I'm currently doing some proofreading for 350.org. Couple of hours per week, and it makes their German website more 'readable', makes it communicate more clearly - seems like a fairly good investment of my time. :-))

>however, it would be easier to opt for a smaller, perhaps local group. The trade-off is that their reach wouldn't be quite as broad - although they may be remarkably successful in their community.

Yeah, see, I can't think of a local group around here. Except for a very NIMBY-type anti-airport group. I approve of their efforts, but their focus (which is on avoiding the expansion of the Frankfurt airport, for a variety of reasons - local environment and health concerns, noise, property values etc.) is really far too narrow.

>Above all of that, you should research the platforms of various likely parties and NGOs, and decide which one you really feel you can commit yourself to.

Yeah, already done that, actually. Just still undecided. One thing I find difficult is to decide where one may potentially do more good.

Addendum

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

Hey, btw - didn't you live in London? I'll be in London for about two hours on Saturday - I'll be hanging around Victoria Coach Station, waiting for a bus to Cardiff, from around half past one to pretty much exactly half past three. We could meet up for a short chat, if you like. (Yes, I know, this is a vaguely bizarre suggestion, but hey, vaguely bizarre ideas are often kind of fun.)

'if you like...

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

*and* if you're around and have some time, obviously'. Sorry. Imprecise.

Re: 'if you like...

[mjlaw.livejournal.com]

l would like! Unfortunately, l live in Vittoria-Gasteiz in the Basque country for now.

Re: 'if you like...

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

Wow! I *have* been out of the loop for a *while*! *hangs head in shame*

Is it work or love or something else that took you there?

Do you learn Basque? Such a weird language...

What's the archaeology situation like, there?

Re: 'if you like...

[mjlaw.livejournal.com]

It´s work, and to be fair this is only my second week here. I have not really made much progress with Basque, but it fascinates me.

Rescue archaeology on anything later than Roman seems to be a fairly new thing here. I don´t know for sure, but I get the feeling we´re testing the water a little. Certainly,as a moderately experienced British contractor, my opinion seems to count for quite a bit in terms of procedure. The site is interesting, although the interpretation seems to change drastically from day to day (yesterday, we were excavating a village with burials but no church; by today it had become a monastery): I would like to stay as long as I can though.