Actions and Consequences
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Now that our Action Steps planning is done, we realize that we must also think about consequences. Action Steps can take “the other side” by surprise. We discussed the fact that consequences can be very negative - Action can involve risk. The recent violence in LA, at the end of a peaceful march in favor of immigration reform, is just one example. In a school, detentions and suspensions are definite risks.
We discussed some guidelines:
*inform the “audience” of possible risks
*think seriously about informing your opposition of your plans, and your grievance, well ahead of time
*be aware that some people joining the action may precipitate violence of their own choice and for their own reasons
*think of alternatives as well as consequences.
*expect that some people will NOT want to participate; respect this decision
We discussed the following alternative action steps - we discussed how these should probably be tried before larger steps:
1.Negotiation - meeting with “responsible parties” to discuss issues, grievances, etc.
2.Representation - having a representative group, such as the Student Council or an existing committee, discuss the issue - this can be very powerful if the existing group is powerful enough to make change happen
3.Information gathering - always important!! Surveys, mail-in’s, petitions are all useful for gathering information.
Of course, not all Action Steps require risk-taking. Fund-raisers, “chip in and help” activities, political events are generally not risk-intensive.
We have learned that Action Steps fall into many categories, then:
*violent - non-violent
*risky - not risky
*negotiated - “in your face”
*large - small
*one-time - multiple events or long-term
There is more to Persuasion than meets the eye!
