Editing Strategizing (section)

==== Power with vs. Power Over ====
'''Power with:''' Sometimes we can create the change we need just by organizing our resources with others, creating power with them and without shifting power relationships with actors outside your community. For instance, creating a community credit union or a community run day care are examples of power with community organizing.

'''Power over''': Sometimes others hold power over decisions or resources that we need in order to create change. In cases like these, we have to organize our power with others first in order to make a claim on the resources or decisions that will fulfill our interests.

'''Note''': All organizing involves power with to some extent. Even when there is a problem involving power over your people, you will still need to create power with by organizing your community’s resources.

When we have to engage those who have power over us in order to create change, we can ask ourselves five questions:

# What is our goal?
# What person or organization has the power to realize our goal?
# What is that person or organization’s interests and vulnerabilities?
# What resources do we have at our disposal (or can get)?
# What strategies can we use to leverage those resources, and target their vulnerabilities, to achieve our goal?

Once we have answered these questions, we’re one step closer to deciding on our strategy, which we can articulate in a theory of change statement.

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===== Resources =====
<p>Regardless of whether the problem is a power with or power over situation, identifying our community’s resources is key. For example, assume our people are local families whose problem is not being able to bring refugee relatives to Canada. Their resources include: their relationships in the community, volunteer time, their homes, their votes in elections, money, knowledge of the immigration system, stories about their family, contacts in government, and artistic skills. This community could use their money, time, relationships, knowledge of the immigration system and stories to fundraise money to sponsor their relatives through the immigration system. They could use artistic skills and stories to hold media stunts to shame government into making immigration policies more accessible. They could use their time, relationships and contacts in government to lobby the government to make changes to the laws. This community has many strategic options to pursue, but each is dependent on their resources and how they use them. As a result, knowing what their resources are is critical in identifying their theory of change.</p> </div>