Types of Formations
Organization
A group that shares:
- a long-term vision/mission (ideology and analysis) and principles/values to guide them towards achieving the vision/mission.
- objectives and the strategy / plan to achieve those objectives.
- a process for making decisions and holding accountability.
Social Movement
Long term mass campaigns designed to change society.
Legal Health
Communications Policy
Self-Defense Membership
Protest Negotiating
Comprised of different types of organizations or formations, each playing a different role.
Differing roles both create and cause tension in the Movement.
Organizing
Vision / Mission
What we want beyond the objectives
Ideology and analysis
Principles
Core values that hold us together
Objectives
Tangible outcomes
Can be demands or internal
Strategy
Plan to win Objectives
Decision Making / Accountability
How are decisions made
Types of Formations
- Open to a large population
- Lower barrier of entry
- People driven
- Meet people where they are
- Lower common denominator
- Smaller formation
- Higher barrier of entry
- Ideologically driven
- Move masses to their position
- Adhere to political line
Mass
Vanguard
TENSION
People cannot win without vision
Vision cannot win without people
Types of Formations
- Serves individuals/orgs
- Often technical or professional
- Individual, not systemic
- Does not inherently challenge the system
- Cooperates with system
- Targets policies, laws, etc.
- Allows mass involvement
- Systemic, not individual
- Does not inherently help individuals
- Attacks system
Service
Political
TENSION
People need services
Services do not change the system
Types of Formations
- Pragmatic and winnable
- Solve a specific problem
- Not too disruptive
- Incremental change
- Aspirational and hard to win
- Address a slate of problems
- Shifts power
- Change everything at once
Reform
Power
TENSION
Win, but don’t solve the problem
Solve the problem, but can’t win
Types of Formations
- Centralized/Federal
- Central level of decision making / accountability
- Chapters are uniform
- Idea or process centered
- Decentralized/Coalition
- Local decision making / accountability
- Chapters can vary widely
- Local situation centered
Central
Network
TENSION
Unified organization/movement
Local autonomy and decision making
Types of Formations
Mass
Vanguard
Power
Reform
Political
Service