The
Metropolitan Organization
Its Purpose
A
metropolitan organization is a mass based, multi‑institution, peoples
organization that exits for the purpose of amassing and exercising collective
power on a local and regional level to address inequality, injustice, poverty
and oppression. Its job is to shift the balance of power by aligning the poor
and working class urban population with a (predominantly) white, suburban,
working class constituency. Metropolitan Organizations will seek to dominate and
even dictate public policy decisions without direct engagement in electoral or
partisan politics or through purely legal means. Instead, it will rely on the
real power of massive and overwhelming numbers and strategic action to win major
issue campaigns and further expand its power. Ultimately, these Metropolitan
Organizations will be linked together by their staff and key leadership and will
have the power to exercise greater influence on a national scale. As the social
and physical condition of the urban areas continues to erode and the economic
status of the suburban working class deteriorates, the power and importance of
Metropolitan Organizations will grow. They may be the only organizations
prepared and willing to take regional power to transform the metropolitan area
and redistribute wealth and power. And if enough regions are transformed,
America is transformed.
Metropolitan organizations will seek to organize the poor and working class people of the region. It will seek allies, relationships and resources from all strata of society. However, its base and its leadership will emerge from low income, poor and middle class communities. Membership and leadership will reflect the low and middle‑income population of the metropolitan region considering race, denomination, and geography.
Metropolitan organizations will continue to organize people through local religious institutions. However, organizers and leaders will look to expand and deepen the metropolitan base through other working class and membership controlled institutions with a particular emphasis on labor union locals and in alliance with significant regional organizations such as the Central Labor Councils, local civil rights and environmental organizations.
C.
Size (number of institutions).
A metropolitan organization will have from 50 to 300 member institutions and have a turnout capacity of 5,000 to 10,000 people depending on the size and population of the region.
Boundaries of the organization will encompass the entire metropolitan region. This will frequently (but not necessarily) reflect the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Decisions on territorial boundaries will consider the local perception of the region, the commercial, economic and communication ties political spheres etc. Multi‑state regions will be consolidated where and when it is determined by the leadership to be strategically necessary or desirable.
The Gamaliel Network will become a national organization of Metropolitan. Organizations. The National Network will exist to provide centralized support and assistance for the creation and development Metropolitan Organizations. The National organization will exist to allow for the collective power of Metropolitan Organizations to impact national public policy.