There are various conceptualisations of community organizing because it is a diverse and evolving practice that emerged in different contexts with different names and features, was developed through multiple efforts,and it continues to be adapted to different contexts and cultures.

People who define their work as “community organizers” typically employ a number of similar tools in their work, for example: building relationships through one-on-one conversations, and face-to-face community outreach with local residents; developing local leadership of people from the community who may feel they have no agency and involve them in the campaign; Planning and implementing campaigns that address issues identified by local residents during one-on-one outreach in the community. The campaign could involve research on the issue and who has power to on the issue, recruiting new people and developing their leadership, engaging officials, speaking to the media, engaging allies from outside the community. Organizing groups use different strategies and tactics to generate collective power to  put pressure on the decision-makers and be able to negotiate changes in public policy and social systems, and to shift the public narrative in support of justice, sustainability and democracy.

A “community organizer”, whether working as a volunteer or in a professional capacity, often emerges from communities from which the organizing is happening, or if they don’t they should be able to build trusting and accountable relationships in communities not their own. Good organizers share leadership and demonstrate an awareness of the privilege they carry based on their institutional position, and their ability to shape decisions of the group. 

At ECON, we value the diversity of organizing practices among ECON members and partners. We develop our organizing practice through the praxis of doing, reflecting, learning, and applying the lessons learned.