11.26.09
With convention starting tomorrow, we are on the eve of defining a new culture of the BC NDP. Or not.
Lots of people think everything is fine in the party, that people calling for reform are navel gazers who don’t understand that the real enemy is the Liberal party.
Working against the Liberals and improving the synergy within the NDP are not mutually exclusive.
Losing two elections is a reasonable trigger for some useful introspection for the party. I’ve written about many of the crux issues for the party over the last week. Today I want to talk about who we ought to feel like as the NDP in BC.
Let’s use the party’s words, even…the convention tagline and a core campaign slogan:
Communicate. Inspire. Build.
Because everyone matters.
Communication
All conventions are about communication. The communication that must happen this weekend will give space to delegates to express all range of emotions and attitudes about the state of the party. Our core identity is in disarray to a degree. If convention is going to stimulate improvement, we need to get our ideas out on the table. We need to speak our truths to each other.
Inspiration
Inspiration is critical. When organizations are in flux, there are generally two leadership options: entrenching conservatism and expansive reinvigoration. Ever since 8:35pm on May 12, 2009, when I began talking to people about what went wrong in the election, everyone walked down one of those two paths, or alternated depending on their moods.
All through convention there will be crux moments: times when ideas will gel. I used to watch basketball games when I was at SFU. Each game was a series of scoring or defensive streaks. Whichever team could build enough momentum for enough runs would win the game.
At convention, these crux moments will compile over the weekend to define the starting point of the culture and tone of the BC NDP for the next 2 or more likely, many years.
I implore delegates to ignore the timidity inherent in conservatism and embrace the boldness of hope and vision and belief in our capacity to be an organization that lives in integrity. The party can be the electoral wing of the progressive social movement that already exists in BC.
Build
Suitably inspired, we need to leave convention with a goal of building a party that operates in integrity. All the catharsis, debate and re-envisioning that needs to happen cannot happen by the end of the weekend. The first thing to build coming out of convention is a process to continue the dialogue. Several hundred delegates represent all members for constitutional purposes, but they represent only themselves when it comes to rebuilding a party culture that will reverse the tide of alienation that showed up in members defunding the party, not volunteering on the election campaign and in a disturbingly large number of cases not even showing up to vote.
Once we build a process for de-alienation, we need to build some other things:
- a historic policy database on the party website for members and the whole world to see so they know what we stand for and so that we are willing to be held accountable to our policies
- an open communication network with all the people and groups that make up the progressive social movement in BC that is desperate for an electoral wing that sees value in working alongside allied groups
- a new economic vision supporting progressive businesses and business models that makes the economy serve people rather than people serving corporate shareholder wealth, all within the context of averting climate breakdown
- a series of other projects that will require member engagement for them to succeed, see Think Forward BC NDP goals.
Because Everyone Matters
I used to teach high school English. “Kids matter. Teachers care.” This BCTF message always carried weight for me. It’s all about what matters.
The BC NDP positions itself as the party that makes everyone matter. It didn’t quite succeed in that message in the last election because various things happened to alienate its own membership.
The future of the BC NDP hinges on making sure everyone in the party matters. Everyone needs to be included, informed, heard, involved and a part of solutions: from addressing the debt to policy formation, to coalition building on community and province-wide levels, to simply imagining what kind of BC we want our grandchildren to inherit.
Everything that everyone says and does at convention needs to be judged in the context of whether it will enable the party to ensure that every member matters during convention time and starting on November 30 when the party has to take the lessons from convention and rebuild itself.
A political party cannot exist if it alienates its members. For cyincal, neoliberal parties, corporations and the rich are the key constituents. For progressive parties, the constituents are members and supporters.
Our members need to see events at convention as reasons to re-commit to the party because it is worth engaging in.
Our supporters who aren’t members need to see a reason to join.
These will be the tests of the success of convention. If we do it right, we will start a process of defining ourselves as a party that can flourish in the 21st century. When people belong, they will fund the party. They will not financially support an organization that alienates them.
And that is why I will be running hard for Vice-President. All weekend. And if I get elected, I will be pursuing the goals and visions I’ve been writing about for the last week.
November 26th, 2009 @ 12:48 pm
“We need to speak our truths to each other.”
What does that mean? What “truths”?
Sounds like an echo chamber to me.
“The party can be the electoral wing of the progressive social movement that already exists in BC.”
So, we need to pander to the special interests more?
“…reverse the tide of alienation that showed up in members defunding the party, not volunteering on the election campaign and in a disturbingly large number of cases not even showing up to vote.”
Do you have an objective proof of this fact?
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November 27th, 2009 @ 9:50 am
So much for your coveted transparency, I guess it doesn’t apply to you.
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November 27th, 2009 @ 10:06 am
I’m not sure how you think I’m not transparent.
People’s truths are their personal experiences with the party, positive and negative.
The phrase “special interests” is so loaded. It is used to suggest that minority groups are trying to take over the agenda that affects the majority, and that it’s not legitimate.
The BC NDP’s policies promote the interests of the poorest 95% of British Columbians, those not favoured by the Liberals’ policies. The thousands of people and groups working for progressive social change are, represent and work with the vast majority of the province: people who work, people who access social services.
The majority population of the province cannot be called a special interest.
The people who economically benefit from Liberal policies far more fit the definition of special interest groups than everyone the BC NDP works for.
Proof of alienation? Yes, from the dozens of people I’ve talked to in the last 6 months about voting, funding and volunteering, as well as what they saw in their constituencies trying to get out the vote and run riding executives.
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November 27th, 2009 @ 10:56 am
#1- The reality of the social movements place as a special interest has very little bearing on the manner in which it will be spun in the media and by those opposing us. The perception will be that we are pandering to alot of special interest groups.
How do you plan to sell this to voters? Your long winded answer here will have lost 75% of them after the first sentence.
#2- I requested objective proof. Are donations down year over year, election cycle over election cycle. You can even use Real $ vs Nominal. Were volunteer hours down province wide?
I know that the campaign that I was working on had more e-day volunteers then we could put to use.
I don’t disagree with your sentiment, but you need to find a better way to sell it.
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November 27th, 2009 @ 11:38 am
Thanks for sharing your opinions, Quimby. We seem to be talking past each other now.
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November 27th, 2009 @ 12:38 pm
Not willing to answer questions, this is what I meant about transparency. You seem to believe in, “Do as I say, not as I do”
You want to be a VP in my party that demands better communication, transparency and democracy. Yet, you will not put these criteria on yourself.
How will you communicate your ideas to voters in a manner that will be heard, not in an echo chamber?
What objective proof do you have for your assertions?
So far, I have seen none.
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