Here's a binary:
Institutions / Grass-roots Movements.
Let's be iconoclast and deconstruct that binary opposition!
Showing posts with label Institutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Institutions. Show all posts
Friday, August 13, 2010
Friendships
A little briefing on my journey of political thinking.
Until relatively recently I have criticized institutions but have tried not to fall into anti-organizational fallacy I think many of my anti-institutional brethren fall into.
Yet recently as I have thought about the dangers of institutional culture I have realized that one can not merely 'network'. The danger of networking is to see in a person the potential for connection but not friendship. Is this even ethical?
So I suggest a new paradigm: do no institutionalize, nor network, but organize with friends! Build long lasting friendships, including with people who may only seem as connections. Illich believes that the function of prophecy has passed on to friendship. I'm beginning to see the greatness of that!
So to all of you out there who read this who may have ambitious plans of networking and organizing: friendship first! friendship last!
Until relatively recently I have criticized institutions but have tried not to fall into anti-organizational fallacy I think many of my anti-institutional brethren fall into.
Yet recently as I have thought about the dangers of institutional culture I have realized that one can not merely 'network'. The danger of networking is to see in a person the potential for connection but not friendship. Is this even ethical?
So I suggest a new paradigm: do no institutionalize, nor network, but organize with friends! Build long lasting friendships, including with people who may only seem as connections. Illich believes that the function of prophecy has passed on to friendship. I'm beginning to see the greatness of that!
So to all of you out there who read this who may have ambitious plans of networking and organizing: friendship first! friendship last!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
OCAP, The Salvation Army, the government and people
I will be honest every tuesday I think about Ivan Illich.
The reason is on Tuesday nights we go on StreetWalks where an outreach worker with the Salvation Army tours us around downtown Toronto explaining social justice issue. One questions that is perpetually on my mind anyway, and even more so on tuesday nights as the youth ask similair questions, is how can non-professionals show love and hospitality to those who have severe addictions or are criminally cultured?
Coming from the perspective of Youth who on the most part, realistically, will never be trained to be professional addictions counselors and are much to young to do anything like activist work this question is potent. I will not go into details but the youth are really impacted by this walk. Yet at the same time no non-institutional way of grapling with the issues is presented which leads them with out really anything to do about the issues.
The reason is on Tuesday nights we go on StreetWalks where an outreach worker with the Salvation Army tours us around downtown Toronto explaining social justice issue. One questions that is perpetually on my mind anyway, and even more so on tuesday nights as the youth ask similair questions, is how can non-professionals show love and hospitality to those who have severe addictions or are criminally cultured?
Coming from the perspective of Youth who on the most part, realistically, will never be trained to be professional addictions counselors and are much to young to do anything like activist work this question is potent. I will not go into details but the youth are really impacted by this walk. Yet at the same time no non-institutional way of grapling with the issues is presented which leads them with out really anything to do about the issues.
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