Alinsky for Teacher Organizers

From the introduction:

Alinsky for Teacher Organizerswas written in 1972 for use in the training of teachers. If many recognize it as the facilitative process, the Delphi technique, to which they have been exposed, such is because they are one and the same. This process has been around for a long time, being perfected and fine-tuned, awaiting the time when it would be implemented extensively in the interests of transforming America.

The Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), founded by Saul Alinsky, is alive and well in the United States, organizing and expanding its power base in many states under various names. The IAF is associated with the Interfaith Alliance in many communities, also churches and schools. The organization’s religious philosophy is that of Paulo Freire as put forth in his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed, what
has become known as liberation theology: the “haves” are the oppressors, the “have nots” are the oppressed; the “have nots” must rise up against the “haves”, if by violent means, so be it.

Saul Alinsky was a self-avowed Marxist, his books Rules for Radicals and Reveille for Radicals are reflections of his beliefs and organizing strategies and tactics, alive and well in the IAF of today.

The strategies, tactics and beliefs of Saul Alinsky find basis in the Hegelian Dialectic developed by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. His philosophy would be furthered by Karl Marx.

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