 |
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Organizing Week (January 19-22, 2010)
What is a Coalition?
What is a coalition? A coalition is a diverse group of individuals and organizations that work together to reach a common goal. Those goals might be a number of things, but often includes one of the following:
Adapting, creating, or developing public policy (for example, anti-bullying laws or school district policies)
Influencing people's behavior (for example, reducing the number of people who use the phrase "that’s so gay")
Building a healthy community
Why develop a coalition?
To increase communication and break down stereotypes
To include as many voices as possible when working on an issue
To plan and launch school or community-wide efforts on a variety of topics
To create social change
When should you develop a coalition?
When a group wishes to create broad, significant community change. For example, a community wishes to address violence against LGBT youth. The local LGBT center links with a youth shelter and a human rights group to provide education and services.
When dramatic or disturbing events occur in a community. For example, a child being hit by a car at night might serve as a catalyst in a community for a coalition on driving safety.
When new information becomes known. For example, a survey is given at the local high school, and the results state that over half of all teens smoke regularly. Such information might serve as a catalyst for the formation of a coalition trying to reduce smoking by young people.
To respond to outside threats to a community. For example, a local group of adults is expected to protest a school’s Day of Silence activities by picketing outside of the school.
|
|
