To all who are taking up the BA Everywhere Campaign:

A Few Points on Reaching Out Now: the Environmental Emergency and BA Everywhere

April 14, 2014 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

 

To BA Everywhere Committees and those of you who are new to raising funds for BA Everywhere: As we reach out in April to all the people who recognize the urgency of the environmental emergency and are committing their time and resources to address this, here are a few points.

  1. First, the editorial: "Climate Change and Changing the Whole Political Atmosphere" is a resource and guide to keep coming back to. It argues that this month we should reach out, talk to and set up fundraising meetings with many people who have not yet heard about Bob Avakian (BA) and his work: "This should be a month where the campaign is sitting down with many, many people asking them to donate. There should be a sense of urgent mission to really reach out to the science departments at universities, to high school science teachers, to the board members and people active in local and national environmental organizations, nature conservancies, natural history museums, to bring them the full picture of the BA Everywhere campaign and to give them the opportunity to make a real difference by contributing so that this is known everywhere." We have emphasized bringing the "full picture of the BA Everywhere campaign" to people to underscore that what BA has brought forward and what the movement for revolution and the Party he leads are about is revolution for a radically new world in all its dimensions as well as a method, approach, and a strategy for revolution to do that. People who are grappling with the enormity of the environmental crisis and the scale and scope of change necessary to really address that, should be open to raising their sights to the whole thing—including the difference it will make to have the big "whither humanity" questions circulating and debated in all corners of society.

    To prepare for setting up and holding fundraising meetings, dig into the article "What goes into a fundraising meeting: We Are Aiming to Meet With Many, Many People" which breaks down for everyone, whether you have experience doing this or are new to it, how to ask for and how to have a fundraising meeting. It is helpful in how to approach going to people we already know, and even more, especially in April, in how to go to people we don't know.

    Materials to use with people in one-on-one meetings, and at Earth Day events, are here.
     
  2. At the same time as we are sitting down with a lot of people, BA Everywhere Committees should have exciting plans to make an impact at the diversity of events that are planned around Earth Day as well as on campuses and in neighborhoods. Distribute lots of the BAE national brochure and the new palm card with BA's quote from his book BAsics about how this system's rulers are "not fit to be the caretakers of the earth." Put some focus on events where you may be able to meet potential donors and significant opinion-makers in society, and arrange to sit down to meet with them about making contributions.
     
  3. Send reports! Send questions, experiences, describe the controversies that arise—the hard questions and the back and forth, as well as send in statements from donors about why they are contributing, to baeverywhere@gmail.com. Selected submissions will be posted at the BA Everywhere page at revcom.us. Once again: photos and videos really matter—enabling people to see people like themselves all over the country working together. All submissions, whether posted or not, will contribute to the BA Everywhere Campaign nationally having a rich picture of what people are encountering, learning and accomplishing. Keep up with news, direction and wrangling around the Campaign by checking frequently at the BA Everywhere page.

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