Building and Sustaining Relationships Relationships are the building

Building and Sustaining Relationships

Relationships are the building blocks for all community organizing activities

Why do we need to build and sustain relationships? • Community building • To win allies • To give meaning and richness to our work and lives

When do you build relationships? You do it all the time.

But you can also… • Establish relationships before you need them • Establish relationships even in a crisis

An 11 -step program 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Build relationships Be friendly Ask people questions Tell about yourself Go places and do things Accept people

An 11 -step program (cont. ): 7. Make connections 8. Overcome rejection fear 9. Be persistent 10. Invite people 11. Enjoy people

Building relationships among different cultures • Learn about the person's culture • Put yourself in another person's culture • Take a stand against the person's oppression

Building relationships with people who hold positions of political power • Don't get intimidated • Listen to them and withhold judgment

Sustaining relationships • • Attention to people Communicate openly Appreciate each other Extend yourself Volunteer to do work Challenge each other Back each other up

When relationships get messy • • Take time to listen Put on the other's shoes Look at what is true Emotions does not equal reality Appreciate and respect Speak from your heart Don't give up principles Hang in there

You can disagree and still build relationships with individuals who belong to organizations that are working against yours

Set up a dialogue group to listen to your adversaries