Apologies in advance for this being part rant.
I have a group of people who, in theory, are pumped up to go out and fight ICE. My local org is full of people who claim they want to do things, but what they actually do is endlessly bicker about theory minutae, criticism of other orgs or politicians, but rarely showing up.
I mean the org has turned out for some things but the most activity was one anti-ICE protest and then tagging along to a bunch of PSL events.
So we had a minor win with our immigration campaign the other day and were trying to pick a next action. I suggested several low-lift activities like canvassing local Hispanic businesses, handing out whistles and getting to know our community, or showing up to yell at Lib candidates to do better on fighting ICE. Doing more advocacy at local city council meetings. Going door-to-door in a local Hispanic neighborhood and getting to know people... and instead I get people saying we need a "mission statement" and wanting to plan out something perfect.
I feel like my local org doesn't know how to do anything! They mean well but I'm tired of sitting around waiting for buy in to do things I thought we should have been doing for six months now. Every little event is a huge ordeal and feels like pulling teeth!
IDK what to do. Am I personally being a poor organizer? Is there something I can do to convince people to start doing things and stop just talking about them? I could go out alone but I'd rather build a group that will go out together vs. my awkward ass walking into some Panderias.
Is there a manual for how to do this that actually works? I believe we had a reading group for No Shortcuts a year ago, but I guess that either didn't apply or people didn't learn anything from it.
Does your org have the vibe of a friend group hanging out or the vibe of a church volunteer group?
Not that it was ultimately particularly successful but my last org I hosted monthly dinners at my place. People enjoyed my vegan cooking and we just hung out and broke bread together. Board games are a decent option if you're all past 30 and so inclined. Anything to get people to spend time with you IRL. Absent close shared circumstances like coworkers I think you really have to manufacture bonds beyond being mad at the same stuff you read online. You don't have to be best friends or anything but if someone is going to an action they should think "here is an opportunity to hang out with my buddies" instead of just "here is an opportunity to manifest my stated values IRL"
bumping this angle of approach, i was on a revleftradio zoom call, and they spoke on this, any good org will also have some kind of activity where people build rapport with each other, they gave an example of a bbq cookout, or a soccer game they have.
this is a concept many people have spoken about, pokepreet on tiktok spoke of how important it was to the filipino maoist in the jungle to have festivals/marriage celebrations while waging a peoples war.
proles of the roundtable had a conversation with deathnography about this topic as well, the concept being that even house cleaners/maids who were deeply exploited under the british ran colony of Hong Kong (old episode) would take measures to have fun at each meeting so people would actually show up, which of course they would do work after as well