10 years since the People's Climate March - the lessons remain
Where Does the Time Go?
Ten years ago, the People's Climate March (PCM) hit the streets of New York City -- 450,000 people participated, including: Frontline communities, Union workers, Scientists, Parents, Oyster fishermen, CEOs, and even The United Nations Secretary General. This event marked the largest public mobilization on climate change ever. Five years later, this record was surpassed by Fridays for Future, but no one has matched it since 2019.
After the PCM, the members of the Mobilization Support Team (MST) - a group representing key organizing blocs of the March (unions, environmental justice advocates, greens, etc.) - debriefed on the event. A decade later, I am struck by how many of these insights remain relevant to our movement work today:
What Made the March Work:
1. Diverse Leadership: - The leadership of the march was diverse, representing a variety of sectors. - Individuals who engaged had a range of skills and backgrounds. - Representation from local, national, and global groups kept the march rooted in community and brought together parts of the movement that had not collaborated previously.
2. Rooted in Local Leadership and Experience: - The march was grounded in local efforts, leading to a better understanding of local politics and actions that would motivate people.
3. Combination of Strategies and Tactics: - We combined various methods to mobilize large numbers of people, including: - Strong online and offline organizing - Effective communications and media strategies - Traditional coalition building and relational organizing.
4. Open Broad Message: - While some organizations insisted on specific policy demands, the broad message allowed most groups to focus on organizing. - This approach prevented us from getting bogged down in negotiations or concerns about alienating certain sectors.
5. Strong Vision and Commitment: - We maintained a clear vision for the march and remained committed to our goal of a “People’s Climate March.”
6. Location and Timing: - The march took place in areas affected by climate events, such as Sandy and Irene. - The experiences in the NY Metro area made climate change tangible for individuals and groups who might not typically consider it.
7. Open Source and Decentralized Work: - We employed open source and decentralized organizing, with strong coordination and aligned messaging from the center. - The clear messaging from the PCM brand ensured that the original vision of the march was present in the press and public discourse, while decentralized efforts allowed individual sectors to integrate their messages into the broader issue.
8. Continued Focus on Thinking Big: - We prioritized increasing numbers of people, organizations, and sectors involved.
What Held the March Back:
1. Jemez Principles: - The Jemez principles were not fully implemented or used as a guide for decision-making.
2. Representation from faith communities, students, youth, and people of color (especially African-American communities).
3. Improved and clearer communication among various parts of the PCM operation, including staff and partners.
4. Increased focus on organizing outside of NYC, would have boosted other events
Lessons Learned from PCM:
1. It is important to think big, even without relying on philanthropy.
2. Public mobilization opened political space, not only at the UN but also locally and nationally.
3. Connecting to local work is critical.
4. Establishing clear agreements among partners is essential.
5. Coordination poses challenges.
6. Every organizing effort matters; no single effort is more important than others.
7. Bottom-up and decentralized organizing can yield large numbers.
Why MST Worked:
1. High level of trust was established.
2. People were open and willing to step outside their comfort zones.
3. Everyone treated each other with respect and as equals.
4. Patience was maintained, and people listened to each other.
5. Agreements were made and mostly adhered to (e.g., Jemez principles).
6. There was alignment with the bigger goals and movement over individual organizations.
7. Larger, more resourced groups shared with those having fewer resources (funding, resources, staff, etc.).
8. Flexibility in decision-making and implementation was present.
9. There was a lack of individual, personal, or organizational egos.
Tools and Tactics to Improve Our Work:
1. Better conferencing and virtual meeting tools and processes.
2. Enhanced coordination and communication on the day of events.
3. Full-time, clearly dedicated staff.
4. Increased coordination and capacity-building through organizing and facilitation training.
5. Upfront retreats and time spent understanding and learning about one another.
6. Earlier and sustained engagement of labor.
