More On Key Themes and Threads—Building for the Premiere of BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS!

March 8, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

This post should be seen as supplemental to yesterday's very important post  "Key Themes and Methods in Fighting Through to Successful Premieres."

More on three key points from that post, and two new points:

1. To the Masses in a Mass Way—EVEN MORE SO
2. Building Collectivity at Every Level
3. Follow-up is Critical
4. Into the Media and the Social Buzz
5. Raise Funds!!

1) To the Masses in a Mass Way—EVEN MORE SO

As we write, it does not seem as if what was actually meant by saturation in the essay recalling Raymond Lotta's speech at University of Chicago in 2009 has been truly grasped everywhere; it would be important to return to that posting in going into this last week and to fight to really implement what is said there in relation to especially key components of the local plan. Biggest enemy right now: satisfaction at "good things," at "doing better." 

From a comrade out on a campus: "While going up to individuals and getting into this premiere with them should be one element of our work, we are not going to succeed in making these events a critical moment in the movement for revolution by limiting our approach to fighting for people one on one to attend. We have to really saturate and we have to be bringing forward collective presence of those students who are attracted to and buying their tickets."

IMPORTANT: MAKE FULL USE OF THE PARAGRAPH WE RECENTLY POSTED HERE, THAT READS:

Why go to this film premiere? Simply: It's by far the most important thing people could be doing that day—it's dealing with the most important thing there could be—because it's about the real possibility of bringing into being a radically different world, where all this madness, all the oppression and injustice, all the abuse and degradation that is so much a part of life now, would be done away with. If anybody can think of anything more important than that—let's hear it!

One comrade wrote the following about taking this out and boldly using it:

The paragraph is EXTREMELY COMPELLING—and I would read it and just stop and make them respond. Then I would work on groups of friends, because you could see how they were looking at each other, and usually there was one in the group who seemed most pulled by it but they didn't really want to step out without their friends and at the same time they were having a positive impact on their friends. I would struggle for them to come together, precisely because this isn't just to learn—altho you will learn a lot—but to open up the real world possibility of ending all this madness to whole sections of people, to get into this revolution, and to be able to come out of that to actually IMPACT on the world—we really need revolution and nothing less because humanity needs a better world. Most times at a certain point I would look at them and say, "Tell me the truth, have you EVER had anyone come and say that there was a way to end all of this horror?" Inevitably the answer was no, and this would make them pause and think more deeply that this wasn't just another event they might be interested in, but something truly unique and that DOES REALLY MATTER. Then I would argue that nothing could be more important—or read that paragraph if I hadn't yet—and tell them they had to get a ticket and make a commitment and be there. Most said they'd think about it and I got their #'s and emails and set a time to meet them tomorrow.

People were moved, but not committed yet. But, I think that some of these groups in particular there is potential to pull them in together. Also, the more that this becomes something that is truly unavoidable, that will have an impact on them. Also, they will be weighing—and others will as we go—the sharpness of the challenge that was put to them and this will influence what they do as they see this more and more surrounding them on campus. And the more people get their tickets and say they are going, this will have a "I don't want to miss out" effect on folks as well.

So—USE THIS PARAGRAPH "WHY GO TO THIS FILM PREMIERE?"!!! including in emails, tweet the link to it, as mini posters everywhere and in your own discussions with people.

To the masses, in a mass way: this is MORE important than ever. And wherever the premiere is beginning to be known—especially wherever there are clusters of several or more people who have bought tickets or otherwise become active—now is the time to intensify the mass presence. Go from "critical mass" to "chain reaction"—find the ways to work with the ticket buyers and people who are supportive to participate, in different ways. Posters remain very important. Palmcards appearing all over—very important. Another important form: people can put stickers on their clothes—either with the title of the film, or the masthead of the paper—this has in some areas been a way that the hardcore youth have chosen to show interest and support. Get to the point where there is a palpable feel of a movement toward going to the film showing. Apply the lessons of last week's post on the Raymond Lotta program at University of Chicago in 2009 not only to campuses, but to key areas where the oppressed live and where the movement for revolution has had a presence. Work to achieve a tipping point.

Other forms: drum corps; preview parties where part of the rough cut is shown and tickets are sold; raising money, with buckets and mobilizing people to make and sell food, etc.; mobilizing the young youth.

AND as stressed in "Key Themes and Methods in Fighting Through to Successful Premieres," direct engagement—at times on the spot and for the first time—was very important and was clearly part of what convinced people to buy tickets.

2) Build and exercise collectivities at every level:

Different kinds of collectivities should be built: every team that goes out; with people who want to help, a way to put into practice what was said yesterday in the section on "organizing and consolidating cores."

Every team setting out to build for the premiere should always take a few minutes to re-ground themselves before they go out—use the editorials, use the palm cards, or short  audio or video of BA etc.—it doesn't have to be complex... but do it! And always sum up, with whoever is with you, going back to where this premiere fits into our whole project, and looking for significant signs and openings from that angle; if you are working mainly alone, find someone to team up with to talk things over.

Working out with people HOW to get to the premiere itself—helping resist and overcome the pulls of their daily lives—requires returning to the substance of the paragraph above as to why this is the most important thing they could be doing that day and working this through with committed individuals as well as groups and especially turning these obstacles and needs into collective opportunity to forge collective forms... every obstacle an opportunity to build collectivity and deepen understanding of why we must be there.
 
It still seems, from what is being reported, that people want to participate... but we are not finding the ways to enable that to happen, not following up, not getting back to them. Revolution, among other things, is about people in many different ways participating in changing the world!! 

But, one critical caveat: don't allow your sights to be limited to whatever the particular collectivity that has been pulled together spontaneously thinks can be accomplished. Leadership is decisive, in putting forward a vision based on grasping the great need, fighting for a method to analyze the pathways to freedom and transformation within that need, and carrying all the way through on the plans to effect that analysis (even as activity itself will and should call forth certain adjustments to the original analysis and plan).  

3) Follow up is critical:

In areas where there is a buzz, and people are weighing this and saying that they probably will come—remember that, as one comrade put it, the "probablies" will likely not "materialize to anything if we don't fight this through." In yesterday's "Key Themes …" it was put, "If approached on the right basis, it is important to recognize that folks giving us their contact information is often a meaningful step in the process, indicating they are seriously weighing all this—and it is very important that we follow up with them." Individually and wherever possible, not just one on one but including in making the atmosphere much more one where this is what everyone is debating and they don't want to miss it." Go consistent! And go big!

Important: go back to every area where people did something significant around February 26, and continue in every area where there are any kind of outpourings around International Women's Day. Follow up!  Go back to classrooms where you already spoke and sell tickets. Talk to the people again who bought tickets. Call the numbers that people give you—a point emphasized in yesterday's post but which must really happen! Again, this point is well emphasized in "Key Themes and Methods in Fighting Through to Successful Premieres"; review and implement. 

Continue sending out the statements posted on the site urging people to come to everyone who is coming, or thinking of coming; reinforce and deepen commitment, spread the current.

4) Getting into Media and Public Opinion More Generally:

Key tool: again, the statements posted on this site urging people to come. Figure out creative ways to use these to get publicity.

Continue with the blasts to e-lists; step this up this week! And with the people you reach, get as many of them as you can to themselves get this around, this way spreading the news much further and also drawing these individuals into part of building the social movement for the films.

Pull people together in every area who have been in the media or worked on media; people who have significant public profile of one kind or another; and make plans for final push.  Send in ideas or any appearances to the site.

Tap more scientifically into the networks of people that have known and worked with the Party. Make sure nobody is being overlooked. Remember: this film is tremendous, these premieres will be "a great day," and people will kick themselves if they don't go—and be righteously mad if they don't go because we forgot to tell them!! Think about everyone we've worked with in different mass social initiatives; people who contributed to and were part of the April 11 concert, for instance; people who have expressed interest in and talked about the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America; etc. etc.

5) Last But NOT Least:

RAISE FUNDS!! Raise funds in buckets on street corners... raise funds through projects involving masses in tamale sales or dinner sales... raise funds by going to people who've donated before, or should have donated... raise funds by going to people we don't know but who want to see the world changed and want to use some of their money to make that happen. Make this a mission, and if openings pose themselves use the person best able to make the case to do it.

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