Two Big Sources of Dynamism: Revolution Books and BA Everywhere Teams
March 8, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
Many people are working very hard to make the nationwide premieres of BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! major successes. When and as we do this, there are sometimes simple ways to multiply our efforts that we may not see. We need to ask: where are the possible synergies of different efforts, where are the possible sources of dynamism, that we may be overlooking? And how do we do better at opening a number of different doors into this movement so that people can find ways to make their contributions count?
One big source of potential energy are the Revolution Books bookstores. When Revolution Books plants a pole of "revolution—nothing less," all the other contributions from writers, artists, filmmakers—the books, the films, and the forums—take on different import, they become part of and contributions to a larger process of knowing and changing the world. One of the key insights of BA's new synthesis of communism is that change can initiate and come through many diverse channels and that this needs to be given expression now and under socialism—so that people can better understand the reality we face and discover the pathways to carve out freedom to change it.
On the basis of Revolution—Nothing Less, Revolution Books is a center for doing just that. In the past few months in New York, there has been the beginning of a new vibrancy at the store, a deeper engagement with the core purpose of Revolution Books—which actually IS putting revolution, and the new synthesis of communism, out into the world. Revolution Books, as a concentrated experience and application of BA's new synthesis of communism—when it is really in effect—is a key crucible through which revolutionaries and supporters of the revolution will be forged.
For the next nine days Revolution Books all across the country should be a hub of engagement with Bob Avakian– of reading, watching, listening, discussing, and debating while developing lots of creative ideas, plans and means to execute these plans to raise funds, inspire and mobilize people to go out to the campuses, to culture events and concerts of cutting edge and progressive artists, to go out in the neighborhoods to the high schools and parks. There should be a real cooperative synergy between bring forward and forging new people for the staffs of the stores and for BA Everywhere Committees all around the country.
After the premieres, the DVD sets of BA Speaks: Revolution—Nothing Less! need to get out everywhere—with regular showings in the stores and playing in projects and the schools. Starting right now Revolution Books needs to be out in the midst of where people are, being part of a scene bringing people BA straight up, involving them on the spot while introducing them to and engaging them with the whole thing. New people can be running with Revolution Books—in lots of different milieus and in different ways—contributing with ideas, funds, volunteering in the stores and out in the streets with Revolution Books, making it even more a crucial center of a movement to change the world through revolution.
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Another big need—and big source of dynamism—should be the BA Everywhere teams. Right now, there are tremendous needs to make these premieres what they really have to be—there is work with the media of different kinds, raising funds, making sure that materials are finding their way into the right hands, making sure that the venues and staffing of the premieres fully reflect the content of the film, following up on and fielding the 101 last-minute opportunities and crucial jobs that will present themselves as the hours tick down to the premieres... and continuing all the while to spread word of this premiere.
Right now is a time for people to come forward and rapidly expand these BA Everywhere teams. There is a lot everyone who is anticipating these premieres can do to make them a success, no matter when they met this movement, how much experience they may have, or how long they have been involved. If everyone's efforts, ideas and contributions are to be maximized and integrated into the whole of what needs to happen to make these premieres what they can and need to be, more people will need to be welcomed into and organized into these teams and committees. BA Everywhere can be a very important vehicle for people from different places and with different experiences to get organized and work together to make these premieres hit with the maximum impact.
There is no reason why such committees can't work from the stores, with the activity and ferment from both feeding into and multiplying each. Why can't there be a scene where people come in, get oriented by going to the website and talking things over with someone who is responsible for the day, and then be part of a group all pulling together to make a great new thing come into being? No reason at all! So, let's get to it.
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