Course Orientation

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Purpose: Orient the facilitators to the purposes of the course and important preparations to make the course a success.

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Paradigm: In this burgeoning age of money as power, with corporate billionaires directing public policy for their self-interest from the heights of our political system, it is increasingly important for all citizens to engage in our political process to ensure that public policy favors the common good rather than the monied few. The Grassroots Institute recognizes that our current political and economic systems, built by the power of money and obsolete economic theories, have created public policies that fail to protect the common good while fostering the destruction of nature and the demise of human happiness. We must create systemic solutions that maximize the public good.

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Context: Since the spring of 2015, the Grassroots Institute has facilitated classes and workshops to address the systemic problems of money power in our democracy. Our course Grassroots Solutions and Corporate Power helps people:

• Understand the historical context in which these systems developed;

• Comprehend the destruction these systems are imposing on our lives;

• Explore the many systemic solutions currently under development to ensure a vibrant future for our planet and us;

• Concentrate on systemic change from both a local and a global perspective.

This study guide outlines the 14-class model for this course, but you can use it for individual research, a study group, or a local citizen involvement group working on a particular issue. We start with an introductory class that familiarizes the participants with each other and the systems that govern our lives. The remaining classes concentrate on our:

• Political system;

• Our economic system;

• Our environment;

• Our emerging system of global policy making.

Each of these four themes is divided into three subject areas that examine the origin of the system, the reality of the system today, and systemic changes that need to occur in each system to maximize the health and well being of all. Background for each class is provided by readings from Justice Rising: Grassroots Solutions to Corporate Power, published by the Alliance for Democracy, as well as additional readings relevant to each class. Each class also uses outside speakers who bring local or global perspective to the topic and videos that elucidate various aspects of each issue. The heart of the class, however, comes from the class discussion stimulated by a series of questions for that particular class.

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There are multiple goals and outcomes for class participants. The course provides people with talking points to carry on vital conversations with both allies and foes. The class also provides entry points for active citizens to intervene in public policy-making. Most importantly, the class can build community — perhaps the most significant tool for changing the destructive aspects of our political, economic and environmental systems.

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Activities: We present this course as Community Extension classes at our local community college, Mendocino College. Community extension classes are a great venue because they include an academic atmosphere as well as fully equipped classrooms with audiovisual equipment. These classes could also be presented at community centers, churches, libraries or private homes. Our initial class had six people at one of our homes and proved to be a rich experience. Our classes at Mendocino College filled with engaged participants and provided energizing experiences. Our class minimum has been 12 and our maximum is 25. We have consistently been closer to and occasionally exceeded the maximum.

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We attracted course participants in many ways. Interviews and public service announcements on local radio and TV and in local papers provided good results. Here is a sample of a newspaper article, which you could also use as an email appeal or a public service announcement. Access to extensive local email lists was very helpful; check with allied groups to see if you can use their email list or if you can place an article in their email newsletter. We also promoted the class with extensive use of posters. Here is the first poster we used and here is one we used most recently. We can supply all of these posters as InDesign files for you to modify. Another good way to get participants is through personal phone calls or word of mouth. You could also use social media to promote your course, but we have not utilized that route.

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A week before the first class, send all class participants a welcoming letter with a course overview, like the one here, and include whatever other pertinent information you think they should have. The day before the first class, send a reminder about time and location.

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In this study guide we provide all the materials you need to produce this course including:

• Questions for each class;

• Notes on answers for the questions;

• Talking Points;

• Lists of videos;

• Reading materials;

• Charts;

• Timelines;

• Suggested plans for each class.

This will be your class and you may wish to modify, change, and create the course as you see fit. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about or feedback on the course or the Study Guide or need support. Our contact information is on the title page of this study guide.

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Facilitators of the course should review all the reading material and prepare a plan for each class with a specific timeline to keep the class moving along. If you have never taught a course before, it is important to understand that to some degree you are a performer; our experience is that everyone has a performance persona that comes to the fore once the class begins. Embrace that aspect of your persona. You can do it easily. Just make sure you have fun!