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Form Letter Seeking Sponsor

Dear (name):

Might (name of organization) adopt the Vision Statement Project? If not, would an endorsement be possible?

This project has emerged from deliberations conducted by the Strategy Workshop, an informal network of activists that I’ve coordinated. We now need an organization with considerable credibility to adopt and implement it, including handling any funds that may be garnered to support it. If and when such an organization adopts the project, I’d be available to assist, if need be.

As described in the Proposal for a Vision Statement Project, the goal of this effort would be to facilitate the writing of a comprehensive vision statement that:

• Proposes fundamental, systemic, structural change by proposing the transformation of all of our major institutions based on a new purpose for American society.
• Integrates the personal and the political by affirming individual, social, cultural, and economic transformation as well as political reform.
• Uses universal language that would welcome both secular and spiritual people.
• Embraces a positive attitude rooted in love, the celebration of life, cultural creativity, and caring communities as a way to counter the impersonal, dehumanizing aspects of modern life.
• Is substantial and clear enough to minimize divisive debates once adopted.
• Affirms long-term goals that could hold people together over time.
• Could help mobilize support for specific progressive demands already supported by a majority of Americans.
• Affirms a mixed economy that is reformed to better meet human needs, rather than socialism or anarchism.
• Affirms a nonviolent, proactive agenda of incremental reforms.

The suggested methods include:

• Invite individuals, organizations, and informal associations to submit draft vision statements.
• Post those drafts on the Web.
• Invite participants to offer feedback on those drafts by a certain deadline.
• Following that deadline, post all submissions and highlight those considered to be the best.
• Invite a diverse, representative panel of progressive leaders to evaluate the submissions, share their evaluations with one another, and then post their final evaluations.
• Invite all participants to review the panel's evaluations and then submit their own evaluations.
• Tabulate and post the results of those evaluations.
• If sufficient interest develops, convene a national conference to evaluate the submissions through extensive discussions.
• Submit the results to organizations that might adopt one of the statements that emerge.

Following is The Need for Vision, an article that presents arguments for the Vision Statement Project.

So what do you think? Might (name of organization) be willing to adopt the Vision Statement Project as a project? If not, would an endorsement be possible?

Thanks much for all of your great work. Carry it on. And thanks for your attention.

Yours,

Wade Hudson, Editor Progressive Resource Catalog

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The Need for Vision by Wade Hudson

The progressive movement in the United States needs a comprehensive vision statement that could unite millions of activists to transform our selves, our culture, and our entire society.

By first clarifying our purpose, we can build a life-affirming movement rooted in love, mutual support, joy, creative expression, and cultural enrichment. We can grow caring communities that promote justice, protect the environment, and counter the impersonal, dehumanizing aspects of modern life.

Our vision must be grand enough to inspire people who want major change and practical enough to attract those who want to make a difference in the short term,

As well as helping people survive, we need to prevent problems by correcting root causes.

Rather than spread fear and hatred, we need to expand hope and compassion.

Instead of blaming specific individuals or groups, we need to change our underlying social system that consists of institutions and a culture that work together primarily to protect the interests of the rich and powerful. Our major institutions – government, media, education, family, religion, economy, entertainment, sports, science, etc. – all serve that purpose.

And by planting its culture in our hearts and minds, this self-perpetuating system reproduces itself, regardless of who holds power at any particular time. The players come and go, but the game remains the same. We need to change the rules.

Single-issue organizations aren’t enough. Many existing organizations do great work and should continue to do so. But until we learn how to support one another on occasion with massive actions, we’ll never be as successful as we need to be.

Temporary coalitions take too long to build. We need coalitions that stay together over time, rather than falling apart after their issue is won or lost. When issues become hot, we need to act quickly. Agreeing on our purpose would make it easier to create these coalitions.

Many Americans are discouraged. When we can mobilize one million or more Americans regularly, we’ll motivate millions more because most people want to know that their efforts will be effective before they invest time, energy, or money. Putting our goals in writing will make it easier to recruit the numbers we need.

Expressing our purpose will also foster trust. Potential activists are reluctant to commit to an organization if they don’t know where it’s headed. And organizations turn people off by taking unexpected turns. We need honest, open organizations with clear, coherent, stable goals.

Fundamental transformation will require that America redefines it primary purpose. We must make it clear that our primary mission is to “promote the general welfare,” as our founders said but never fully honored. Our top priority must be the common good, once and for all.

Serving this purpose will require that we also honor another American ideal – that all people are created equal. Since all people are of equal value, they deserve a real voice in affairs that affect them. By expanding democracy throughout society, we can overcome the top-down propaganda that teaches people to submit to power without question. We can make it possible for all people to be all that they can be.

If our vision statement is rooted in traditional American values, most Americans will respect it, even if they don’t agree with every word.

With this foundation, we could focus on specific, winnable demands supported by a majority of the American people and build momentum by winning victories.

So we need to clearly affirm a mixed economy -- rather than socialism or anarchism. We must oppose the “crony capitalism” that rules today, but not all forms of capitalism. We should be concerned about what meets human needs, not doctrine. Being "anti-capitalist" is to fall into all-or-nothing, black-or-white dogma. We need to reform capitalism and insist that the government accept its responsibilities concerning the economy.

By applying the same approach in every arena, we can transform all of our institutions by making sure that they honor their highest ideals.

Modern society is becoming ever more dehumanized. Increasingly, we are treating each other as disposable objects. Loyalty and commitment are fading. Individuals are becoming more isolated. Warm, honest connections between people are less common. Americans are working longer hours and recovering by being passive consumers of entertainment, sports, and other forms of excitement. Personal ambition and seeking security are replacing a sense of community and concern for future generations.

We need to build communities based on a new worldview. Those of us who see eye-to-eye on these issues need to find one another. Political action alone is not sufficient. We need islands of refuge that point to alternative ways of being in the world. We need to "be the change" that we seek by helping each other become better human beings.

Too often, most of us are too arrogant, judgmental, power-hungry, fearful, angry, competitive, lifeless, intellectual, uptight, racist, sexist, domineering, and/or dehumanizing. Until we overcome these tendencies, our political effectiveness will be severely limited.

We need not insist that everyone be the same. While discouraging actions that violate the rights of others, we can embrace our differences and learn how to respect each other more fully.

For many people, personal growth involves “spiritual” growth. All progressives, including those who don't consider themselves spiritual, need to respect spiritual traditions that are not oppressive. And those who consider themselves spiritual need to avoid insisting that others use their own language. The deepest realities can’t be expressed with words. We need to clarify what we share in common and find language that makes sense to the greatest number.

We need progress in every arena: personal, social, cultural, economic, and political. There won’t be a major breakthrough in one arena until there is a major breakthrough in every arena. We must change our institutions, our culture, and our selves – all at the same time. Comprehensive, steady, coordinated, simultaneous, mutually reinforcing progressive change could lead to the transformation of our entire society, ourselves included. We can transform “the system” with a nonviolent “middle way” and create a society that is truly democratic, just, loving, and peaceful.

The Vision Statement Project, an initiative of [name of organization], invites individuals, informal groups, and organizations to submit vision statements that are consistent with this approach.

Guidelines that describe the desired characteristics for vision statements are at: [add url]. Submissions will be posted at: [add url]. Those who want to get feedback before submitting their final version can submit draft statements.

After [deadline], the Vision Statement Project will ask a diverse panel of progressive leaders to review the best statements privately and then post their evaluations publicly. All participants in the Vision Statement Project will then be invited to review those comments and submit their own evaluations.

If sufficient interest emerges, we’ll convene a national conference with a diverse, balanced group of people who’ve carefully studied the issues in advance.

Readers can join the Vision Statement Project at: [add url].

This careful, deliberate process could result in strong support for one statement behind which a new coalition or a new organization would form. Or it could lead to a number of new coalitions. Or it could plant seeds that lead to unforeseen consequences. We’re not sure what the results will be.

But one way or the other, as soon as possible, we need a viable vision for fundamental, systemic transformation.