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from Savannah Grandfather

President-elect Obama has instituted something called the Citizen’s Briefing Book. On the website his administration is promoting the ideas of the common citizen, looking to them to raise their thoughts on the important issues in their lives.

Today, I was looking through the book and came across an idea from someone about mandating the use of public transportation.  This isn’t an old concept, every American interested in the environment or community matters has probably thought about this at one time.  As I was reading the paragraph in the book an idea kind of struck me.  What if nonprofits ran public transportation?  Yes, the public institutions that run them sometimes act like nonprofit organizations, but I am talking about nonprofits in the pure sense of the word.

Here’s what I am thinking.  In all cities in the United States the federal government gives grants to nonprofit organizations to start or expand the current public transportation in the city.  If a nonprofit runs it that means no profits are being distributed to a wealthy board and executive or transferred to other city programs.  They have a self-governing board, they are working for public benefit, and are able to take donations from people in the community.  The nonprofit will work closely with the community, creating community action networks to enhance the public transportation, and the organization will institute volunteer hours to clean the tracks and fix up the trains.  I feel like more community members would rally around the idea.

My idea isn’t fully thought through, but it feels like a possibility.  I have always thought government should rely more on the nonprofit sector, and provide more support without creating more of their own programs.  What do you think, could nonprofits run public transportation?  Are there other programs nonprofit organizations could run that public officials are currently running?

gavinandrewstewart

My interest in social movements has heightened a lot in the past few months.  Maybe its the increased civic engagement during the election.  Maybe its the amazing session I attended at Independent Sector about creating your own social movement.  Either way, I have become fascinated with how social movements work, how they get started, why people join them.  So many great things have happened because of social movements.  The fact that people can gather to solve some of life’s worst problems is rather amazing.

Today, there are many social movements working side-by-side.  Some of these movements have been working for decades, while others are just beginning.  Some current movements are Service Nation, the LGBT Movement, the Reproductive Justice Movement, and the Environment Movement, just to name a few.

I think, now is the time to take our social movements to the next level.  All the pieces are ready, the people are ready, everything’s ready!

What do you think, in economic times like those that we are experiencing right now, is there room for social movements to take precedence again?  I think so.  I’ve heard more than a few times, that the greatest things happen in times of crisis.

As part of my new year’s resolution, I am going to take some of the passion I have to move some of my own community’s movements even further.  I am specifically excited about the We Vote project with the League of Women Voters.  We began the project last year to get neighborhoods interested in voting in their local elections again.  The Voting Movement (if that’s what we want to call it) is increasing, and I think we are going to be able to make it explode this year. Heck, you never know if what you’re doing is going to make a decades of difference.

So, I want to hear from readers.  What social movements do you want to be a part of in the next year?  What issues are driving your passions right now?