Friday Signpost: Learn How to Listen—and Win—with People's Action

Jim Hightower's Lowdown

When we hear the term “canvassing” with regard to politics, it often brings up ideas of well-meaning volunteers going door-to-door in communities outside of their own to help persuade those residents to vote one way or another. It turns out, this kind of canvassing is not that successful in moving the important needles of tight races, and can even create resentment in areas that are otherwise abandoned by national and regional political machinery.

Enter “deep canvassing.” This is a style of door-to-door work where you, the volunteer, are not proselytizing, but rather, listening. And listening goes a long way towards building and rebuilding lost solidarity among the poor and working people of this country.

But listening is hard! And time consuming! And what do you do when you hear something you really disagree with?!

People’s Action has you covered. We here at Hightower HQ have long been fans of the variety of work and advocacy that they and their affiliates do around the country, especially in rural areas, but their organizer trainings are some of the most helpful we’ve ever run across.

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