By Andrew Herrera
We sometimes feel powerless in the face of adversity from
governments and corporations that seem intent on undermining our way of life
for their own gain. Going up against sophisticated, well-funded, and
well-connected interests, what chance might ordinary citizens have of stopping
a major development plan or protecting a local wilderness? That’s what makes
journalist Jan Barry’s book, A Citizen’s
Guide to Grassroots Campaigns, so vital.
Barry not only advises on the best
techniques for organizing citizen groups, but also includes notable examples to
demonstrate their effectiveness. He weaves in real grassroots campaigns
throughout his book; environmental stories take the center stage in its third
chapter, “Saving a Swamp and Other Landmark Campaigns.” In it, Barry zeroes in
on one of New Jersey’s earliest and most famous grassroots campaigns: the fight
to save southern Morris County’s Great Swamp from being turned into a new
airport by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Driving to preserve
the area at a time when the Port Authority had previously “bulldozed wherever
it wanted…to boost the metropolitan region’s economy,” he writes, the Great
Swamp campaign depended on many first-time citizen activists.
Barry includes just enough historical summary for the
reader to glean useful tips on organizing. He notes that the Great Swamp
organizers, inexperienced as they were, quickly learned how to properly
coordinate a campaign by asking larger environmental nonprofit groups for
guidance. One of the great advantages we as citizens enjoy in this modern era
is the proliferation of connected and professional advocacy groups for any
range of causes. Americans wishing to coalesce against threats to public and
undeveloped lands can turn to respected organizations such as the Sierra Club,
the National Wildlife Federation, and The Nature Conservancy among others for
support. And there are statewide organizations as well that might be able to
better focus on local issues.
Through his interviews with leaders of the
campaigns, Barry conveys to the reader just what the organizers did in order to
succeed against a powerful agency. As one of the earliest leaders of the
campaign, Helen Fenske, recalled: “We needed events that would generate news
and project the different aspects of our story.” The campaign grew
exponentially larger as advocates made regular citizens and organizations aware
of the issue. Fenske also had useful advice on how to manage a group of citizen
volunteers who are typically juggling other responsibilities: “make everyone
feel that they’re important… [give] them credit.”
Of course, as with any success story, there are caveats. Working
in the 1960s, the Great Swamp campaign preceded important scientific
developments that guided later campaigns. In fact, the movement had initially
lacked “any environmental data base.” As a result, while the organizers
succeeded in saving the Great Swamp, its source waters—streams that feed into
its wetlands—have been polluted and built over as urban sprawl continued
unabated throughout the region.
The hard-working organizers likely also
benefited from operating in one of the wealthiest states in the nation. That
probably abetted the fundraising process. Nonetheless, even though organizers
like Helen Fenske might have altered their strategy a bit if they could do it
over again, the Great Swamp campaign still serves as a model guide for future
grassroots organizers. Its basic lessons on courting as much attention as
possible whilst recognizing the contributions of everyone involved will
continue to serve as the cornerstones of any great citizen movement.
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