Movement Leadership
A presentation by the People’s University as a part of its Summer Organizer School
People’s University
Organizer School
Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
March 30, 2025
People’s University
People’s University
Organizer School
From Last Time…
The Mass Line Method of Political Leadership
Conducting Social Investigation
for Class Analysis
People’s University
Organizer School
From Last Time…
What Organization Is!
“An organization is a system that groups together of people to stand and act as one effective force. It binds members and parts to move as one in advancing one unified goal. It is through an organization and organized action that a unity based in one spirit and zeal can have a concrete form of expression.
As a system an organization has strong principles that guide its members on how to think and act. It has its own set of rules and objectives that is mirrored by its system of leadership with different levels of responsibility. These are necessary elements that make it certain the organization marches to one drumbeat and cadence in achieving its goal.”
– the Communist Party of the Philippines, ARAK
March 30, 2025
People’s University
Philosophy PHIL 0002
~“We’re not outnumbered,~
~we’re out organized”~
People
Organizations
particular
general
The (non-linear) Social Movement Process
Educate
Agitate
Organize
Mobilize
What Kind of Organization Do We Need?
“By means of manipulation, the dominant elites try to conform the masses to their objectives. And the greater the political immaturity [lack of consciousness] of these people (rural or urban) the more easily the latter can be manipulated by those who do not wish to lose their power. … Through manipulation, the dominant elites can lead the people into an unauthentic type of "organization," and can thus avoid the threatening alternative: the true organization of the emerged and emerging people. … Manipulation … attempts to anesthetize the people so they will not think … welfare programs as instruments of manipulation ultimately serve the end of conquest. They act as an anesthetic, distracting the oppressed from the true causes of their problems and from the concrete solution of these problems.”
Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Pedagogy of the Oppressed | |||||||
Dialogics | Co-operation | Unity for Liberation | Organization | Cultural Synthesis | |||
Anti-Dialogics | Conquest | Divide and Rule | Manipulation | Cultural Invasion | |||
Organizational Decision-Making!
Democracy & Centralism
March 30, 2025
People’s University
Democracy guided by centralized leadership.
The individual interest and action is subordinate, and agrees to, the overall interests and goals of the organization. The decision of the organization is tightly followed and everybody is free in working towards the interests and goals of the organization.
Centralism based on democracy.
All must give emphasis to the general interest of the organization. An effective organization draws its strength from the active participation of all its members and parts. The decisions held inside the organization are collectively discussed based on the overall interest of the group.
March 30, 2025
People’s University
Leaders
Organization
Members
Leadership
Membership
*Organization
People’s University
May 19, 2025
Organizer School
The Mass Line Method of Political Leadership
~The Mass Line~
Because the masses are the makers of history!
And the proletariat is the key class among the masses.
March 30, 2025
People’s University
“mass language”
Tactics
Organization
tasks
Ideology
ideas
Politics
demands
Method
~Aspects of Social Movements~
Strategy
~“from the masses, to the masses”~
March 30, 2025
People’s University
The Masses
Leadership
Dialogue
March 30, 2025
People’s University
Advanced
Mass Line
Backward
Revolutionary
Class Line
Middle
“We can divide masses into three parts: the advanced, the middle, and the backward. The advanced ranks of the masses have a clear understanding of their basic conditions and are ready to struggle to change it. The backward part of the masses meanwhile can be easily influenced by backward ways of thinking and may be resistant to struggle for change. The middle part meanwhile may understand the need for change but are reluctant and hesitant to move for action.
We trust the advanced elements of the mass movement. It is through them that we are able to make the middle force move and can even coax some of the backward forces.” – The Communist Party of the Philippines, Activist Study (ARAK)
March 30, 2025
People’s University
Advanced
Backward
Revolutionary
Class Line
Middle
“We can divide masses into three parts: the advanced, the middle, and the backward. The advanced ranks of the masses have a clear understanding of their basic conditions and are ready to struggle to change it. The backward part of the masses meanwhile can be easily influenced by backward ways of thinking and may be resistant to struggle for change. The middle part meanwhile may understand the need for change but are reluctant and hesitant to move for action.
We trust the advanced elements of the mass movement. It is through them that we are able to make the middle force move and can even coax some of the backward forces.” – The Communist Party of the Philippines, Activist Study (ARAK)
Mass Line
What does this mean?
We call this type of error…
Tailism
March 30, 2025
People’s University
Advanced
Mass Line
Backward
Revolutionary
Class Line
Middle
“We can divide masses into three parts: the advanced, the middle, and the backward. The advanced ranks of the masses have a clear understanding of their basic conditions and are ready to struggle to change it. The backward part of the masses meanwhile can be easily influenced by backward ways of thinking and may be resistant to struggle for change. The middle part meanwhile may understand the need for change but are reluctant and hesitant to move for action.
We trust the advanced elements of the mass movement. It is through them that we are able to make the middle force move and can even coax some of the backward forces.” – The Communist Party of the Philippines, Activist Study (ARAK)
What does this mean?
We call this type of error…
Commandism
Preconditions for Dialogue, Mass Leadership
People’s University
May 19, 2025
Founding itself upon love, humility, and faith, dialogue becomes a horizontal relationship of which mutual trust between the dialoguers is the logical consequence. It would be a contradiction in terms if dialogue—loving, humble, and full of faith—did not produce this climate of mutual trust, which leads the dialoguers into ever closer partnership in the naming of the world. Conversely, such trust is obviously absent in the anti-dialogics of the banking method of education. Whereas faith in humankind is an a priori requirement for dialogue, trust is established by dialogue.
Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed~
the leadership’s need for a revolutionary attitude & program
the need for revolution
the leadership’s considerable present ignorance
~the contradictions~
~resolved by the~
~mass line~
~The Masses~
~Leadership~
the real interests of the masses
the need to determine the precise path to revolution.
the masses' initial lack of understanding of this need
the need to win the support of the masses in order to make revolution
the perceived interests
of the masses
Developing a Mass Line
March 30, 2025
People’s University
Activity
Class Analysis
All of the people in the SICA sheet are from a neighborhood near a car part factory in Richmond.
May 19, 2025
Organizer School
People’s University
Investigation
Who are they?
What are their problems and what do they think about them?
What is their readiness to struggle?
Can you think of other questions to ask?
Analysis
“... all science would be superfluous if the outward appearance and the essence of things directly coincided.”
Essence
Appearance
Social
Class
Karl Marx, Capital Vol. 3
Things to ask:
March 30, 2025
People’s University
Organizer School
Conducting Social Investigation for Class Analysis
May 19, 2025
Organizer School
People’s University
Investigation
Analysis
“... all science would be superfluous if the outward appearance and the essence of things directly coincided.”
Essence
Appearance
Social
Class
Karl Marx, Capital Vol. 3
May 19, 2025
Organizer School
People’s University
When we say class analysis, we mean an analysis that attempts to:
Essence
Appearance
Analysis
Class