Collective Visioning

“This inspiring and practical guide to community organizing should be read by everyone involved in the struggle for justice, democracy, and equal rights.” —John Shattuck, President and Rector, Central European University, and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

It’s an unfortunate fact of social organizing that, despite even the best intentions, groups convened to effect positive change often fail to empower people from all backgrounds to speak up or to tap into a positive and inspiring collective vision. Longtime social justice crusader Linda Stout details a practical process that enables everyone—even those commonly marginalized—to work together with honesty, passion, commitment, and joy to create a positive, energizing, and sustainable vision and to make that vision a reality.

Stout shows, in practical terms, how to bring a group together, build trust, ensure that each and every voice is heard, create a positive vision, and develop an action plan that leverages everyone’s abilities to bring that vision to fruition. Used successfully by more than 120 organizations—and illustrated here by dozens of practical examples and exercises—this process creates hope for change, even among those who’ve stopped believing that change is possible. This comprehensive guide will serve as a template for anyone seeking to create a better, more just tomorrow.

“To listen to Linda Stout is to be inspired, to gain new hope that a fundamental transformation of our culture is not only possible but may be much nearer than we expect.”—Dr. Ron Miller, President, New Visions Foundation

“Stout has suffered the fates, encountered troubles, and defeated them. In short, her life has been devoted to a world of grace, peace, and beauty.” —Studs Terkel, author and radio broadcaster