"Pursuing a Radical Antiviolence Agenda Inside/Outside a Non-Profit Structure", Alisa Bierria, 2007

"Pursuing a Radical Antiviolence Agenda Inside/Outside a Non-Profit Structure", Alisa Bierria, Communities Against Rape and Abuse (CARA), from "The Revolution Will Not Be Funded", INCITE!, 2007 In the fallout of an antiviolence organization dissolving, the redistribution of city budget allocations brought about a dynamic of competition, professionalization and racist/sexist dismissal of CARA's representative in meetings with the city and the administators of the other organization serving the battered women community. The requirements of receiving funding, as usual, created a ton of extra work for people who were on the core staff of the organization. CARA focused on community organizing, as opposed to providing direct services like crisis lines and such, with an emphasis toward black/brown women and queer communities. This way, marginalized communities which are systematically underserved and criminalized were able to receive a higher level of care and representation. Liberals in city council can and will obstruct direct action that threatens the patriarchy. Eventually, social change commitments led people to make statements that don't sit with the white establishment, and one of these hack went after the organization's fundind, proposing a 75% decrease in funding. Fortunately, the organization had enough social capital in the community that the "divide, and conquer" tactics fell flat. There are a ton of great insights here for people who want to build something better without being coopted and controlled by the brokers of the status quo