[All] WREN etc (Re: In Defence of Robert)

[Gregory C. Michalenko]

GREN was one of the first organizations to endorse and support WREN.  I found the WREN meeting very disappointing- I walked out when one or other of the stage managers talking at us started cheerily comparing environmental organizing to building sand castles. I noticed that attendance was way down from last year - about 35 compared to 70. I also was troubled by the way two of the featured talkers were actually making pitches for their own consulting firms.  I'm also suspicious of the concepts of "social entrepreneurs", "community based social marketing", "branding" "ownership" and "marketing" as if our main goals were advertising, sales, and profit --  rather than movement building, political engagement, and collaborative action to build  broad-based change in society and give nature a new breath on life.

Lulu mentions that she feels our main goal is:

 "Through a program of education and business mentorship focussed on earning revenue and balanced impact, our goal is to help social enterprises polish their go to market plans, build viable product offerings and make critical connections to partners, customers and industry influencers."


Sorry, I don't think that I have ever engaged in environmental  work to "earn revenue", develop "products", and deal with "customers".  If it were, why has the federal government's secret police investigated me, why did the premier of Saskatchewan try to force the University of Saskatchewan president to close down our student environmental club (it fell on its face in the next election, thanks to our revelations), how come a private detective hired by a nasty pulp mill company broke into my UW office in the dead of night and ransacked it, and why did the Ontario government send a snoop to try to finger me when news about  a government cover up of serious pollution somehow found its way into the hands of journalists?  It wasn't because I had neglected to take out a business licence.


There are many models of organizing and being effective in saving the environment.  The good thing is to have so many choices to pick the appropriate one to match particular needs.  Sometimes you knock on doors, other times you press "send" on your computer and you take your message around the earth.  We need those skilled at building community, as well as spirited individuals who can craft something beautiful on their own that becomes food and fuel to help others in their work: gone vitamin rather than "gone viral". Peaceful toil and  simplicity.  Wealth in ideas, but carbon poverty.  No more war. Read Micah for humility, not profit.


- Greg

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