Progressive Communicators Network (PCN)
Spirit in Action also has seen the powerful impact of the application of Circle tools in building the Progressive Communicators Network. Starting in June 2000 with a small handful of media activists who were uncertain about working together, the Progressive Communicators Network has grown to more than 100 members serving over 1,500 organizations. PCN brings together media and public relations practitioners committed to increasing the power and reach of grassroots voices in the media and in the formation of public policy and opinion through national gatherings, regional gatherings and collaborative projects. Half of this group returns for a second, fourth, or even sixth annual gathering and approximately a third serve on working committees or in a leadership capacity.
PCN History
When the group began, there had been a history of problems, many stemming from issues of race & class, between many of these folks. A lot of them expressed concern or outright negativity at coming together. Some refused to come. Spirit in Action worked with this group before the gathering to identify the history of issues and then to come up with a set of agreements that allowed them to come together for a first meeting to discuss the issues separating them.
Two important agreements that developed during the ‘pre-meeting’ were:
- that the idea of building a “network or coalition” was off the table
- that no one would be asked to share any of their ideas, training models, etc (since they did not trust the others)
The first evening of the gathering began with trust and community building experiences which was followed with a collective visioning exercise the next morning. At that point several people decided they wanted to share their work with others (even though there was an agreement not to). People were given the option to share, and everyone decided to share their work with each other. At that point, one of the women who had been one of the most resistant to coming said, “I feel like we’ve accomplished more here in the past 24 hours, than the past 17 years I have done this work. I think we should consider starting a network”. Despite the agreement not to even discuss this option, there was total consensus from the group to move forward with this idea. The next morning of the three day gathering, the group put together one of the most detailed, thought out plans for building a powerful network – and the Progressive Communicators Network (PCN) was created.
The work just started there because it was necessary to continue to strongly hold the container in ongoing annual and committee meetings. Spirit in Action only works in multi-racial teams, and has a goal of 50% people of color and other diversity (age, gender, class, etc. and in the case of a national group, geographic and issue diversity). We believe this is critical to building a progressive movement that can truly make substantial, successful social change.
By the 3rd gathering, the goal of 50% people of color was met, and a substantial number of younger leaders joined, increasing both our geographic and issue diversity. In the first few years, when a major part of the pre-gathering work was focused on guideline-defined recruitment, white people were actually “wait-listed”. Now, seven years later, PCN has a majority of people of color in the network and a majority in leadership roles.
PCN Today
PCN has become a strong and powerful force - about 90 core members, from over 80 organizations, who serve over 1500 grassroots organizations. In the past year, PCN has opened their own office with a full time staff dedicated to the work. They have a strong leadership committee that works as a board of directors, and they have begun to develop their own identity as a network with the hope to become an independent, nonprofit organization this year. There are currently three regional PCN groups and plans for three additional groups next year.
The reach and dedication of this group of communicators is significant. The strength of their coordinated organizing efforts fostered through the use of Circle tools at annual national gatherings has led to many concrete organizing successes related to using the media more effectively as a vehicle for social change. One of the most significant successes was the formation of KIN – the Katrina Information Network – that has mobilized and educated reporters about the systemic issues of race and class at play in New Orleans and the Gulf region. See their website at www.katrinaaction.org.