Reflections on Network Forms of Struggle and Organization
By Willie Baptist

“The strongest networks will be those in which the organizational design is sustained by a winning story and a well-defined doctrine, and in which all this is layered atop advanced communications systems and rests on strong personal and social ties at the base.” Networks and Netwars, Arquilla and Ronfeldt

“Worldviews will be the prizes for future contestants to capture, fought for on the global communications network by nations, organizations and individuals. We will all be combatants, willing or otherwise, in the clash of ideas. While you may not be interested in this coming netwar, the netwarriors are certainly interested in you.” Netwar, Matt Chessen

“Building a Movement is about more than mobilizing bodies. It is essentially about moving minds.” KWRU Education Committee

Coalition of Immokalee Workers (C.I.W.) Strategic/Tactical Principles

• Campaign Against McDonalds
  Experienced McDonalds is clear on the most strategic and threatening aspect of the C.I.W.’s Taco Bell victory – i.e., legitimacy for poor farm workers and thru them the poor generally. ”Coalition” equals “unity”, which provides the poor with a bigger voice
• “Flipping Symbols”
  Use of symbols already imprinted in the hearts and minds of the masses of the people by way of a constant campaign of associating counter messages with them can be called “Flipping Symbols.” It is the cheapest way for propagating a story in a repetitive and effective manner like what the early Christian movement did with the powerful and longstanding symbol--the Cross of the Roman Empire. For example, the CIW’s Video on Ronald McDonald going to work in the fields. The idea came from a worker from Guatemala because the clown is one of the major images that come to mind when people think of McDonalds. Flipping key symbols start with influencing and educating the minds and hearts of the leaders.
• The Arts are most important in the Age of Information and in the battle of images--e.g., they effectively flipped the $200 million + Chiwawa dog (“Yo no quiere Taco Bell!”) tapping into the existing sentiments and struggles of the Animal Liberation Mov’t
• Use of Holidays when mass public attention are focused on and organized in national discussions around certain themes and symbols with powerful religious meanings and associations
• Mastering of present day conflicts as basically ideational netwars with computers used as weapons or means of struggle (reliance on computers is reaching a critical mass among the “middle class” and is accessible to the poor by means of organizing. In the case of the Taco Bell Campaign , CIW mainly targeted the internetted youth between 18—24 years of age who constituted a major market for YUM goods (Taco Bell, Kentucky Colonel, etc)
• CIW appeals to the relatively higher political consciousness of members (Latin American immigrants generally more political than most US Americans). Coming from years of experience with military dictatorships where the government gives no concession. Whereas the US welfare state provides concessions and the notions of ‘pity to the poor’ and charity reign over notions of ‘power to the poor’ and economic justice. US citizens have a more undeveloped concept of a class exploitation. Consequently, there is a heightened need to politicize everything we do, i.e., using every opportunity to bring out the truth about the connections everything has to the interests and policies of the Power That Be.
• Religious strategy is indispensable in a highly ideational conflict (i.e., essentially educational efforts with the object of changing political will by way of changing worldviews thru a multi-faceted battle of images and war of ideas) particularly given the culture of the United States.
• Role of Research Finding weak point of the opposing forces, e.g., Chipote 70% ownership by McDonald
• Use every opportunity to promote their web site www.ciw-online.org
• Network of Leaders centralized by a common story and common strategic doctrine. They are not simply nodes of a virtual network but also are “nexuses.” In other words, they are strategically clear that ensure and manage the connections between online and offline organizing.
• Leadership development is one of, if not the main aspect of CIW organizing, e.g., training for the more advanced members (but not excluding newcomers) especially because of high turnover of migrant farm workers with focus on vision and campaign strategy. Only way to deal with problem of high turnover of migrants workers.