Peter Maurin - Easy Essays

Peter Maurin was the co-founder, with Dorothy Day, of the Catholic Worker Movement in 1933. Peter was born in 1877 and died in 1949. He was a French peasent and former Christian Brother who believed in manual labor, the agrarian movement but most importantly hospitality and supporting those in need. He spoke on street corners in New York City and elsewhere about the need for radical personalism. He spoke to anyone who would listen. He reasoned, "the way to reach the man on the street is meet the man on the street." He was a teacher, a lecturer and philosopher and a troublemaker of sorts. Peter wrote short pieces that became known as Easy Essays. They were bold in thought but simple in construction. From time to time I will add one or two to this blog. What Peter Maurin wrote in the 30’s and 40’s can certainly have meaning today. Here is an example:

Prostitution of Politics
The Republicans say:
“Let’s turn the rascals
out.”
The Democrats say:
Let’s turn the rascals
out.”
The Republicans
call the Democrats
rascals.
The Democrats
call the Republicans
rascals.
For the Republicans
as well as for the
Democrats
politics
is just a profitable business.
By making a business
out of politics,
politicians
have prostituted the
noble calling
of politics.

….......Peter Maurin

Strategic Planning Guide For Today's Environment

Recently I was asked to provide some coaching to a small organization relative to strategic thinking and strategic planning. I hesitated but saw the need and importance of the request. It really got me thinking about what my approach had been in the past. Like many, it was very traditional - mission, vision, SWOT analysis and on to goals. Nothing wrong with those concepts and processes. They still work. But I wanted to force myself and the people I was working with to think and act a little differently. This is 2012 for heaven's sake and things have changed a bit. Everything moves faster, people have more information and people's environment is frankly more controlling. That process helped me develop the following outline for a strategic planning process in 2012. I share this short guide here and hope some people can have fun with it.

Where Did We Come From?
A historical perspective needs to be discussed, allowing everyone an opportunity to share their perspectives. This should include a listing of successes, failures and accomplishments recognizing that some parties will view things differently which is the purpose of the discussion. A review of organizational documents should take place to identify operational rules that may need review and clarification. Is everyone on the same page?

Where Are We Right Now?
There needs to be an honest assessment of where the organization, team, unit is right now. Right at this moment. Through honest and open discussion, the group needs to determine the reality of their current operations and environment. This is not the ideal. This is not the vision, hopes and dreams. This is the reality vs the perception. How well are things really working? Items that should be discussed are - communications and interactions among all of the players, technology, functions of units and current identification of projects and goals. This would also include current financial assets and liabilities and sustainability.

Where Do We Want To Be?
This needs to include a discussion of the environmental issues facing the organization - financial, technological, geographic, cultural.  What are people thinking about the goals and development of the organization? Should things stay the same? If not, why not? What would alternate plans or functions look like? Are there organizational rules and operations that would need to change?

That's it. Count on two or three days worth of activity and enjoy!

Depending On Government For Justice

In recent days Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed  major legislation to protect the most vulnerable citizens in New York State - the elderly, people with disabilities, children and people impacted by substance abuse among others. The protections the Governor seeks are a reaction by the Governor and government to stories of neglect and abuse that appeared over the past year in the New York Times. Now the Governor doesn’t present it that way. He insists that this is his initiative, etc. It’s really here nor there. The stories in the Times were of course disturbing. They identified a culture and a bureaucracy that many working in the field of developmental disabilities have been aware of for a number of years. They were an effort by a responsible journalist to uncover the truth behind allegations that some people brought to his attention. Ultimately, they followed a pattern that occurs when those outside of government or organizations make allegations to the press. As investigative processes unfold, those in responsible positions are not transparent and in the process, make fact finding difficult. Freedom of Information requests have to be filed resulting in redacted information as well as adversarial relationships. As hard as they try not to let this impact them, journalists become frustrated.

The reality is that there were problems with the articles. There were lots of generalizations and in my opinion, not enough emphasis on alternative voices in identifying issues, causes and potential solutions. They did however bring light to a subject that still needs the scrutiny that a shining light brings. They also pointed out that non profit providers of supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, most of whom do great work everyday, are leaderless as a group. They have no real spokesperson and so, they sat and took it. "It" being the generalizations and allegations of rampant mismanagement, out of sight executive compensation and on and on. This at a time when they were being strangled by regulatory oversight and major funding reductions from, guess who, government. It became evident early on that people who should have been speaking out were going to hold their tongue. The arguments were familiar. The Times had an agenda. The reporter was biased. The Governor, the Commissioner, the State would get angry. The Governor has a temper - and oh yes, we do have some skeletons in our closet.

There are many stories that weren’t told due to this lack of direction or leadership. The rich history of the non profit movement in this particular field, the advocacy movement itself, the conflict between state operations and non profit supports, the shifting of costs and revenues by government that have caused real harm to individuals and families, the changes that are necessary and the ones that will hurt people. The list is large.

But that is all water under the bridge as they say and here we are with a Governor’s proposal for justice for vulnerable people. A proposal that no one can be opposed to or even question. That said, no one will probably even read it before it is passed by the legislature. Ultimately government has become the advocate for this vulnerable population. Am I the only one who sees the irony. Government that built the institutions, that created the regulations, that set the rates, that hired the people, that hid the people, that created the culture, that abused and neglected and continues to abuse and neglect has become the advocate. Obviously it’s important for government and government leaders to speak up and try to change their system but let’s remember it is their system.

Lets face some facts. The state of New York, through the Governor, through the Commissioners and through the Legislature is in fact reacting to a scandalous situation. That’s what this is, a reaction by people and entities who were and have been responsible in this area. Personally, I don’t think any of these parties are really aware of the long range consequences of their actions - good or bad. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out but it’s sad that so many people will be impacted in many ways without the dialogue that really needed to take place and without the true advocacy that they need.