1. Building and Sustaining Relationships

2. Relationships are the building blocks for all community organizing activities2

3. Why do we need to build and sustain relationships?
Community building
To win allies
To give meaning and richness to our work and lives

4. When do you build relationships?
You do it all the time. 4

5. But you can also… Establish relationships before you need them
Establish relationships even in a crisis 5

6. An 11-step program Build relationships Be friendly
Ask people questions
Tell about yourself
Go places and do things
Accept people 6

7. An 11-step program (cont.):
Make connections
Overcome rejection fear
Be persistent
Invite people
Enjoy people 7

8. Building relationships among different cultures
Learn about the person's culture
Put yourself in another person's culture
Take a stand against the person's oppression 8

9. Building relationships with people who hold positions of political power
Don't get intimidated
Listen to them and withhold judgment 9

10. Sustaining relationships
Attention to people
Communicate openly
Appreciate each other
Extend yourself
Volunteer to do work
Challenge each other
Back each other up 10

11. When relationships get messy
Take time to listen
Put on the other's shoes
Look at what is true
Emotions does not equal reality
Appreciate and respect
Speak from your heart
Don't give up principles
Hang in there 11

12. You can disagree and still build relationships with individuals who belong to organizations that are working against yours 12

13. Set up a dialogue group to listen to your adversaries13