Barack Obama and the Gamaliel Foundation (Community Action utilizing Faith…..and Saul Alinsky Training)

First this:

From the Gamaliel Foundation:

Gamaliel and the Barack Obama Connection

by Gregory A. Galluzzo

President elect Barack Obama has throughout his political career made repeated references to his time as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago. It is important that we all understand the connection between Barack and Gamaliel. In l980 Mary Gonzales and I created the United Neighborhood Organization of Chicago.

 In l982 we decided that we needed some expertise from someone who had done faith based community organizing. A person who had worked as such an organizer in Illinois and in Pennsylvania approached me about joining our organizing team. His name was Jerry Kellman. Jerry helped Mary and myself become better organizers. While he was working for us, he connected with a group called the Calumet Community Religious Conference (CCRC) operating on the South Side in the South Suburbs of Chicago, and in Indiana. CCRC had been formed in response to the massive shut down of major industry and the resulting job loss and all of the concomitant social tragedies.

Jerry and I reached an understanding that we would support his work in the South Suburbs so that he could become director of his own project. It was Jerry Kellman who put an ad in the New York Times about an organizing position in the Chicago area. Barack responded; Jerry interviewed him and offered him a position. Barack accepted. Almost at this very time, Jerry propositioned an old friend of his to return to Chicago from Texas and work with him in this new organizing venture. His friend was Mike Kruglik. Mike and Jerry were the first mentors of Barack in organizing.

CCRC, which spanned communities in Northwest Indiana, the South Suburbs and parts of the City of Chicago proved to be unwieldy. Jerry and I decided to split it into three parts. Barack would work to found a new independent project in the South side of Chicago, Mike Kruglik would be the director of the South Suburban Action Conference and Jerry Kellman would develop organizing in Northwest Indiana. At that point Jerry asked me to become Barack’s consultant.

And at this time we were just creating the Gamaliel Foundation. I met with Barack on a regular basis as he incorporated the Developing Communities Project, as he moved the organization into action and as he developed the leadership structure for the organization. He would write beautiful and brilliant weekly reports about his work and the people he was engaging.

When Barack decided to go to Harvard Law School, he approached John McKnight, a professor at Northwestern and a Gamaliel Board member for a letter of recommendation. When Barack was leaving he made sure that Gamaliel was the formal consultant to the organization that he had created and to the staff that he had hired.

Barack has acknowledged publicly that he had been the director of a Gamaliel affiliate. He has supported Gamaliel throughout the years by conducting training both at the National Leadership Training events and at the African American Leadership Commission. He has also attended our public meetings.

We are honored and blessed by the connection between Barack and Gamaliel.

 

Then ADD THIS:

From Discover the Networks:

• Network of grassroots organizations working to bring about social change
• Models its tactics after those of the radical Sixties activist Saul Alinsky

The statedmission of the Gamaliel Foundation (GF) is “to be a powerful network of grassroots, interfaith, interracial, multi-issue organizations working together to create a more just and more democratic society.” Predicated on the notion that America is a land rife with injustice, GF agitates for social change by supporting the efforts of a network of organizations (the Gamaliel Network) whose goal is to allow for individuals to “effectively participate” in the political, environmental, social and economic arenas. GF offers, for its network affiliates, programs to teach techniques and methodologies for bringing about social change; ongoing consultations; and organizer recruitment campaigns.

The Gamaliel Foundation derives its name from the biblical figure who, according to the New Testament, chastised the Jewish Sanhedrin (rabbinical court) for wanting to give the death penalty to Jesus’s apostles. Says GF, “We work in the hope and the confidence that this work is of God.” GF was established in 1968 to support the Contract Buyers League, an African American organization fighting to protect homeowners on Chicago’s West Side who had been discriminated against by banks and lending institutions.

The Gamaliel Network receives much of its funding from the leftist group Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). Yet according to the Roman Catholic Faithful website, GF’s “goals and philosophies are at fundamental odds with Church teaching.” GF endorses “scriptural relativism“and “encourage[s] a wide range of scriptural interpretations.”

The Gamaliel Foundation models itself after the activism of the 1960s radical Saul Alinsky, who authored the books Reveille for Radicals (1946), The Professional Radical (1970), and Rules for Radicals (1971).Alinsky’s prescription for effective organizing consisted of the following elements: (a) Develop a “trade union in the social factory” to serve as a vehicle by which people in the neighborhood can bargain, strike, and struggle to advance their agendas; (b) create a power-oriented community organization willing to use militant, confrontational tactics; and (c) promote a democratic organization where organizers do not themselves lead, but rather develop local leaders so as to create the veneer of self-determination and grassroots democracy.

GF likens its own mission to that of the biblical apostle Paul. “In Corinthians,” explains GF, “Paul states, ‘I am Paul, a disciple of Gamaliel.’ Saul Alinsky made all of his organizers read the letters of Paul because he regarded his namesake to be one of the greatest organizers of all time.”

The Gamaliel Foundation takes a strong stand against current homeland security measures and immigration restrictions. In September of 2003, for example, Ana Garcia-Ashley, GF’s Director of Civil Rights for Immigrants, described the Patriot Act as an “attack on immigrants.”Moreover, GF seeks to persuade the U.S. government to “legalize and provide rights to tax-paying [illegal] immigrants in this country.” “We support any immigration legislation,” adds GF, “that secures the civil rights of all immigrants; leads to the legalization of undocumented persons; provides for full labor protection and labor rights of immigrants; ends the inhumane detention and warehousing of asylum seekers; ends deportation for minor offenses; encourages family unity; provides security of our borders; includes humane border enforcement policies; [and] protects the civil liberties of all people.”

The Gamaliel Foundation is a sponsoring organization of the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride Coalition, which seeks to secure ever-expanding rights and civil liberties protections for illegal immigrants, and policy reforms that diminish or eliminate restrictions on immigration.

At its 2003 National Leadership Assemblyin Milwaukee, GF assembled a large number of leftist religious leaders to launch a voter drive against the incumbent Bush administration. At the event, featured speaker Rev. Tommie Pierson of Metropolitan Congregations United stated that he looked forward to the sound “of furniture being moved out of the White House.” Also attending the event were Democratic Senator Russ Feingold and Democratic Presidential candidate and Progressive Caucusmember Dennis Kucinich.

Gregory Galluzzo, a former Jesuit priest, is the Executive Director of the Gamaliel Foundation. In 1980 Galluzzo co-founded, along with his wife Mary Gonzalez, a Chicago Latino activist organization called the United Neighborhood Organization (UNO). Today, Ms. Gonzalez is the Gamaliel Foundation’s Director of Western Territory. UNO, also modeled after Alinsky’s methods, is known for using aggressive organizing and confrontational tactics to push for change.

The President of the Board of the Gamaliel Foundation is Ann Smith, who in 1985 became the first black female to win a statewide election in Illinois when she was voted onto the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

The Gamaliel Foundation receives grants from the Bauman Family Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Ford Foundation, George Soros‘s Open Society Institute, and others.

Then new this morning October 11, 2009:

Obama Family Attends Episcopal Church Near White House

WASHINGTON — President Obama and his familyattended Sunday services at St. John’s Church, an Episcopal church on Lafayette Square just across the street from the White House.

Obama, first lady Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia listened to a sermon about how Christianity has consequences.

Mike Angell, a seminarian of the church, told the parishioners that the consequences vary, whether it’s making a hard decision at work or deciding to give more time to God.

Angell told the worshippers they don’t face these consequences alone. “We are given each other as a source of boldness,” he said.

Then THIS:  The Gamaliel Foundation News page: http://www.gamaliel.org/NewsRoom/03.09.07FromJob.htm

2007

In early February, the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego overwhelmingly
passed a resolution supporting fundamental and humane immigration
principles. On March 14th, Mike Angell, UCSD Episcopal Campus Missioner,
will join Justice Overcoming Boundaries (J.O.B.) and represent the
Episcopal Diocese at a National Lobby day in Washington D.C.

Genesis: The Making of a President

Investing in Leadership…Transforming the World

June 28, 2009 – Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Oakland, CA

Hear from three Community Organizers who Mentored President Barack Obama.

25 years ago, three community organizers — Greg Galluzzo, Jerry Kellman, and Mike Kruglik — provided Barack Obama with leadership training that helped launch him on his remarkable life journey to transform the world.

Hear them describe their experiences with Obama, and discuss how community organizing is creating powerful community leaders who will transform the Bay Area.

http://www.genesisca.org/site/event/events_20090628/

About Genesis

GENESIS, founded in 2007, is a regional, faith and value based community organization in the Bay area affiliated with the Gamaliel Foundation, an international network of faith and value based organizations. Members represent religious congregations, associations, union locals, and other community organizations.

GENESIS is supported by membership dues, individual support, and foundation grants. Consultation and Leadership Development training is provided by the Gamaliel Foundation.

GENESIS unites people to work together and create a unified voice for social justice and public policy reform.

http://www.genesisca.org/site/about/

GOALS for 2009:

Issues and Actions:

1. Win a transit victory to provide new or expanded transit service to low income communities and engage hundreds of people in the process. Persuade the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to reverse their apparent priority of service expansion over sustaining present transit systems.
2. Through Core teams, identify other social justice issues with the potential for reducing poverty in the region, for example, health care, education, affordable housing, immigration and prison reform.

Leadership Development:

1. Recruit institutional leaders for local and national training programs to more effectively organize for social justice action.
2. Create Core teams in all membership organizations.

Organizational Development:

1. Recruit new member organizations, institutions and allied partners.
2. Turnout 500 – 1,000 individuals to particular social justice actions.

Organizational Structure:

1. Clergy Caucus
2. Issues Task Forces
3. Core Teams
4. Leadership Council
5. Fundraising Committee

Barack Obama learned organizing working in Chicago with Mike Kruglikand Greg Galluzzo.  Greg Galluzzo has—since become the Executive Director of

the international Gamaliel Foundation.

 

 

 ARISE: An Organizing Institute.  

ARISE is affiliated with this same network and we are fortunate that Mr.

Galluzzo will be coming to the Capital District to share with members of

congregations and other community groups the basics of effective

organizing and achieving significant impact in your community.

 

What is ARISE? 

  

History

30 congregations joined together at a Covenant Event in January of 2001.

Since then, ARISE has held an annual action meeting of 300 – 1,000 people

each fall and has task forces researching and pursuing public policies

in the areas of justice, regional development, youth and education, voter

enfranchisement, and immigration.

Mission

ARISE is a coalition of congregations and community groups dedicated to strengthening member groups and revitalizing the Capital Region,especially its distressed neighborhoods.

****New Beginning

In 2009, ARISE will hire a new organizer and a Recovenanting Event will take

place in the fall.

http://ariseorg.net/5209flyer.pdf

End note here: 

Read this .pdf file.  How many words has Obama repeated in his speeches on Health Care and soon to be mantra on Immigration?

 

THE GAMALIEL FOUNDATION’S FAITH AND DEMOCRACY PLATFORM 

 

 http://www.gamaliel.org/Printshop/Full%20platform%20finalb%20_2_.pdf

 

 

Gamaliel Foundation and “Rolling Thunder”

http://www.gamaliel.org/NLA/GamalielPgm03.pdf

 

 

 

Do You remember this name?

 

Deepak Bhargava

(Gamaliel Votes) has served as executive director of the Center for Community Change since 2002.

He first joined the Center as its Director of Public Policy in 1994. Deepak served as director of the National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support, a collaboration of 200 grassroots organizations and networks with affiliates in 40 states. Before joining CCC, Deepak served as Legislative Director of ACORN.

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 THIS video from 2005…..THREE full years before Obama on campaign for POTUS 2008

 

Link to video

 **Note Wallis words @ 2:16 Min to 2:25 Min

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Now listen and compare words of Wallis and Obama:

 

Link to video

 

Coincidence that Obama would utter those words?

 

 

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