Wellstone Action!

posted by Ben Goldfarb

MARCH 10, 2009

It's been a week since returning from the Power Shift conference in Washington, D.C., and the largest training in Wellstone Action's history: a grassroots lobbying training for 5,000 young climate change, clean energy and green economy activists. They used what they learned the very next day in what most people believe was the biggest lobby day in U.S. history. The 12,000 participants at the conference also made it the biggest ever gathering of its kind. Getting the drift? It was HUGE. And though size does matter in building and demonstrating power, the beauty of this event was that it was also incredibly strategic and thoughtful.

The logistics of making the training happen were daunting and exhausting, but the team we had in place was amazing and the participants eagerly jumped in with both feet. It was quite a sight to behold - thousands of people working in every corner of the DC Convention Center to prepare for and then role play grassroots lobbying meetings. It was a cacophony of people telling their personal story and connection to the issue, hard asks, and strategic responses to tough objections. A grassroots lobbying bonanza!

We don't always get to immediately see the impact of our work, but this time it was impossible to miss, with thousands of people storming the Capitol to make the case for what they deeply believe is both possible and necessary. They came from every corner of the country, Canada, and beyond and braved D.C.'s biggest snowstorm in several years (yes, irony well understood) to meet with members of Congress and their staffs.

Standing on the West Lawn of the Capitol with thousands of people in the snow, I was moved by the dynamism of this movement at this moment. My first organizing job was with the Sierra Club over a decade ago and the face and nature of the environmental movement has changed so dramatically since then. It's younger, more diverse, culturally creative, and catching the wave at an incredible crossroads of crisis and opportunity.

I often tell people that I have the best job imaginable, as I get to travel the country and work with candidates, campaign workers, activists and organizers who are passionate and just want to learn how to most effectively make change. I get energy from every training that I'm part of, but this one in particular made me thankful for what I do. 

A huge thank you to the 300 people who volunteered to serve as adjunct Wellstone Action trainers and did an incredible job making this training happen as well as the Energy Action Coalition and the thousands of young people who are driving this incredible movement.