[Dialogue] Fwd: First Reflections on My Experience as State Coordinator, and Thank You

[David Zahrt via Dialogue]

This Evaluation doesn't surprise me DZ
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jordan Parker <jordan at climatemarch.org>
Date: Thu, Sep 11, 2014 at 11:34 PM
Subject: First Reflections on My Experience as State Coordinator, and Thank
You
To: "marchers at googlegroups.com" <marchers at googlegroups.com>


Hi All ~

Thanks for this, just wanted to fill everyone in on my current involvement.
My official last day with the March (as "IL State Coordinator") was *Monday,
September 8th*. However, I still worked through Tuesday afternoon, because
I wanted to make sure you were all safe getting to Gary. I was on the phone
starting at 6am Tuesday morning, and although a police escort may have been
irritating to some of you (some feedback I received) it was absolutely
necessary through certain spots. And the Gary Police Department and the
mayor both insisted on it, wisely. If we *hadn't* had police escorts, trust
me, there would have been big problems and I would have heard a lot of
feedback about *that*. I'm just happy you are all safe, nobody got injured
or died, nobody got shot, and nobody got arrested for something other than
a direct action. :)

In Gary, Sarah and Clifford took over the State Coordinator
responsibilities for Indiana. The reasons I ended my involvement as State
Coordinator are as follows:

1. *I received significant enough negative energy and criticism from
several outspoken marchers - and tacit reinforcement of that negativity
from several others - that it made me want to no longer be involved in the
March*. Although many marchers were very positive and warm towards me, the
fracturing within the group and the undeserved, immature, unprofessional
and outright rude criticism and treatment I received on several separate
occasions effectively drove me away from this organization.

2. I believe that these highly negative interactions were the result of
miscommunication and assumptions, history (I dropped into this after all of
you had 5 months of experiences -  both positive and negative), and
emotions on the march being at a fever-pitch. I can understand all of that.
I also believe that had my relationship with the marchers had the space to
develop, in person, under different circumstances, this probably wouldn't
have been an issue. However, it is was it is, and being as I felt that my
most important, necessary work was finished - I got the marchers through
Illinois, the Chicago Climate March and the rough terrain of northwestern
Indiana to Gary - I felt that the time was right to gracefully bow out at
that point.

3. *The March cannot afford to pay a State Coordinator any longer*. From
what I understand, there are only 3 paid staff left: Ki, Shari and Sarah. I
cannot afford to work this hard for free, and even if I were to volunteer
some of my time I would have to have had an extremely positive experience
to be motivated to donate time and energy. As I mentioned in my first
point, this isn't the case. I will continue on volunteering on other
projects and finding paid work, and that's the right decision for me at
this point.

So moving forward, Sarah will be doing the lion's share of the logistical
work, wearing several hats and relying on committed volunteers like
Clifford and Chris in DC. Chris has done absolutely excellent work on TxTs
(Turn by Turns) and was also largely responsible for guiding all of you
through the entire state of Illinois without any mishaps concerning the
route. TxTs are necessary, because the directions on Google maps are not
user-friendly. The only time TxTs are *not* necessary is if there is
someone on the ground, combing through the route literally step by step and
turn by turn and writing all directions down by hand. I highly encourage
Sarah and Chris to work closely together for the rest of the march
concerning the route, since between the two of them they have the skills to
create flawless maps. Chris has proven himself to be an expert in TxTs and
has graciously offered his time. Clifford may be the expert on the ground
in Indiana, and crafting the directions based on physically scouting every
inch of the route himself, but unfortunately Clifford won't be with us in
Ohio and beyond.

I want to make one thing *perfectly clear,* after saying all of that: *I
always was, and I currently am, one of the movement's biggest allies, and
by association, I am one of your biggest allies*. That was the truth, and
will continue to be the truth. I have devoted the majority of the last
three years of my life - 90% of it unpaid - towards climate advocacy.
Running a grassroots campaign to create awareness of plastic pollution and
pass effective legislation, mentoring with the Climate Reality Project in
both Africa and Australia earlier this year, and now working with all of
you. I am in this for the long-haul. I do not harbor resentments or any
ill-will toward any of you - even those of you who were determined to drive
me away and secretly record me in the process (bizarre, but again, that is
a conversation that is yet to be had). I simply have removed myself from a
situation that I felt was no longer good for me to be involved in. That
doesn't mean that we might be able to work together again, under different
circumstances, at a later date on different projects. I admire all of you
for your passion, and for taking action. That is the common denominator we
all share.

When I came out to Blackwell Forest Preserve and was on the "hot seat" in
the circle, as we were all being feasted on by mosquitoes, John Abbe asked
me what I had learned in response to my comment that I had "learned a sh#t
ton." After I've had a bit of time to debrief and decompress from this
experience, I will write something that is a more in-depth reflection on my
short approximate 2-month experience with all of you. I will be extremely
thoughtful about this and give it my best effort in analysis so that we can
all learn from what happened in Illinois.

I will be available to help in small ways for the next 7 weeks, and I look
forward to continuing this dialogue.

In solidarity,

Jordan

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-- 
Peace, David
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