Has anyone else done the DFA activist training?

[wildeyed]

I went recently to a weekend training seminar in Asheville. They mostly taught skills for running campaigns, a lot of it numbers based, plus how to spot your persuadable voters, stuff like that. I found it very interesting, but also an overwhelming amount of info to process in a weekend.

Has anyone else done the DFA training? What did you think of it?

[dragonlady]

1. I did the Wellstone training, which is similar

It was overwhelming for me too, but they gave out a nice binder full of material and I took notes. I plan to review it all as this election season heats up.

Camp Wellstone has three tracks: training candidates, training campaign volunteers, and training general grassroots organizers. I took the campaign track. The presenters were great, and we were divided into teams to do exercises, like planning a press conference if your candidate is attacked, and how to canvass at doors. It was all very fast, but the overall impression is that you can do this if you try, and they gave good information to review at leisure.

[wildeyed]

4. I still have my binder, too.

I have already referred to it.

The Wellstone camp sounds great. I probably would have benefited from the general organizer track. I am precinct chair, I do general GOTV, and I like to work on issues. Campaigns don't interest me as much. Candidates are so human. Issues are just issues. They never disappoint me.

[pstans]

6. I want to do Camp Wellstone

I think the 3 tracks would cut the material down into more easy to swallow bites.

[orleans]

2. where did you even find out about such a thing/place?

sounds interesting....i'd like to attend one if i could. who do i call?

[wildeyed]

3. It looks like their seminars are over for the year.

But they have online training available, and you can read the training literature.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/training.php

[pstans]

5. I have

I went to DFA training in the Quad Cities (IA and IL) back in April. I learned a ton of stuff that I put to use volunteering for a candidate for Governor in the primary this June. I highly recommend it to anyone. It was a lot of information to take in, but it was very useful.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

7. I have seen what DFA trained folks can do

and it is great.

Especiall from Asheville.

I had given up on Asheville and Buncombe County,
and even had renamed them (temporarily) Asseville and Bumpkin County,
until along came one day a person from the DFA,
and she started a chain of events that turned that county around.

Buncombe was set to be a 100% toilet paper touchscreen county,
until a DFA organizer (she knows who she is) helped me talk to the right
people. This bright lady also set up a DFA event where she had
David Allen (www.blackboxvoting.COM ) speak, and a few months later,
completely turned that county around and made it a success story.

I was ready to throw in the towel.

So, DFA is a very good thing, and the training must be pretty darn good.

[ray of light]

8. that's so cool!

Hi,

I just discovered this forum. I think I'll bookmark it.

But I wanted to tell you that some people at the Democracy Cell Project did the training as well. We had an online chat (in the irc) about it and are planning more. Next time we do it, we can let you know when it is if you wanted to join and add your comments.

[wildeyed]

9. There was a panel discussion of local Asheville Council members.

Almost gave me hope for democracy again. Their stories about how they got involved in politics were great.

One guy, his wife was breastfeeding their baby at a municipal pool. She was asked (illegally) to stop. Eventually, it became a larger issue and this guy, I forget his name, wrote a letter to the local Council. He was mostly ignored, but one member took time to write him an insulting letter. Se he ran for the guys seat and lost. But he came back and ran again...... this time he won :)

The other woman was very concerned, as were many local citizens, about a water table issue. They tried to talk to the water board folks about it, but they wouldn't listen..... so they voted the bums out :)

At a meal with one of the organizers, a friend and I voiced our concern about our local organizations. The DFA guy basically said, be patient, keep focused, we are coming to your town, too, soon :)

[H2O Man]

10. I have not

had DFA activist training, but I have been involved in grass roots activism for decades. I am hoping that I will have something of value to add to this group.

[wildeyed]

11. I hope so, too!

This forum will be a great resource for those of us interested in grass roots. I love DU, and I love GD, but often, posts about more mundane but very important issues get buried.

[yellerpup]

12. DFA Training sounds great.

I'm going to see if I can find where I can take it in my new area. Thanks for thinking of me, Wildeyed. I have always admired your efforts to GOTV in 2004, and I will always look back with satisfaction to registering new Democratic voters in Catawba County during my time there. I've moved back to NY, though, so I won't able to join you for the weekend training seminar in Ashville. All best to you! Activism does make a difference. :yourock: :patriot:

[OhioBlue]

13. I have not

I hope to attend either the DFA or Camp Wellstone sometime in the future. In the mean time, DFA does have a "night school" with 4 sections posted on their website. I think the Canvassing tips and script will come in especially useful to me.