This is the moment to be all in

Dear friend,

All year, I’ve been having conversations with members like you about where we are as a society. About how we are doing as the progressive movement in this country, and what it means to be part of the global community. I know that the upcoming U.S. elections—and the threat of authoritarianism—are weighing as heavily on you as they are on me.

At the same time, our conversations have left me feeling more determined than ever. We’ve talked about how challenging corporate power is critical to challenging authoritarian threats. And how, through our shared work, we’re gaining ground in real ways, even under difficult conditions.

That gives me hope. And it convinces me that we need to be all in—working on all fronts to protect and advance a more robust and inclusive democracy.

People-powered organizing for the collective good

The dangerous anti-democracy forces we’re facing have been funded by corporations and coordinated by a handful of wealthy, mostly white men. Their end game appears to be the consolidation of power at the expense of the rest of us.

They’ve pushed the ideology that democratic government is inherently inefficient and untrustworthy. They’ve advanced the narrative that the needs of the private sector should dictate policy. They’ve paid for politicians and public officials of both parties to put the interests of corporations and the mega-wealthy above the needs and well-being of their constituents.

But for decades, members like you have been integral to Corporate Accountability’s organizing to counter all of this. Together, we and our allies have demonstrated that when people come together and take collective action toward the greater good, we can enact and implement policies that prioritize people, our well-being, and our planet.

You have been right there with us, fortifying, supporting, and being a part of what actually creates transformative and lasting change: people-powered organizing.

Corporate campaigning challenges authoritarian forces

Because here’s the thing: corporate campaigning—that is, organizing to challenge global corporations and the people behind them—is a powerful and effective way to counter the authoritarian threats we’re facing.

In fact, such organizing is absolutely necessary in this moment.

Three organizers--two white women and a Black man--stand in the cold outside a city building. One has her fist in the air. Another speaks into a megaphone. Their signs link Veolia to its role in Flint. — Corporate Accountability staff and activists mark the 10-year anniversary of the start of the Flint water crisis. Speaking truth to power at the North American headquarters of Veolia, the largest water privatizer in the world, we exposed the corporation’s role in the crisis and connected the dots between racial and water justice. Photo credit: Binita Mandalia

Through corporate campaigning, we bring to light the multiple and hidden ways that corporations and the mega-wealthy few are attempting to put a stranglehold on democracy.

And we organize to stop them. We move democratic institutions and elected officials across political parties to act.

We and our allies build pressure that compels decision-makers to respond to the needs of people, rather than bowing to the demands of corporate power and the mega wealthy—whether in the White House, at City Hall, or in the halls of the U.N.

Water: a visceral example

I’ve talked with many of you about how water is one of the front lines of organizing for democracy. When corporations swoop in to control and profit from our need for water—it just doesn’t get much more visceral than that.

So when we stop privatization of a water plant that serves more than a million people—as we did this year with our allies in Houston—it matters in more ways than one. Not only does it make a material difference to the people who live there, but it also bolsters democracy. It underscores the reality that the role of a democratic government is to protect the human rights of people.

And in Flint, even when most of the country has turned away from the water crisis there, we have continued to partner with Flint Rising, campaigning with them for accountability and democratic outcomes. We are there for the long haul, working toward justice, lifting up the demands of Flint residents, and bringing our expertise in corporate campaigning.

As always, how we organize is as critical in advancing a robust democracy as what the organizing accomplishes. In Flint, Houston, and beyond, we build long-term relationships with allies with a commitment to democracy, justice, and equity.

Illustration of many different kinds of people working together to create a new world--depicted as puzzle pieces that come together into a map of the world.

Image credit: Paloma Rae

Leading from where we are

I say “we” here, and I mean all our staff and allies. Because a thriving democracy requires all of us to lead from where we are.

In the water campaign and across the organization, our success is shepherded by all our staff. It has been one of my goals as executive director to foster a culture at Corporate Accountability where staff leadership is encouraged and supported.

As I near the end of my tenure in this role, I’m proud of the leaderful organization that is moving democracy forward.

Because, at the end of the day, organizing for democracy is not just about the ballot box, as important as that is. Just as critically, it’s about organizing for systems change.

Over the past seven years, I’ve written to you in these Field Notes for Transformation. I’ve described our vision for transformation, how we get there, and about the people around the world who are carrying out this work. And I’ve had the chance to speak with so many of you about how this work is part of your vision for a different kind of world.

As I move into a new role at the organization during this pivotal time in the U.S., I am even more committed to and hopeful about the kind of transformation that Corporate Accountability can usher in.

We have more than 45 years of challenging corporate power under our belt. Our success and learnings bring an important perspective and expertise to the progressive movement’s organizing for transformation—now and in the months and years to come.

As I said: This is the moment for all of us to be all in. It’s certainly what I’m doing. I look forward to staying in touch with many of you from a different vantage—even closer to the campaigns.

I am deeply grateful to be doing this work with you, to be committed to justice and accountability and true transformation in partnership with you. And I’m inspired to continue this work in our partnership—now, and on November 5, and through the days, weeks, months, and years that follow.

Onward,

Patti Lynn
Executive Director

Photo of Patti Lynn, a white person with brown curly hair, wearing a white collared shirt and black blazer. She is smiling into the camera.

Onward,

Patti Lynn, Executive Director