Book Review - We Surround Them

“We Surround Them; Our Journey From Apathy to Action – Eric Wilson & Justen Collins”

The 9/12 Project began all across America, in homes and communities, on March 13, 2009. From its inception, the movement has been guided by a set of nine fundamental principles and twelve core values. We Surround Them: Our Journey from Apathy to Action is the inspirational story of one 9/12 chapter’s humble beginning, its frenzied progress, and its uplifting journey. Exploring the human side of the movement, this diary-style work is full of hope, insight, and the surging power of individuals choosing to make a difference. The vivid firsthand accounts provide an opportunity to do more than just read a group’s history, but to live their sacrifices and accomplishments along with them. Promoting personal responsibility, We Surround Them is the inspirational story sure to satisfy anyone and is a fresh glimpse of hopefulness that the true spirit of “We the People” is not dead and has become the new American story

8 Habits of Successful Liberty Circles

Eric Wilson - 2013

 1.    commitment to integrity

It is about being morally correct in all your endeavors.  It is about following the rest of your core values and not wavering in doing so.  It is about following what you believe in, which is morally correct.

2.    commitment to transparency

It is open and above board.  People do not trust what they do not know or cannot see.

3.    commitment to open and honest relationships

It is not using people but providing a like-minded forum to build true relationships.

Trying to Cut the Head off a Starfish:

Eric Wilson - 2013

We can learn a lot from a starfish (or at least the book “The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations” by Ori Brafman & Rod A. Beckstorm).

The title of the book creates a wonderful analogy for social movements and organizations – almost like an Aesop’s Fable (only darker).  If you were to cut the head off a spider, it dies; but if you cut off a starfish’s leg, it simple grows a new one.  Even more remarkably, the leg you cut off has the potential to grow into an entirely new starfish.

 Traditionally, most organizations – and sadly many social movements – become top-down organizations like the spider.  Conversely, what happens when there is no one in charge?  What happens when there is no hierarchy?  You would think there would be disorder or even chaos, but – in many arenas – a lack of traditional leadership is giving rise to powerful groups that are turning society upside down.

 This is the starfish model – a decentralized, almost “leaderless” organization.  Their success and basic premise is that more-autonomous groups have a better chance at survival than do those which have a traditional top-heavy hierarchy.  In the starfish model social movement, there are small units which can organize and grow independently of any central direction.  This makes it difficult for opponents to defeat them or exert control over them.  They each have mechanisms and advocates who activate the smaller groups.  Rather than a traditional hierarchy, they are formed around a circular philosophy of coordination.  They each depend on a collective identity and common objective or ideology as a basis for remaining together

If it is on the Internet it has to be true

Eric Wilson - 2013


The World Wide Web presents us with a wonderful example of an unregulated place where a diverse group of people are thrown together with the freedom to develop on their own.  In essence, every time you log onto the internet and visithttp://www.brushfireforum.com (or anywhere else, I suppose), you are part of a social movement – and cyberspace is home to millions of mini-movements.  As it turns out, we may be able to learn a lot of lessons from the World Wide Web.

1. There is no centralized power.  Authority is gained through respect, and – to maintain power – the leader must be a servant rather than just preside over others.

Hail to the Cheif

Eric Wilson - 2013

In the workforce, you present a resume with a laundry list of things you may (or may not) have

accomplished, and you are hired based on your credentials.

In politics, you run for office on promises (you may or may not intend to keep) and you only need more votes than your competitor to win.

To lead a movement, all you need to do is motivate people to choose to follow you.

I will let you all in on a little secret: to lead a social movement…

- you do NOT need to be ordained by anyone else

- you do NOT need to have done it before

- there is NO panel that needs to approve you

- there is NO secret school for community organizers

- it does NOT matter what the majority of people think

* And a little bit of bonus information:

- there is NOT much of any pay either but huge intrinsic rewards

Are you a 4%er?

Eric Wilson - 2013

In addition to leaders, any movement obviously needs followers.  A crowd is a group of people, but the key is they do not follow.  A movement needs people who don’t just show up or don’t just follow, but are eager to follow and become activists.

 The exact size of a movement is almost impossible to determine because membership is usually informal which places a premium on faith and loyalty to the collective identity.  Since no legal obligation is assumed by becoming a member, conformance to the movement's norms to remain a member is nearly impossible to track or enforce.  Thus, commitment to the movement and its values becomes one of the most important sources of control.  I think it is a mistake to believe that your best members are blind sheep.

 Some students of social movements have suggested that the fanaticism of dedicated members results from the social movement becoming a reference group that provides the member with a new and deviant view of social reality.