Read the 2022-2025 AIM People's Agenda

Current CampaignsListening Campaign 2021

Oct 10

Written By

If not now, when? If not you, who?

Scroll down or click here to read the 2022-2025 People's Agenda!

Since October 2021, Action in Montgomery (AIM) has conducted listening sessions with over 1,500 people who reside, worship, and work in Montgomery County. This agenda was formed by AIM leaders working in issue action teams to identify common themes in listening session stories, and how we can work together in 2022-2025 to address these issues.

What makes an issue "actionable?"

With so many worthy issues, how do we as leaders and organizers decide which issues we will take on? We selected issues based on our core values, like racial and socioeconomic justice; urgency of the need for change and of the need for AIM's leadership; and a power analysis considering our own resources and existing political conditions.

In crafting our 2022-2025 People's Agenda, AIM organizations used these four criteria to evaluate whether to take action on particular issues:

RACIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE: Does it further racial and economic justice? Does it center the voices of BIPOC leaders and leaders from low income communities?
FEASIBILITY: Does it line up with political opportunities on the horizon? Do we have enough power to make it happen? Are we balancing short-term as well as longer-term impact?
LEADERSHIP: Are there committed leaders who want to lead campaigns? Does it build power?
NEED: Is it deeply felt? Are other organizations working on it that could resolve it without AIM?

The People's Agenda is a living document

We consider this agenda to be a living document; if COVID has taught us anything, we know we have to be nimble and respond. As needs change, our priorities must also change.

Listening is a continuous process. Just as the priorities in our 2022-2025 People's Agenda came from listening to community members about existing needs, these priorities can change as we continue to listen and learn in the years to come.