Stand Up!: How to Get Involved, Speak Out, and Win in a World on Fire

Stand Up! is an antidote to the cynicism that keeps so many people on the sidelines. It’s both an argument about how to solve the biggest problems facing our society, and a guide to engaging with others to change the world. People don’t need more information about what’s going wrong. They need to know that change is possible and that they have a meaningful role to play. They need to know that they can transform themselves from passive observers of politics and civic life to public leaders who can stare down bank presidents and politicians.

The book provides a coherent framework, a set of principles and practices for confronting global issues like climate change as well as local ones like making our schools better and our streets safer. Stand Up! uses stories to cover everything from helping readers find their purpose, building teams with focused goals, and envisioning a world that is truly guided by self-governance. Based on nearly 20 years of community organizing, and tapping into nonpartisan PICO’s network of 1000 member institutions including churches, state and municipal organizations, and professional community organizers, Gordon Whitman provides a blueprint for every concerned individual to fight for social justice.