Deborah Barndt

A given moment – this moment – is unlike any other moment in time. How can we understand what it offers so that we can make the best use of it? How have people used moments in the past to push toward greater social justice?

Abstract:  Naming the Moment: Political Analysis for Action is a manual for community groups working for social change. This manual is a part of The Moment Project launched in 1986 by the Jesuit Centre, a project that tackled questions raised by community activists. These questions were along the lines of how to be more effective in organizing, how to maintain sight of long-term objectives while working for short-term goals, and how to anticipate changes and be prepared for them. This manual has been produced to share with the readers what has been learnt so far (by those involved in The Movement Project), to introduce the method of political analysis for action called “naming the moment,” and to encourage community groups to adapt the ideas to their own work.

The manual is divided into five chapters and contains ideas for group activities and additional resources. Chapter one introduces the idea of political analysis for action (“naming the moment”), chapter two reviews the history of the concept and situates the practice in current social movements in Canada, chapters three and four describe the method of “naming the moment” in detail, and chapter five suggests ways that groups might integrate political analysis for action into the daily lives of their organization. The book has been illustrated well by Carlos Freire and contains caricatures, timelines and flow charts.

[Abstract by Nabeeha Chaudhary]