Government is how we make collective decisions. Until we fix the ways our government makes decisions, we will continue to make bad collective decisions. Systemic corruption and the subversion of democracy make our government responsive to ruling class special interests. This leads to policy violence toward the working class and results in massive suffering.

When people and our communities are able to participate in the decisions that govern our lives, we make decisions in the public’s interests rather than in the interests of corporations and greed. When politicians are accountable to the public, they will be public servants rather than employees of an oppressive ruling class. When we build a democracy of, by and for the people, we will also be guaranteeing our basic human rights.

All success or failure in our goals to make corruption illegal and building democracy are dependent on base building and leadership development. We organize our base and grow the Pennsylvania democracy movement by developing leaders who are clear, confident, competent, committed and connected.

We are a nonviolent movement and we maintain nonviolent discipline. We wage peace because our goal is to end the ongoing war between the working class and a government that oppresses us with policy violence on behalf of a greedy ruling class.

Nonviolence forces the encounter between we the people and our government and insists that they serve us instead of the idolatrous urges of concentrated greed and power. All of our tactics are rooted in nonviolence, including our core three tactics: Lobbying, marching and nonviolent direct action.

The systemic corruption in government is not and has never been limited to one political party or politician. We are nonpartisan and do not endorse political candidates or political parties. While we do not work within electoral politics, we do run a Democracy Page outreach program to better educate people on candidates’ positions on our democracy issues, and we participate in nonpartisan voter mobilization work through the PA Poor People’s Campaign.

Leadership is distributed throughout the organization within the board, the staff, the chapters and the working groups. Everyone is encouraged to show up as their true authentic selves and contribute their own unique talents and humanity to the movement. Members and teams are autonomous in all matters and all actions are consistent with these principles and our handbook. We are responsible for practicing democratic collaboration to maximize participation, effectiveness and empowerment.

MarchOnHarrisburg participates in coalitions for democracy issues and within coalitions that are fighting for a broader national and international movement for justice and compassion, such as Pennsylvania Action on Climate and the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival.

We strive to break the ‘Divide and Conquer’ strategies of the ruling class. We welcome all who embrace our principles and work to create an empathetic and inclusive community in which everyone is affirmed and supported in developing as a leader — including people of color, women, LGBTQ people, poor people, immigrants and others who are marginalized. We strive to overcome and dismantle racism, sexism, classism, homophobia and all forms of oppression in the our community and in our world.

Leadership is distributed throughout our organization within working groups and a steering committing. Members and teams are autonomous in all matters and actions.

We practice democratic collaboration to maximize participation, effectiveness and empowerment. Our members/teams take collective responsibility to listen, maintain respect and treat everyone with dignity. We strive toward consensus decision-making when possible and defaulting to majority decision-making when necessary.

We affirm and respect leadership not as dominance, ego gratification or profit-seeking, but as an act of service, social responsibility, and an integral component in the process of development and empowerment.