Revolution #258, February 5, 2012
BA Everywhere—and the Importance of Distributing BAsics Far and Wide
BA Everywhere… this is a campaign aimed at raising big money to project Bob Avakian’s vision and works throughout society, to make BA a household word. Success in this campaign can effect a radical and fundamental change in the social and political “atmosphere” by projecting the whole BA vision and framework into all corners of society where it does not yet exist, or is still too little known, and getting all sorts of people to engage and wrestle with it.
A campaign to raise funds with a very specific goal has been launched. We’re on a mission to get BA Everywhere. This means reaching out to those who are deeply discontented with what is going on in this society and the world, stirring up discussion and debate and wrestling with the problem and solution. It means finding the ways to challenge the conventional wisdom that this capitalist system is the best humanity can do—and welcoming the controversy and contestation over big questions of the revolution.
Foundational to this whole campaign is getting BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian out and into the hands of people all over the place. The engagement with the quotes and essays in BAsics is the way in which all those who are looking for solutions to the basic problems in society and who, whether they fervently agree or adamantly disagree, want to see this revolutionary solution in the mix can enter into and join with this campaign. And everybody who feels BA’s work and his re-envisioning of communism must be a part of the broad debate in society (and more) has contributions to make to this effort: Get into BAsics. Take it out to your friends, colleagues, and others you meet. Read the quotes and introduce them to the book. And when questions get posed—get back into BAsics and read what BA has to say about these things.
This campaign will be punctuated with and accelerated by making important leaps along the way. In just a few days, the BAsics Bus Tour (pilot project) will be launched—with a national tour to follow. As we look ahead in 2012, we can envision the potential impact of the dramatic national advertising which will promote and project BA and his vision and works. But the impact of this tour, other such concentrated initiatives, and a national advertising campaign can only be maximized when they are linked to and part of a whole ensemble of efforts which are working together. Such initiatives can and should be nodal points in a movement with its sights set on raising money continuously and in all kinds of ways. And, again, forging this movement relies on getting BAsics everywhere—and utilizing it to raise money.
February is Black History Month. What if large posters with quotes from BAsics appear on street corners and in campus quads, with the audio of “All Played Out” loudly playing, and teams of people engaging all those who come around, distributing BAsics and taking up a collection to send BAsics to prisoners? Think about what kind of buzz could kick off if dozens of copies of BAsics were in the hands of residents in a housing project or students in a high school... or if hundreds on a large university campus were reading and discussing the quotes and essays in BAsics?
Achieving our goals depends not only on raising big money, but on how we go about raising those funds. Broad publicity and promotion alone will not make Bob Avakian a household word. Achieving our goals depends on who is drawn into this work, and in what ways and forms. It is critical for people to be engaging with BA and specifically with BAsics. This campaign must reach a wide range of people, from those with little means to those with substantial resources, and everybody in between. But, at the heart of this must be an ever expanding core of people who are getting into BA and know what difference it can make to get BA Everywhere, an ever expanding core whose sights are set on raising the big money that is needed to project BA and his work in a way that has societal impact. A core that is seizing on every opportunity to take the work of BA to people everywhere and finding the ways more and more people can join in.
There is real importance to the range of contributors and contributions. Even as intense work must go on to reach people who can donate substantial amounts, the coming together of groups of people to raise smaller contributions through sales and other activities will be one important way that this movement grows and gains strength—on campuses and in communities. Bringing people together in diverse ways is essential to this campaign.
In the neighborhoods of the oppressed we should invite people to come to gathering spots or into people’s homes, introduce them to BAsics and organize discussion groups. Let’s go out to the high schools and speak in classrooms. And take Lo BAsico out to Spanish-speaking communities. We should look to getting this book into libraries and their local bookstores—and not overlook the possibilities of holding book programs in these spaces. And unleash extensive and creative promotion, from hanging banners in appropriate places to passing out flyers to putting up posters in stores. And as all this is happening, big money can and should be raised for more major promotion and events. Think about the impact a billboard with a quote from BAsics could have in many areas of the country. Especially if it went up as people were broadly promoting and distributing BAsics, having discussions, and organizing fundraising to make more possible.
And BAsics needs to impact campuses across the country. Popularize it in Facebook ads, letters and ads in college newspapers. Everybody—sell the BAsics ebook! Together with this, let’s get into the classrooms. And let’s work with students to invite students into the cafeterias and dorms to dig into BAsics. Then, with the students already buzzing about the quotes and essays from BAsics, the impact will be all the greater when Raymond Lotta, Sunsara Taylor, or Carl Dix come to these campuses. And the funds to bring them will be able to be raised.
So, let’s do it! Let’s welcome the debate and controversy. Let’s find the ways to get BA Everywhere, forging a movement which seizes on every pathway to take this campaign all over the place. Let’s make BA a household word!
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