The Non-Profit Industrial Complex is like the Prison Industrial Complex in that despite the name, it is a capitalist model based in struggling for money. While private prisons fight amongst themselves for contracts with the Federal government and cut corners that usually equal abuses against those housed behind concrete and barbed wire, non-profits fight amongst themselves for money given out by corporate tax shelters and cut corners by watering down what should be revolution for reform and the end result is abuse against those whom orgs claim to represent and help in their mission statements. And just like private prisons would rather have rival gangs attack each other and distract from the bigger picture, non-profit organizations, whether on purpose or by default, also engage in divide and conquer politics that serve to dilute struggles rather than strengthen them. Need an example? Just look at the latest beef between some orgs in the Comprehensive Immigration Reform movement and the DREAM Act students.

Over the past few weeks the student led DREAM Act movement has stepped up their game, tired of being told to wait around for comprehensive immigration reform. They have risked deportation, blocked traffic and starved themselves on the doorsteps of politicians who have the power to help push legislation they feel will change their lives. Here’s a video clip from a vigil held outside of Senator Schumer’s office during the fast.

Many of the DREAM Activists have been at odds with the mainstream immigration reform movement over strategy and accusations of being used have been leveled against The Reform Immigration FOR America Campaign, America’s Voice, and the Center for Community Change.
For example, instead of Senator Schumer meeting with the students engaged in a hunger strike outside his Midtown Manhattan Office, he met with representatives from the aforementioned organizations. Schumer said that the leadership of the orgs told him that they did not want him to move ahead with the DREAM Act as a stand alone bill. The organizations deny this, kind of, with statements saying that they support the DREAM Act, none of those statements saying outright, however, that they support it as a stand alone measure.

Why the wishy-washy, flip-floppy language that these organizations have been quick to attack when coming from the mouths of Republicans?

I, and others, point the finger at the non-profit industrial complex. All of the aforementioned organizations depend on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, a movement they claim credit for building, to survive. Hell, the concept of immigration reform is built into their names, but what that means has shifted depending on how far the Democrats have wanted to push the issue. Every day it becomes clearer that the Democratic machine is no more friendly to immigrants and their demands than the Republican party, as under the Obama administration there has been an increase in deportations and detentions. “Common sense reform” has been killed by enforcement first which has become essentially enforcement only and none of the organizations have had the guts to admit that for now, Comprehensive Immigration Reform, in the form we were all expected to accept it, a bill, is dead. Admitting as much could very well mean that the reason for their organizations and budgets (which, full disclosure have paid for advertising here even), is also dead.

One of the things I have always been clear about has been that reform isn’t the same thing as change and that a law in and of itself will never be enough to challenge the racist and xenophobic treatment of immigrants in the United States. And I mean both a non-existent CIR bill and the DREAM Act. None will cure the hundreds of years old illnesses of imperialism and colonialism. Non-profits can’t do that either. Community strategies and true coalition work will and I have witnessed beautiful examples of that recently with the actions of the DREAM Act students and their families.

Tomorrow I will travel to the Allied Media Conference in Detroit where for three years now, I have met with other non-corporate media makers, activists, and many of my sisters in the struggle for what will now be three years. That space is imperfect as well and my getting there is always imperfect but we work our way through imperfect models and find our heart home, our heart communities and create small models of survival and growth that don’t come from non-profit grants.

PS: I really recommend the anthology by INCITE on the Non-Profit industrial complex and challenge myself and others to build models of leadership and cambio that reflect our heart familias.