Community organizing for data-heads

A couple of days ago, I was invited by two of our customers, Reach Out West End and Mental Health Systems Inc, to a presentation by James Mosher, Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Enforcement Policy. Mr. Mosher comes from a community organizing background and had an interesting take on the use of data for social change. Most data-heads tend to think of themselves as scientists (the social kind), running experiments to see what works and what doesn't.

In his presentation, Mr. Mosher pointed out that data can be a great storytelling device and, as a result, a great mobilizer. Even if an organization identifies a problem in its community, looks at the data, and identifies a good solution to the problem, the organization still needs to mobilize support in the community to see a solution become a reality. Data can be used to paint compelling pictures of the problem and show the community that it needs to step up to help provide a solution. GIS Mapping allows one to literally create graphics showing, to use Mr. Mosher's example, the clustering of alcohol-related arrests near outlets that don't have adequate policies for dealing with intoxicated persons.

Thanks, James Mosher, for showing us that data shouldn't be left behind when it comes to mobilizing the community!