Episode Two: Amanda Gallegos and Janelle Astorga-Ramos
The second episode of SWOP’s 40th Anniversary Podcast features a conversation between the fierce and hardworking Amanda Gallegos and Janelle Astorga-Ramos. They talk about haunted hotels, out of town conference shenanigans and how proud they are to be a part of the SWOP family.
About the hosts:
MISSION & VISION
SWOP’s mission is to “empower disenfranchised communities in the Southwest United States to realize racial and gender equality and social and economic justice.”
Today, we build power alongside our members, partners, and allies in three main areas:
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Economic Power
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Political Power
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Cultural Power
To achieve our focus, we have strategically created:
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SWOP as an organizing hub for our members, partners and allies
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SWOP as a cutting edge community engagement lab that invests in savvy cultural strategies and infrastructure
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SWOP as a home-based community and movement building institution
We uplift community voices by leveraging strategic partnerships, policies, and systems changes that represent the needs and values of children, families, and our communities.
OUR MISSION
OUR VISION
True change is achieved when communities identify problems and solutions, and have the knowledge and support to act on them. To SWOP, this means creating intergenerational spaces for in-depth conversations of structural racism and the root causes of inequity, in addition to designing policy solutions by first acknowledging our shared racist, colonial past.
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We develop youth organizers from the barrio to build a thriving community that has economic security, food access and land sovereignty, quality education, respect for culture, and a commitment to equity.
Our inventive techniques ensure we are always where the community is now and where they’re going next. We design our engagement to reach people who have been deprived of their voice. SWOP identifies and uplifts creative ideas that drive new local economies and solutions, which keep us at the cutting edge of organizing in New Mexico.
PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
1. Never do something for an individual or group that they can do for themselves.
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2. Always look to push responsibility down.
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3. View every activity as a training and leadership development opportunity.
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4. Getting people to take action is the beginning of organizing; people gaining the skills, experience, and confidence to take action on their own behalf.