Anti-War Leader Discusses New Role

Sam Brown, a former anti-war activist who is now the director of VISTA and the Peace Corps, spoke to a small group at Boston University last night, outlining a strategy for accomplishing social change through community organizing.

Brown alluded several times to a need for fundamental social change, saying that "the government has an obligation to make a massive redistribution of wealth in this society."

He did not say, however, whether he thinks the purpose of community organizing is to build a radical movement among the poor, or to foster values of "neighborliness" and community in all classes.

When asked if VISTA organizing can be political enough to initiate a movement for change, Brown said VISTA creates a basis for more overtly political action. VISTA begins to organize communities around such non-political issues as obtaining traffic lights. Then, people can "take care of themselves" when confronting more political issues like rent strikes.

But Brown also talked about the lack of a "sense of shared commitment and emotional ties" he perceived when driving through suburban areas.

He said he believes long term change depends on "developing a sense of justice" among the wealthy that will induce them to make sacrifices for the good of the society. VISTA's organizing produces a "shift in values" from individualism to social responsibility in all sectors of society, he added.