The Rural Organizing Project (ROP) is a statewide network of locally-based groups in rural and small-town Oregon that work to promote human dignity: the belief in the equal worth of all people, the need for equal access to justice and the right to self-determination.
ROP’s most important work is to build the power of each human dignity group to organize for change in their communities. We connect leaders and groups through collective action to promote inclusive democracy, organize for racial and economic justice, and stand together for LGBTQ rights and immigrant fairness.
We believe in 3 guiding principles:
- Every human being matters.
- Every issue is interconnected.
- It’s all about transformational organizing.
Our small staff is backed by hundreds of volunteer leaders and thousands of supporters spanning the 10th largest state in the nation. As Left Turn magazine reported of our model, this structure enables and requires ROP to focus on organizing and grassroots leadership development to maintain the depth and breadth of movement building work.
ROP works with allies to bring rural voices to progressive issues and bring rural issues to progressive organizing. Our members are active in gathering signatures for the 15Now campaign to raise the minimum wage, we rallied to promote access to drivers’ cards for immigrants, we have promoted ban the box legislation through social media, and member groups across Oregon have organized Black Lives Matter vigils and demonstrations to call for an end to racial profiling and to hold local police accountable.
We are excited to be a member of the Fair Shot for All Coalition and bring rural voices to the fight for economic and social justice.