Citizen Action of Wisconsin is a statewide, membership-based organization fighting to improve the lives of every Wisconsinite by working on global issues, such as health care for all and fair elections. Citizen Action is centered around co-ops, self-governing entities created and sustained by organized citizens who are free to choose issues they care about, develop strategies and put them into action.
Although membership costs an average of $20 a month to sustain a co-op, Citizen Action has successfully created 6 co-ops, each focusing on fights that their members hold dear. For instance, the “Acción Ciudadana” co-op works towards improving the lives of members of the Latino community, while the “Health Care For All” co-op is bringing patients, nurses and doctors together to reform the health care system.
“I believe that giving people an avenue to take part in our democracy creates a richer and more fulfilling life independent of the policy outcomes that are achieved in the short term,” Executive director Robert Kraig says. “The large number of Citizen Action members who have taken direct action in our fights inspires me to believe that a fuller democracy is the best answer to our state and national challenges.”
Citizen Action of Wisconsin has been pushing for health care coverage for all, for redistricting reform, against mass incarceration and against Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. Citizen Action campaigns to have progressive champions elected in federal, state and local office so their ideas can be heard at every level.
"We are engaged in stopping the Trump and Walker proposed $3 billion giveaway to Foxconn which will mortgage the future of our state to one unscrupulous multinational corporation,” Kraig adds. “This fall we will be launching a major new effort on mass incarceration which will aim to end the criminalization of people with mental illness who instead of being given the treatment they need are often put in jail and prison. We also have an exciting new project we call Radio-Active which is working to promote progressive media and to hold right-wing radio accountable. And, of course, we will continue to put pressure on Congress to prevent them from taking health care away from over 20 million people.”
For more information on Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s co-ops and how to join them, visit citizenactionwi.org.
