The Dutch left-wing parties need to build larger, more active political movements with a focus on volunteer engagement to improve their electoral prospects. Inspired by successful grassroots campaigns in the United States, such as Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral run in New York, the authors argue that a strategic organizing campaign with thousands of volunteers can significantly impact election outcomes. This involves building relationships with voters and having conversations about their concerns.

The article emphasizes the importance of being visible on the street and in neighborhoods, suggesting that elections are not solely won through television or algorithms. Algorithms often favor far-right and hateful content, making it challenging for the left to compete.

Drawing parallels with Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, the authors highlight how a strategic organizing campaign with thousands of volunteers boosted online presence and ensured a massive presence on the street. Mamdani’s campaign, for example, involved volunteers knocking on almost half of all houses in New York and speaking with a quarter of all eligible voters.

To achieve this in the Netherlands, the authors propose building a broad community with active volunteers from all walks of life in every municipality. Training these volunteers to have good conversations and building accessible leadership are crucial steps in setting up a successful left-wing political movement.

Job van den Assem and Sandra Ball, founders of the Lowlander Project, advocate for a systematic approach to community organizing, inspired by successful movements and political ground campaigns in the United States. They stress the need for strategic thinking, capacity building, and time investment in developing volunteer power.