Grassroots organizing is powerful because it allows us to bring large numbers of people to the table. These numbers impact decision-makers, and the bigger our numbers the greater our impact.
In the age of big businesses, powerful political parties and an elite civil society, the organic agenda of the ordinary people in communities is in danger of getting swallowed and overshadowed by powerful players. Enabling communities to identify and champion their own causes means the human rights discourse remains in tandem with the needs of the ordinary people.
The key concept is that cultivating an activist is a process, not a one-time conversation. People move up the Pyramid of Engagement by first becoming aware of an issue, then coming to understand its importance and relevance to their lives, then deciding to participate in a campaign and, only over time, developing leadership status within that movement.