It seems fair to say that the Rainforest Action Network is a grassroots organization, even if some have stated otherwise.
RAN has a small staff of people around the world as well as thousands of volunteers aggressively working "to leave a safe and secure world for our children." According to www.RAN.org, the group "works to protect the Earth's rainforests and support the rights of their inhabitants through education, grassroots organizing, and non-violent direct action."
With a mediocre annual budget of $3 million dollars, the organization relies on donations and grants has been able to convince large companies to change the the way they practice, as well as protect tons of forests spanning the globe.
According to reference.com, "A grassroots political movement is driven by the constituents of a community. The term implies that the genesis of the described political movement is natural yet spontaneous and imposes a dichotomy between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures."
Seems to me, the Rainforest Action Network does just that.... just on a much larger scale. I think that many people object to RAN, because it is so large-scale, it has gained support from large companies, and perhaps, because of the radical actions members have taken. However, it seems as though the people who object to the organization have overlooked the goal of the group and how well those radical actions have raised awareness around the world.
