November 20, 2008

Those who've gone before

Having a knowledge of previous projects similar to your own, or previous attempts to solve the same problems is always useful in your own work. But you don't have to limit yourself to looking at direct analogues in order to find lessons worth learning. One story that is particularly interesting for its sheer complexity is that of the Almighty Vice Lords, a gang that grew out of Chicago and, while consolidating its stronghold as a gang, did a great deal of good for the community. We certainly aren't suggesting that any project associated with the Thinker's Party copy the model used there, but we do think it's well worth studying and thinking about. Here are a few links to get you started in your research:

http://chicagogangs.org/index.php?pr=CVL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_Lords
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=vice%20lords

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