Wayne, Mark et al.
The amount of knowledge represented here is incredible.... and also unsolicited.
Whoever is on staff of whatever group is already 'working together ' ...w/ members of the same group. ..are they not?
Whoevers on a payroll better be working a solid 8 hour plus day I would hope. Imagine how much you could get done if actually 'working' all day, all month, all year on this stuff! Any team of people on salary are already 'working together'. Are you suggesting that something is lacking on the team.?
Groups function pretty much like businesses and few businesses actually work together as they see each other as competitors.
The same goes for different philosophies or religions.
If you attempt to work together on someone elses turf, without sanction and invitation it can be called trespassing and barging in uninvited.
I think that there should be a free choice of efforts to endorse. No monopoly of power in an effort is healthy. Just look at the incredible variety of groups working in the aftermath of the tsunami!
Some, like OXFAM have very low administrative budgets and huge field budgets. Others are the reverse. Isn't it healthy to have the choice of which to support and believe in?
To ask for loyalty to a single destiny...a single party, a single group is dangerous. Professional competition is a better way and very Democratic.
There should be no fear of Democratic interplay in these things. In fact, the dialogue should be open, diverse and challenging.
Differences of opinion are not only healthy...they are essential to weeding out illogic, misinformation and larval...oops mission drift.
Several groups could come together to become stronger...its true. With that in mind, other groups should form.
Steve