What's on top?
If this is your first Change Agency enews, welcome! Since 2005, we've been sharing this monthly update with a growing international community committed to community organising, strategic campaigning and building people power. We're just shy of 5000 subscribers and growing.
Our November enews included a link to the excellent NetChange report by Jason Mogus and Tom Liacas. Their analysis of powerful movement-based campaigns highlighted four attributes of winning campaigns: (1) openness to grassroots power; (2) cross-movement network hubs; (3) framing a compelling cause; and (4) focus and discipline. NetChange is sparking some deep and timely (re)thinking about social movement strategy. In Australia, these four elements are guiding plans for collaborative climate movement initiatives in 2017.
Decentralised networks, swarms, 'nudging' social movements and leader-ful movements mean organising in very different ways for many civil society groups - learning and discontinuing practices that simply don't build power. What are the implications for how strategy is developed and implemented?
In this month's enews, Joel Dignam reviews The Starfish and the Spider which explored these ideas a decade ago. Joel reflects on structure-based organising and hands-off approaches that foster autonomy and creativity. Thanks Joel!
We welcome book reviews, links to resources you've developed or stumbled on and updates about activist learning opportunities for our calendar. Be sure to register for Progress 2017. Discounted tickets are available till 20 February and scholarships are available.
