James is co-founder of the Change Agency and director of our Community Organising Fellowship.
The email newsletter is dead
Don’t panic yet. We may have a chance. There are some simple things you can do to restore health to your email communications with supporters. The good news is that if you do these simple things,
The Citizens Handbook: Practical assistance for those who want to make a difference
An excellent and extensive collection of resources on: planning and acting; getting noticed; evaluating; getting and keeping people; leading; meeting and deciding; facilitating; fundraising; group structure; door-knocking; conflict resolution; listening...
The Alchemy of Protest: When do mass political demonstrations work?
You can never say in advance what effect demonstrations are going to have. When the masses take to the streets, all bets are off. The power of demonstrations lies, it would seem, in the overtly public nature of the challenge that they pose. Authoritarian governments...
The AIDEX 91 protest: A case study of obstructive direct action
Ian McIntyre’s 2011 Masters thesis and oral history on the 1991 AIDEX protest. This thesis will provide a history of the AIDEX ‘91 protest. In doing so it will seek to understand why the issue of arms fairs arose at this time as well as how and why a particular...
Tailoring resources to support learners with specific impairments
In the context of inclusive teaching practices which enhance the learning of all students, it is useful to know more about the implications of specific impairments and health conditions in order to better meet the needs of learners.
Strategy tools
A collection of tools and resources relevant to organising and agenda setting, planning, implementing, learning and negotiating.
Stories of the Great Turning
Here is a book of stories written by people who decided to act, in their own lives, in response to the challenges of our time, and found their own way to make a difference. They are not stories about celebrities or gurus of the environmental movement but honest...
Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom
This campaign strategy received saturation media attention when it was leaked to the Australian media. It’s interesting to look at for several reasons. Its authors used ‘theory of change’ in a very practical way, building their tactics around a...
Stillness in Action: Meditation, community and earth
Stillness in Action develops wisdom, calmness, courage and clarity to sustain a life of freedom and integrity in troubled times.
Spokescouncils: Learning from Stop New Nukes
By the time I arrived at the camp the first spokescouncil meeting had already taken place… Everyone was welcome and affinity groups sat behind their spoke in the traditional ‘pizza slice’ formation with spokes effectively working in a fishbowl. However it was...
Social media strategies for advocacy and targeted communications
Tim Norton’s digital campaigning guidebook for using social media in advocacy and communication strategies.
Social and sacred ecology
The search for a well being – well earth is dependent on real and regular opportunities for humans to experience themselves within powerful naturescapes. Unfortunately we spend less and less time outdoors. Our increasing everyday alienation from nature...
Six lessons from high impact climate campaigns
The Democracy Centre’s series of seven in-depth profiles on successful and ongoing climate campaigns taking place across the globe. We looked closely at the strategies they have employed and analyzed how and why they were effective.
Shifting strategies to advance community level impact: Building movement
For service agencies that decide to take on advocacy and organizing tactics as part of their strategy for making their social change vision a reality, there’s sometimes a tendency to assume that hiring an organizer or creating an advocacy arm will suffice. But I’ve...
Sending the protest message
Brian Martin and J0rgen Johansen ask: what makes a protest action effective? Heads of government are coming to town. Let’s organise a protest! We’ll have a massive rally and march. Those who want to can blockade the venue. We’ll make our concerns...
Self-care for activists: Sustaining your most valuable resource
In this dialogue, human rights practitioners discussed perhaps the most challenging aspect of being engaged in human rights work – sustaining activists’ mental health and energy. Human rights practitioners bring attention to disturbing events and heinous crimes...
Security in a box
Great resources on how to avoid risk, protect your online identity and blog safely. Timely and practical advice for online activists.
Schweik Action Wollongong
SAW is a small voluntary group in Wollongong, Australia, fostering awareness of nonviolent responses to aggression and repression. Nonviolent action includes leafletting, rallies, strikes, boycotts, sit-ins, fasts and many other methods of social action. Nonviolent...