Reformers, Reactionaries and Reinvention
Activist groups have traditionally relied on the mechanisms of liberal democracy to influence decisions. Some are now asking whether this is enough. While the more established groups become professionalised and potentially coopted through their close relationships...
Cape York Wilderness Campaign
Liliana Williamson’s case study of conservation campaigns in far north Queensland: “To influence political processes a ‘social movement organisation’ uses either or both unconventional methods – direct actions to increase awareness about an issue, – or...
Critical path analysis
A critical path charts a sequence of outcomes or changes that are necessary between where we are (here and now) and the resolution of the problem we’re campaigning to solve. This tool helps campaigners to articulate their assumptions about how the intended...
What is strategy
An experiential exercise to clarify the difference between goals, tactics and strategy.
The Australian Student Environment Network: The future of student organising?
A critical appraisal of student organising in the context of voluntary student unionism. Colin invites readers to comment and engage with him in this analysis. (112kb PDF)
Political opportunity structure: Analysis toward strategy
Randy Stoecker’s political opportunity structure helps community organisers to think through strategy on a spectrum of confrontation to consensus.
What is your political vision?
An exercise to help your group define the characteristics of political life in the ideal future as expressed in roles, relationships, and values in decision making.
Funding advocacy for social change: Clarifying the rules for grantmakers
Changemakers Australia and Leslie Falkiner-Rose (2007) note that many grantmakers shy away from funding advocacy for fear of losing their charitable tax status and advise that it’s important to distinguish between organisations and projects with a political...
Powerful action groups: Resources for activist educators and facilitators
18 pages of our favourite resources on facilitation and activist education, collated for convenors of action groups
Review Tools
Tools and games to assist participants’ learning through recall, ensure core proficiencies have been covered, and review major lessons and insights.
Stages In A Group’s Development
A workshop introducing participants to Bruce Tuckman’s ‘stages in group development’, facilitating participants’ reflection on their experiences of group development, and identifying and addressing challenges.
Sample workshop schedule: Recruiting
A sample agenda for a workshop aimed at building skills and confidence to recruit others into a social movement.
Where Was the Color in Seattle?: Looking for reasons why the Great Battle was so white
Article by Elizabeth (Betita) Martinez. “I was at the jail where a lot of protesters were being held and a big crowd of people was chanting ‘This Is What Democracy Looks Like!’ At first it sounded kind of nice. But then I thought: is this really what...
Effective facilitation
Resources for developing effective facilitation skills. Topics covered include: tips for facilitators; running effective meetings; forming agendas; testing for agreement; and decision making models.
International Nonviolent Direct Action: the middle path between war and appeasement
Marty Branagan (2003) argues that it is possible for the international community to end a dictatorship or totalitarian regime nonviolently, given the many but largely unrecognised historical successes of nonviolence. Such a solution would be more fundamental and...
Wildlife Advocates
Monica Alba Murillo’s case study of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland.