The Commons Social Change Library Feed Items

Introduction

In recent years, climate and animal rights activists have increasingly turned to provocative and disruptive tactics. Actions such as throwing soup on famous paintings or disrupting major sporting events often appear disconnected from their stated goals—what researchers call having “low action logic.”

Activists turn to these methods because they believe they are more likely to capture public and media attention—but are they right? Do these tactics help movements advance their goals?

This new report sheds light on the real impact of these tactics, analysing how different forms of protest influence two key outcomes:

Introduction

Interested in activist archiving and radical recordkeeping? Explore this open source book, Archiving The Voices of Change: A radical recordkeeping guide for activists, archivists, and disruptors, by Katherine Jarvie-Dolinar.

Radical recordkeeping is a broad concept for both ways of recording, and part of advocating for change and challenging societal norms. – Source

Contents

The voices in the title of this book can redress the gaps in archival institutional memory. These archives can include the stories of the voiceless, such as animals, to provide a more comprehensive record of activist groups’ impact on society. – Source

Part 1 describes the theoretical grounding for the ideas in this book, stemming from archival concepts and theories and theorists whilst combining sources at the intersection of activism and academia.

Introduction

What are wicked problems? This article looks at what wicked problems are, different examples and how we can communicate about them.

This article is from Chapter 6, Wicked Problems, from the book, Public Interest Communication, by Jane Johnston and Robyn Gulliver. It was published by the University of Queensland in 2022.

The Commons librarian has made minor formatting changes, e.g. adding headings, paragraph breaks and quotes.

Wicked Problems are…

The concept of ‘wicked problems’ was first proposed by planning engineers Horst Rittell and Melville Webber in 1973 to contrast the difference between ‘tame’ problems – which could be resolved using standard scientific techniques – and complex, policy-based problems – which were neither simply nor completely resolvable. They said because wicked problems exist within pluralistic societies there was no way of knowing what was an “undisputable public good” and there was no clear picture of what “equity” meant when making decisions (1973, p. 155).

Wicked problems may have emerged from urban policy planning, but they are now used to describe social, political, environmental and economic problems more broadly.

How Rising Tide organises and mobilises to achieve broad movement appeal in the current activist landscape.

Introduction

Rising Tide is a grassroots climate justice movement. Based out of Newcastle, New South Wales, but organising nationally, Rising Tide takes action with the goal of ending fossil fuel exports from Australia. In a changing activism landscape where established environmental organisations struggle to organise and mobilise in large numbers, Rising Tide turned out three thousand people to its People’s Blockade in 2023. In 2024, these numbers more than doubled, with over seven thousand people turning up to block the world’s largest coal port in Newcastle.

Written in late 2024, this case study seeks to investigate how Rising Tide organised and mobilised over a two year period to achieve this broad appeal across the climate movement. The entirely volunteer run, grassroots movement employs a range of mobilising and organising techniques and models, drawing from momentum organising, and using hub and spoke and affinity group organising to varying extents. 

Location

Australia, with a strategic, local focus in Newcastle 

Time Period

2022 relaunch – 2024 

Introduction

In this podcast Movement Monitor Fellow Isabella Todd interviews Dan Sherrell, from the Australian Council of Trade Unions, and Desiree Cai, from the Tomorrow Movement. They discuss the lessons learnt from campaigning around a policy and legislation win, in the form of the 2024 founding of the Net Zero Authority. In particular they explore how this work brought together and strengthened relationships between unions, climate activists and others.

Isabella Todd carried this interview as part of the 2024 Movement Monitor Research Fellowship.

Listen

Transcript coming soon.

Introduction

Impact Storytelling: the Ecosystem, the Evidence and Possible Futures” is a ‘go-to’ report for storytellers, artivists, students, scholars and impact practitioners interested in impact storytelling (often referred to as “storytelling for social change”).

This large study from University of the Arts London’s UAL AKO Storytelling Institute has been designed to help answer questions such as:

• What is ‘impact storytelling’?
• What evidence is there that impact storytelling works?
• What is the history and current landscape of impact storytelling, in the UK and internationally?

It maps the structure of the impact storytelling ecosystem, identifies its key players, listens to current live debates and questions how to better collaborate in an emerging space that is still fairly siloed. By bringing to the foreground some of the ecosystem’s gaps and blind spots, it hopes to open a space for reflection and debate. The intention is to serve as a base towards cross-industry collaboration and cross-disciplinary consolidation.

Introduction

The Nuclear Truth Project (NTP) works towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons and associated nuclear harms. This includes redress and assistance for those who have been harmed, the remediation for the widespread health and ecological damage from past and present nuclear activities, and preventing future nuclear harms.

The NTP began in 2021 working with a small group of affected community members and organisational leaders from a diverse range of international groups, to discuss challenges when working within, alongside or for communities and individuals impacted by nuclear harms.

The NTP identified a need to establish Protocols to ensure any consultations and asks of affected communities were being practiced in good faith and with a ‘do no harm’ approach to engagement.

Goals

Educate

Document and demonstrate to people the genocidal nature of nuclear weapons and the harms that nuclear weapons and associated nuclear activities have caused and continue to cause;

Advocate

Build agency to empower people, including those who have suffered disproportionately and those who face nuclear annihilation;

Introduction

Part history lesson, part preparation for today’s fight. There is a powerful history of anti nuclear movements across this continent.

This quote was from a panel discussion at a conference called FWD+Organise 2024 in Naarm | Melbourne. The session was presented by:

• Kirsten Blair, Australian Nuclear Free Alliance
• Sanne Deswart, Friends of the Earth

Participants heard from these two frontline anti-nuclear campaigners who shared lessons from their community building, creative tactics, organising and mobilising work from decades past. They explored what those experiences can teach us for the fight ahead. This article based on their session focuses on the campaign that stopped the Jabiluka Uranium Mine in the Northern Territory, Australia, and shares resources for future anti-nuclear campaigns.

Campaign Case Study: Stopping Jabiluka Uranium Mine

The Mirarr Traditional Owners led an extraordinary mass movement to stop the Jabiluka uranium mine – and won!

Introduction 

Climate activists have often engaged a wide range of tactics in their efforts to bring down fossil fuel emissions and halt climate change. But what about the tactics used by fossil fuel companies to obstruct climate action and suppress critique?

If activists are to stand up against these powerful forces, understanding their strategies and tactics is important.

Drawing on the work of Lacy-Nichols and colleagues (2022), this article explores key methods used by fossil fuel companies to obstruct and suppress critique.

Strategic Areas

Grouping these methods under eight core strategic areas, the article offers insights to any activist trying to fight back against fossil fuel hegemony. 

The fossil fuel obstruction playbook (based on the corporate playbook developed by: Lacy-Nichols et al. 2022):

Introduction

Want to make a sign that gets noticed? Here is a template and tips shared by the Visibility Brigade, who make different signs each week.

Origin and Mission

The Visibility Brigade model was born in 2020 out of a frustration due to the lack of physical messaging in the real world regarding the existential crisis we face as a nation. We present our messages at a pedestrian walkway over Route 4 in Paramus, New Jersey.

Our goal is to remind folks of this crisis, to suggest simple actions to take and to support pro-democratic state and national candidates. However, perhaps the greatest purpose at present is to comfort heartbroken voters and let them know that they are not alone.

Who We Are And What We Do

As Margaret Meade once wrote,

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

A Visibility Brigade needs only a handful of dedicated members (5 minimum) to create weekly actions. This requires a weekly dedication of 60-90 minutes a week of placing a simple message in a public location, usually an overpass or other well-trafficked locale.

Introduction

Looking for narrative and storytelling directories, libraries or hubs? Here is a live list collated by the Commons librarians. Contact us if you if a suggestion to add.

Introduction

A live list of training and planning tools about narrative and storytelling collated by the Commons librarians. If you have a resource to add please contact us.

Training Resources

Exercises and Activities

Crowdsourcing what Narratives Mean, Feminist Basket of Resources, Oxfam, see pgs 103-104
Purpose: Collectively build an idea of what narratives mean to the group. Useful for when you want to explore narratives but not everyone has the same idea of what they are and how narratives impact but can also be useful in social justice work.
Time: 10-25 mins

Counter or Transformative Narratives, Feminist Basket of Resources, Oxfam, see pgs 105-106
Purpose: Exploring the differences between “counter” and “transformative” narratives this is a simple exercise to source this knowledge and build it collectively. We do this because often we get stuck in responding or reacting to others, rather than thinking about our own narratives, what we believe in, what we are for.
Time: 20 mins

Introduction

Here is a live list of resources to read, watch and listen to collated and recommended by The Horizons Project and their partners about resisting authoritarianism. These resources are sourced from their monthly newsletters, The Vista.

Resources

Reading

Twenty Lessons on Tyranny
by Timothy Snyder

Introduction

The Global Nonviolent Action Database details some 40 cases of mass movements overcoming tyrants through strategic nonviolent campaigns.

This article written by George Lakey was originally published on Waging Nonviolence. The Commons librarian has added quote marks and additional images to the original article.

Read Article

With Donald Trump set to take office after a fear-mongering campaign that reignited concerns about his desire to become a dictator, a reasonable question comes up: Can nonviolent struggle defeat a tyrant?

There are many great resources that answer this question, but the one that’s been on my mind lately is the Global Nonviolent Action Database, or GNAD, built by the Peace Studies department at Swarthmore College. Freely accessible to the public, this database — which launched under my direction in 2011 — contains over 1,400 cases of nonviolent struggle from over a hundred countries, with more cases continually being added by student researchers.  

Introduction

Here are training and planning resources to help trainers and groups explore the many aspects of power, including:

• different forms of power
• patterns of power
• power mapping and analysis

Other useful tools for trainers related to power include:

Introduction

How can you organise more efficiently and effectively? Coaching is a leadership practice that is essential to ensure the success of your campaigns – from the initial stages of a campaign strategy and managing your team, to building the right work processes and mapping your biggest challenges.

Here is an introduction to coaching from a session held at the FWD+Organise Conference in 2024 in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. This session explored best practice approaches based on the works of Marshall Ganz and the Leading Change Network. Learn more about coaching using the Marshall Ganz approach.

Leadership is enabling others to achieve shared purpose in the face of uncertainty. Coaching enables others. – Marshall Ganz

Coaching 101

Coaching is different from managing or mentoring. Whilst Managing focuses on performance and accountability and Mentoring focuses on guidance and providing perspective – Coaching focuses on facilitation of self-discovery and personal growth.

Introduction 

The Loci of Power and Connection (LOPAC) framework is a tool for civil society organisations to use to consider their role and activities.

This article is a summary of The Loci of Power and Connection: a Framework for Exploring the Democratic Relationships of Civil Society Organisations published in the Interest Groups & Advocacy journal. 

Context

Pretty much every civil society organisation (CSO) I’ve come across over the years wants to do something good for a particular community. 

This can be as small scale as a local neighbourhood centre aiming to provide spaces where locals can connect, with each other as well as with any services they need. It can be at a much a wider scale, like climate action groups which campaign to save the whole planet from the potential impacts of global heating. Hell, even the National Rifle Association aims to represent the interests of its members – albeit those interests are far removed from mine, and dare I say yours.

Introduction

In our work as organisers and campaigners, there is often an element of debate or conflict in our work, especially when it comes to shifting power and lobbying external decision-makers. But what about conflict within our spaces? How we approach it, hold each other accountable, and move through it requires practice.

This article reflects on key learnings from a workshop facilitated by Noura Mansour, a Palestinian activist, and Anisha Senaratne, a Naarm based facilitator, at the FWD+Organise Conference in Naarm/Melbourne in December 2024.

The workshop explored the intersections of personal and political conflict, applying a decolonial lens and lived experiences to examine how conflict transformation can be a powerful tool in both our personal and political lives.

Leaning into conflict is political. – Anisha Senaratne

Decolonial Theory 

Noura and Anisha began the workshop with a grounding in decolonial theory.

From a decolonial perspective, conflict is not just something to resolve or manage – it is an opportunity to transform systems and cultures that perpetuate harm and inequality.

Introduction

The Commons librarians have put together a handout of recommended resources for the Climate Adaptation Fair hosted by Friends of the Earth in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia on 8 February 2025.

More information about the event here.

It’ll be a day of celebrating and uplifting community-led climate adaptation! There will be information on adapting to locked-in climate change impacts – how we keep each other safe. Those already implementing projects in their communities will share their story and knowledge, so others can be inspired and learn how to do the same in their communities.

Introduction

The Activists Resource Hub, is a website to help activists find the brilliant resources available for them quickly and easily.

We have scoured the online world to bring the best of what is available to you in one small, manageable, easy-to-navigate place. While these resources are predominantly aimed at UK activists, many of the insights they provide are applicable to other countries and contexts.

The hub is especially useful for people who are new to campaigning and activism.

It has practical help for everything from how to write a great press release to finding a fiscal host to manage your money. It also has inspirational stories to help you learn about other people’s strategies, tactics, setbacks and successes. 

The Activists Resource Hub was put together by Social Change Lab and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, both organisations who are passionate about supporting grassroots activists.

Practical Tools

The Practical Tools section provides practical advice on things all campaigners and activists are likely to need to do, namely:

Introduction

Insights and inspiration from two campaign strategists from a learning session held by For Purpose in 2024 in Aotearoa | New Zealand.

The two strategists were Kristin Gillies, founder and director of For Purpose, and Chennoah Walford, former Green Party Campaign Manager and now NZEI Te Riu Roa Online to Offline Organiser. Between the two of them, Kristin and Chennoah have stacks of campaigning experience, and they’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. They have shared five key insights into what makes for an effective advocacy campaign.

Here is a summary of the 5 insights and you can watch the full video of the session below.

Insights

1. Meet People Where They Are 

Campaigning today means understanding that people are online more than ever, but they’re scattered across different platforms. We’ve learned the importance of tailoring our approach—like using SMS to engage younger audiences who may not respond to traditional calls.

Get to know your audiences, how to reach them and how to understand what content and messaging is working.

Introduction

Disruptive protest tactics, such as road blockades, vandalising art or disrupting sports events, have drawn widespread attention and sparked debate.

Are these actions essential for raising awareness and pressuring institutions, or do they risk undermining popular support for social movements?

In this talk, Sam Nadel shares Social Change Lab’s research on the impact of such tactics across various outcomes, examining whether they are ultimately helpful or harmful for advancing progress on critical social issues.

The talk was held as part of the Effective Altruism Global EAGx Virtual conference in 2024.

Introduction

In this conversation Alex Kelly interviews Jackie Turner about the importance of building solidarity, community and knowledge of history while combating disinformation. Alex is an activist,filmmaker and the Economic Media Centre Communications Director. Jackie is the Director of the Trans Justice Project.

Listen to Podcast

Youtube

Spotify

Introduction

Making Movements and Advocacy Accessible was a break out session run at the FWD+Organise 2024 conference hosted by Australian Progress in Naarm/Melbourne. 

In order to win on the biggest challenges facing society today, it’s critical we actively prioritise working in a way that’s inclusive and accessible for all people. 

As a sector, we run thousands of events each year and communicate with the public at a vast scale. Yet rather than embracing inclusion, too often we impose unnecessary and harmful barriers. 

The session was an honest discussion sharing best practice principles and takeaways to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of your next event or email-blast. The session was presented by:

Introduction

Commons Library Director Holly Hammond chats with activist Allison Rich and activist-scholar Dr Alicia Pawluczuk about their creative activism and the Endo Violence Collective. The collective works to amplify the voices of those affected by endometriosis and foster a rich, inclusive dialogue that transcends conventional boundaries.

Listen to Podcast

Youtube

Spotify

Introduction

Explore this case study of how a union campaign engaged with influencers on TikTok to amplify their message and build support.

These key insights are based on a presentation by Maddie Lucre, NSWNMA Campaigns and Communications Coordinator, at FWD+Organise, a conference held by Australian Progress in Narrm/Melbourne in December 2024.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) is campaigning to get fair and equal pay for nurses and midwives in NSW to be equivalent with other states around Australia. This campaign included two strikes and other protests and is still ongoing at the time of this piece being published. Find out more about the campaign.

Background

For 12 years, the Liberal-National Government in New South Wales, Australia enforced a restrictive industrial landscape for public sector workers. This was characterised by the implementation of a public sector wages cap, which was in place for 10-years between 2011 to 2022. This cap limited wage increases for public sector employees to 2.5% per year.

Introduction

How can direct action campaigners use social media? Here are 2 case studies from Australia – Blockade Australia and Disrupt Burrup Hub.  This article is the second installment in a two-part series focussing on the role of media in the strategies of Australian direct action climate groups. Read part one on traditional media here.

In the 21st century, social media has been utilised for political ends by a diverse range of actors. For example, progressive activists used Twitter to organise and network during the Arab Spring uprisings and Occupy protests of the early 2010s.

More than a decade later, tech billionaire Elon Musk bought the same platform and renamed it as X. He transformed it into a key component of a right-wing online media ecosystem that was a key contributor to Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection. Clearly, social media platforms can be both powerful and volatile.

Introduction

How should direct action campaigners use mainstream media? Here are 2 case studies from Australia – Blockade Australia and Disrupt Burrup Hub. This article is part one of two on the role of media in the strategies of Australian direct action climate groups. Read Part 2 – How Disruptive Climate Campaigners use Social Media.

If no one reports on your blockade of fossil fuel infrastructure, was your disruption effective?

The grassroots of the climate movement often deploy nonviolent direct action as a tactic. Activists target fossil fuel companies and projects in order to reduce emissions and cause cost and delay for big polluters. But it’s not just about material disruption. Most of the time, direct action practitioners are also trying to spread a message. For that, they rely on traditional media, including newspapers, radio, television, and online news websites.

Activists often use the amount and sentiment of media coverage they receive as key metrics of an action’s success –

Introduction

This research is grounded in the principles of justice and equity, values that resonate globally. I acknowledge and honour the activists and changemakers in Palestine, Syria and West Papua who, even amidst overwhelming adversity, continue to fight for freedom and equity—an enduring reminder of the power of collective action and unity.

Globally, climate change disproportionately impacts marginalised communities due to systemic, economic, geographic, and social barriers. Their voices, however, continue to be underrepresented in decision-making processes and policy. 

First Nations and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities in Australia bring invaluable knowledge, lived experiences, and place based strategies to the forefront of climate action. However, systemic barriers, including funding constraints, lack of representation, discrimination, and rigid Western understandings of ‘climate’, hinder their full participation and leadership in climate action spaces and organisations.

Based primarily on interviews, conversations, and other research, this resource examines the work and stories of incredible First Nations and CALD climate leaders in Australia. Four of their stories can be accessed below.

Introduction

A report about developing strategic capacity across grassroots groups, and cultivating practices of collective care as an integral component of movement culture. This report explores insights and recommendations from a needs assessment with organisers and is specific to the climate justice movement in Canada | Turtle Island but the wisdom and learning can also be applied to other movements around the world.

About the Memo

In 2023, Canada’s Climate Justice Organizing HUB (the HUB), a project of the Small Change Fund, carried out a needs-assessment process with grassroots organizers across what’s colonially called Canada. In August 2024, they convened for their annual team retreat on “building deeper and wider”, to analyze movement challenges in a more intimate setting. 

This memo includes a summary of key themes and insights that emerged from their collective discussion. They concluded, with examples throughout the memo, that building long-term power in the climate justice movement requires developing strategic capacity across grassroots groups, and cultivating practices of collective care as an integral component of our movement culture.

Introduction

Webinar by the Democracy Resource Hub on insights, strategies & lessons learned from managing movements during a post-election period.

About the Webinar

In times of political transition and uncertainty, movements for democracy and social justice face critical challenges in sustaining momentum and adapting to new realities. This webinar, held on December 3rd, 2024 and hosted by The Horizons Project. This event was part of the Intermestic Learning Exchange Series hosted on the Democracy Resource Hub. (About Us)

The fight for freedom or democracy or equality or justice is not an event. It’s a process… And you are part of a process. You are part of a journey. – Evan Mawarire

The global panel of speakers included: 

Introduction

A case study of New Disabled South, a not-for-profit organisation in the United States that builds movement capacity and solidarity for disability justice.

This case study is from an online session at the FWD+Organise 2024 Conference held in Naarm/Melbourne. The session featured Dom Kelly from New Disabled South in the United States in conversation with El Gibbs, an Australian disability advocate. In the session, Dom shared what New Disabled South does to build movement capacity and solidarity for disability justice.

The work of Dom and New Disabled South serves as a model for setting up other organisations across the United States and around the world.

Terminology: In this article we have used the terms “disabled people” which is the preference of New Disabled South. To explore terminology related to disability justice see By Us, For Us: Disability Messaging Guide and the People With Disability Australia Language Guide.

Case Study: New Disabled South

A look at the challenges and how New Disabled South is making change for disabled people using advocacy, research and AI.

Introduction

Learn how to navigate online culture wars and survive social media pile-ons with tips and information from Larah Kennedy, an online community and social media specialist who is General Manager at Quiip.

Larah gave this presentation at FWD+Organise 2024, a conference hosted by Australian Progress in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia.

Social Media Trains Us for Outrage

Humans are motivated by social reward such as praise, recognition, attention or acceptance. We feel socially rewarded when we have our opinions validated, receive a strong reaction to something we’ve said or get a sense of belonging/identity from feeling like we are part of a group. We are particularly sensitive to social reward when it comes to expressions of outrage.

Social media algorithms amplify content that sparks outrage, because they are programmed to facilitate social reward. So not only are we motivated by interactions that result in social reward, but we are also more likely to see it across social media platforms.

Introduction

Discover how hearts and minds are being shifted on climate change in Indonesia and empowering the Islamic community to take climate action through the concept of Green Islam, which merges Islamic principles with climate advocacy.

This presentation is from a session by Elok Faiqutol Mutia at the FWD+Organise 2024 Conference held in Naarm|Melbourne. Elok is a climate campaigner in Indonesia.

Breaking Out of the Echo Chamber

After discovering in a 2019 survey that Indonesia had the highest levels of climate change denialists in the world Elok realised the need to have climate conversations with everyone.

There is the need to break the echo chamber – climate change is not just for academics, activists, and bureaucrats – it belongs to everyone. – Elok Faiqutol Mutia

Climate and environmental issues were not a top priority for the public because the discourse was limited to activists, academics, and bureaucrats. The public perceived it as an “elite” issue that was less urgent for them.

Introduction

A resource list of materials focused on minority voices in Victoria, Australia, recommended by the PMI Victorian History Library.

Introduction

Who was Vida Goldstein? Learn more about Vida Goldstein, a leading suffragist, feminist and social changemaker in Australia in the 1900s.

Read Article

Vida Goldstein was many things:

• a leading suffragist (they’re the non-violent form of suffragettes),
• a Victorian (as in the state of Australia),
• the first woman to stand for national parliament anywhere in the Western world,
• a rousing speaker,
• a peace campaigner through World War I and
• a lifelong advocate for social justice. 

Vida is best known for her suffrage work, but her world and her actions were broader even than that. 

Vida Goldstein was born in 1869 in Portland, Victoria, and was a product of her upbringing and the support of her unconventional family. Her sister Elsie, for example, was married to the somewhat eccentric activist Henry Howard Champion, and they ran the fabulously named Book Lovers Library, which was a Melbourne institution until 1936. 

Introduction

Ricardo Borges Martins shares how organisers at the communications lab, Quid, used powerful organising and digital strategies to build civic engagement and overcome the far right in Brazil. Ricardo presented this case study at FWD+Organise 2024, a conference hosted by Australian Progress in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia.

Ricardo shares how communities in Brazil have been countering authoritarianism and misinformation through digital organising at an unprecedented scale. Ricardo leads digital strategy at Quid, a communications lab dedicated to engaging and informing civil society across Brazil. His team has created a digital network that reaches 25 million people through social media and operates WhatsApp groups with over 50,000 members actively involved in civic discussions – all without an email list. 

Below is a collation of lessons by the Commons librarians learned from Ricardo’s presentation with additional knowledge from two sources below by Pedro Telles, one of the co-founders of Quid alongside Ricardo.

Introduction

Explore resources collated by the Commons librarians from the FWD+Organise 2024 conference held in Naarm | Melbourne from the 5th – 6th of December.

The conference brought together community organisers and digital campaigners from across Australia and Aotearoa to share practical skills, learn innovative approaches to advocacy, and build lasting collaborations to win systemic change. The program included keynotes, workshops, masterclasses, and expert briefings.

It was hosted by Australian Progress, a national organisation dedicated to building the advocacy and campaigning capacity of Australian civil society to achieve systems change.

Thank you to the presenters who shared resources. If you presented at FWD+Organise 2024 and would like to add to this collection, please get in touch. Thanks to our volunteers for attending the conference and contributing articles alongside Commons Librarians.

Note: More conference resources are coming.

Introduction

Quick tips to think about in the lead-up to an election from a panel of political experts at the FWD+Organise Conference in 2024 in Naarm/Melbourne held by Australian Progress.

These tips were gathered by the Commons librarians from a panel of political experts in a breakout session called ‘What to do in the first 100 days: Building A Post-Election Gameplan’. The session was held in the lead-up to the Australian election, but the tips are applicable to any election. A list of resources under each tip has been added for you to explore further.

The panel included:

Introduction

Stories are powerful. So how do we ensure Story Telling always centres the Story Holder throughout?

Transformational Ethical Story Telling (T.E.S.T.) creates safer spaces for Story Holders, empowering them to create, curate and control their Stories, on their own terms. T.E.S.T. is an anti-oppressive framework which aims to flip the Story Telling balance of power, where each person’s rights and needs – regardless of their race, ethnicity, language, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, health, ability, economic status or background – must be respected.

Below are resources by Our Race including the TEST Framework, Story Holder Guide and Story Caretaker Guide.

The resources are continually updated. Please see the Our Race website for the latest versions.

Stories have power.
Your Stories are important.
Your Stories have value.
You are the expert.
Stories can be harmful.
Stories can trigger.
Stories can heal.
You and your Stories have the power to create change and reclaim power.

Introduction

Explore resources about Race Class Narrative including guides, examples and a checklist from We Make the Future in the United States.

Introduction

Cette boîte à outils comprend des conseils, des réflexions et des ressources pour ceux qui cherchent à prendre des mesures concrètes pour décoloniser leurs approches et soutenir de manière significative les mouvements autochtones. 

Décoloniser l’action climatique : Une trousse d’outils pour les ONGE du soi-disant Canada, a été élaborée par :

Des évaluateurs autochtones:

• Alexa Metallic, Première nation Listuguj Mi’gmaq.  
• Kahsennóktha, Première nation Kanehsatà:ke Kanien’kehà:ka.  
• Onagoshi Haymond, Première nation Kebaowek, Indigenous Climate Action.  
• Sakej Ward, Mi’kmaq, Première nation Esgenoopetitj.  
• Tori Cress, de la nation anishinaabe, Keepers of the Water, qui vit à G’Chimnissing, dans la baie Georgienne, sur le territoire du traité Williams. 

Rédacteurs et chefs de projet allochtones: 

• Jen Gobby, professeure adjointe affiliée, Université Concordia, coordinatrice et fondatrice de Research for the Front Lines.  
• Emily Lowan, responsable des campagnes sur l’approvisionnement en combustibles fossiles pour le Réseau Action Climat Canada et bénévole pour Research for the Front Lines. 

Graphiste et artiste:  

Introduction

As campaigners and organisers, we know stories of lived experience are powerful, and we’re eager to involve the community in our storytelling. But how do we do this meaningfully and with care?

This resource includes tips, tools and a presentation from a workshop session for digital storytellers and organisers working with affected communities.

The workshop was led by Zenaida Beatson and Kristin Gillies from For Purpose, a social enterprise from Aotearoa. They shared a framework and lessons on ethical storytelling with community including case studies from campaigns in Australia and New Zealand.

This workshop was hosted at a conference by Australian Progress called FWD+Organise 2024 and was held in Naarm/Melbourne.

Below are some tips and tools from their workshop session, and you can also access their full slide presentation below.

Introduction

Tips and an example checklist for community organisers about planning and promoting an event such as a town hall. This resource comes from a conference session called Town Halls and Turning People Out in 2024.

The conference—FWD+Organise 2024—was held by Australian Progress in Naarm | Melbourne. The session was run by Carly Robertson from the Australian Conservation Foundation and Caitlin Gordon-King from Huddle.

In the session, Carly Robertson, a community organiser with the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), shared lessons about ACF’s ‘organising playbook.’

ACF Community Groups

ACF uses a decentralised organising framework and has 43 groups (as of Dec 2024) around Australia. (See Map) The community groups are a network of independently organised, volunteer-run groups in the ACF community and are supported by paid community organisers. The community organisers provide support by:

Introduction

Alex Kelly and Jinghua Qian from the Economic Media centre share insights into the media landscape in Australia and the unique challenges this poses to movements working for economic and social justice, as well as practical tips and planning tools for engaging media.

This workshop was presented at FWD+Organise 2024, a conference hosted by Australian Progress in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia.

The State of Media in Australia: Challenges, Strategies, and Opportunities

Australia’s media landscape is undergoing significant changes, marked by a shrinking workforce and growing concentration of power.

Over the past 15 years, journalism jobs have halved, leaving fewer, less-specialised journalists covering more beats with less time. This, coupled with a lack of departmental fact-checking and editors, makes effective communication from spokespeople and organisations more crucial than ever.

Introduction

Sophie Hartley from the Commons Social Change Library presented this session on impact evaluation at FWD+Organise 2024.

​​As campaigners and organisers it can be challenging to show the direct links between the actions we take and structural changes in the world. How can we meaningfully measure our impact, and learn what’s working and what’s not so we can adjust our plans and resources accordingly?

In this session, Sophie Hartley, from the Movement Monitor research project at the Commons Library, shared tips on ensuring impact evaluation is built into your campaign and organising efforts from the design stage.

What is Impact Evaluation?

Impact evaluation lets us know how effective our campaigns, projects and organisations are. It allows us to observe and document changes in the world produced by our campaigns, projects and organisations.

Through your campaign or project you will engage in certain activities/tactics/strategies. Those activities will lead to particular outcomes and hopefully those outcomes will create some benefit to communities, environments or constituencies, and that is your impact. 

Introduction

Sarah Durieux (France), Riley Rocco (Pew), Darcy Gunning (AMWU) and Lauren Farrow (Renew Australia for All) presented this panel session on building coalitions at FWD+Organise 2024.

In a world of polarisation, how do we create spaces of agreement to work together?

This panel discussion heard from four campaigners about how building strong coalitions have helped to help achieve big wins.

• Sarah Durieux shared her experiences of building cross-sector collaborations during the recent elections in France.
• Riley Rocco shared how a deep organising approach built relationships with unlikely allies to win a ban on fracking in Channel Country in Queensland’s Lake Eyre Basin.
• Darcy Gunning talked about how a coalition of unions, employers and governments is helping to support a just transition in Collie, Western Australia.
• Lauren Farrow shared tips from building a coalition for the Renew Australia for All campaign. 

In this article, we’ve captured some of the core tips on coalition building shared during the session.

Introduction

Jordan Van Den Lamb (aka @PurplePingers) presented at FWD+Organise 2024.

Jordan introduced himself: “I hate real estate agents, make videos on TikTok and sometimes I argue with conservative people.” In fact, his housing activism has played an important part in highlighting the injustice of the housing crisis, empowering renters and agitating landlords, real estate agents and politicians.

@PurplePingers has over 200,000 followers on TikTok and you can follow him on You Tube, Instagram, and other platforms. He also maintains the ShitRentals.org website:

“This website is about giving power back to renters. As a renter, landlords and real estate agents have access to so much information about you, but you don’t get that same level of transparency from them.

Real estate agents often provide photos of properties that are years out of date, and don’t tell you what it’s like to actually live there. You don’t get to enter into a new rental knowing how difficult it might be for you to request basic repairs to be completed.

This website is here to help. It will always be free, and there will be no ability for landlords or real estate agents to pay for reviews to be removed.

Introduction

Learn about countering false information with tips to help you avoid the most common mythbusting pitfalls such as using the Truth Sandwich.

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Anyone familiar with the Common Cause approach to messaging will know we always caution against ‘mythbusting’ – that is, repeating (and thus inadvertently reinforcing) false or misleading information in order to debunk it. 

We recently reviewed the latest evidence from the fields of applied psychology and cognitive linguistics for any new research on mythbusting and its effects on beliefs and behaviours. 

The good news is that research on mythbusting has flourished in recent years – thanks to renewed interest in the science of correcting misinformation during the Trump years and the Covid 19 pandemic, where misinformation ran rife. 

While our literature review on mythbusting didn’t change our minds, we did discover some nuances we think are worth sharing. 

Before we get into the detail, let’s make one thing clear: 

In most cases, mythbusting or debunking misinformation works against us. There are many reasons for this, but here are our top two: 

Introduction

Celeste Liddle presented the opening keynote at FWD+Organise 2024. Celeste is an Arrernte woman living in Melbourne, Australia. She is a trade unionist and a freelance opinion writer, social commentator and public speaker.

Voice Referendum: Performance not Progress

I think I speak for many mob in the room when I say that in the twelve months that have followed the referendum, I have been called upon to reflect so many times on what its loss has meant to all of us in the Indigenous community. What’s more, I have, at times, felt pressured into a position, particularly by mainstream progressives, as an identifying progressive myself. There are many out there who want us to reiterate that the loss was a win for racism, that it has set the Indigenous rights movement back decades, and that the next steps are always going to be clouded with this failure.