Learn to tell Stories with your Smartphone Video
Learn from Digital Storytellers on how to tell and film great stories with your smartphone video. Gather content faster, lighter and without a big budget.
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Looking for inspiring videos, films and documentaries about social change and activism? The Commons Library has collated them for you.
How Hospo Voice leverages digital tools to win
Australia’s first digital union, Hospo Voice, set up Fair Plate so you can see what’s really happening under the table. Hospitality staff have left thousands of reviews to show you which places are stealing wages and treating people like crap.
Tools for Canvassing and Door Knocking
How-to guide on networked coalitions/campaigns. Harness the power of networks to develop more agile, dynamic and distributed campaigning coalitions.
Effective Action for Social Change: The Campaign to Save the Franklin River
Learn lessons from one of the largest & most successful nonviolent direct action environmental protests in Australian history – the Franklin River campaign.
TED talk: The Secret Structure of Great Talks by Nancy Duarte
In this talk, presentation expert Nancy Duarte shares practical lessons on how to make a powerful call-to-action.
TED talk: Black women – Tipping the balance | Michelle Deshong | TEDxJCUCairns
Many Indigenous women posses the qualities that have made a huge impact on civil & Indigenous rights in Australia, these same qualities give Indigenous women a unique perspective that enables them to tip the balance & provide genuine political leadership.
The future can be awesome but not without activism
Laura O’Connell Rapira, Director of ActionStation, makes the case that the future can be better than we think but only if we’re willing to take action.
TED talk: Change the world, join a movement | Adria Goodson | TEDxBeaconStreet
In this TED talk Adria Goodson asks you to join a movement by asking yourself what breaks your heart? Then find your tribe and take action.
TED talk: How to Start a Social Movement | Tamara Richardson | TEDxUQ
Tamara Richardson speaks about online social movements; and how, with access to the right networks, you can create a global social movement.
TED talk: Social Movements – A Primer: Toby Chow at TEDxUofIChicago
Toby Chow is a leader working for social change in the US. He talks about what a social movement is… Occupy, civil rights movement, student movements, etc.
TED talk: The Power of Organizing: Betsy Hoover at TEDxDePaulU
Betsy was the Online Organizing Director for the Obama Campaign helping the organization think about the intersection between online & offline organizing.,
TED talk: Community organizing, say whaattt??
Ray Friedlander, an activist for an environmental organisation, talks about what a community organiser is and how she became inspired to become one.
TED talk: Fight injustice with raw video
Activist Peter Gabriel shares his motivation for standing up for human rights with the watchdog group WITNESS & tells stories of citizen journalists.
TED talk: What new power looks like
We can see the power of distributed, crowd-sourced business models every day — witness Uber, Kickstarter, Airbnb. But veteran online activist Jeremy Heimans asks: When does that kind of “new power” start to work in politics? His surprising answer: Sooner than you think. It’s a bold argument about the future of politics and power; watch and see if you agree.
TED talk: How to overcome apathy and find your power
Dolores Huerta, civil rights activist, reflects on her life’s work – offering inspiration for anybody trying to overcome apathy and find their own power.
TED talk: The urgency of intersectionality
Crenshaw uses the term “intersectionality” to describe the reality of race and gender bias & understand how the two can combine to create even more harm.
TED talk: Fighting with nonviolence
Peace activist Scilla Elworthy maps out the skills we need – as nations and individuals – to fight extreme force without using force in return.
TED talk: Activism needs introverts
Sarah Corbett introduces us to “craftivism,” a quieter form of activism that uses handicrafts as a way to get people to slow down and think deeply.
TED talk: How to recover from activism burnout
 When you’re feeling burned out as an activist, what’s the best way to bounce back? TED talk about creative actions – “playtivism”.
TED talk: The success of nonviolent civil resistance: Erica Chenoweth at TEDxBoulder
Chenoweth’s research of campaigns of nonviolent civil resistance revealed they were twice as successful as violent campaigns.