Archive

A group of young people spell out 'End Poverty' on the Australian Parliament House lawn.

Young People Leading the Way

Oaktree CEO, Sashenka Worsman, challenged us at Progress 2017 to realise the potential and and importance of engaging young people in our social change movements.

Diagram showing 12 dimensions to the index.

From GDP to Wellbeing

The Australian National Development Index presents a new way to measure our wellbeing. At Progress 2017 Professor Fiona Stanley explained just why it’s so important.

Sally McManus wears a 'Change the Rules' tshirt in front of a large crowd of workers holding banners and flags.

Change the Rules to Fight Inequality

Powerful words from Australian Council of Trade Unions Secretary Sally McManus at Progress 2017, as she breaks down the fight that lies ahead for all those who believe in fairness and justice.

Photograph of a jubilant crowd of young people wearing 'Queer Pride' tshirts, standing behind a rainbow coloured Minus18 banner.

Queer is in! Now politics needs to catch up

Micah Scott, CEO of Minus18, presented at Progress 2017 on the disjunct between the increasingly queer and inclusive younger generations and the remaining homophobia, biphobia and transphobia entrenched in Australian society.

A group of young people sitting on the lawn talking.

What young people want from Australian democracy

What would society look like if we saw young people’s opinions as a product of their values and experiences and not just of their age? Australian Youth Representative to the UN, Paige Burton, reported back at #Progress2017 on her ongoing consultations with tens of thousands of young people across Australia.

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Treesits, lock-ons and barricades: Environmental blockading in the 1980s

From 1979 to the 1990s Australia, Canadian and American activists took part in a series of environmental blockades to defend old growth forests, rivers and other biodiverse places. Join Iain McIntyre for a series of conversations with the blockaders who took part in these campaigns.  

Computer screen displaying colourful code

Three open source tech tools for your campaigning

The right tech tools can make a huge difference to the effectiveness of a campaign or organising project. Check out Tijuana (campaign CRM), Neighbourly (doorknocking walk-list tool) and Spoke (p2p text tool).

red balloon tied to metal weight

Moving the rock: Shifting power for sustained change

This article explores the ‘moving the rock’ concept put forward by Daniel Hunter in his book Strategy and Soul. The concept has been valuable for campaigners and organisations reassessing their theory of change and particularly how they engage politicians and supporters.

Cover of Iain McIntyre's 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: The AIDEX '91 Story'.

Always look on the bright side of life: The AIDEX ’91 story

In 1991 over 1000 protesters blockaded the National Exhibition Centre in Canberra with the goal of shutting down the Australia International Defence Exhibition. This book includes a detailed account of the blockade, the context of the growth of the Australian arms industry, and the words of the protesters themselves.

Photograph of a number of paper plates laid out on the ground with a person pointing at one. The plates have writing on them describing campaign steps.

Critical Path Analysis Process Guide

A process guide to be used in training workshops and planning sessions to develop campaign strategy. Critical path analysis can shift focus to outcomes rather than tactics and provide experience and skill in defining clear objectives. The process also deepens understanding about how change happens and clarifies key threads running through a campaign.

Diagram shows 5 arrows pointing to the target of Purpose: Symbols, Slogans, Stories, Specifics, Personalise.

Being Purpose Driven

Nothing precedes purpose. The starting point for every organisation or movement should be the question ‘Why do we exist’? A number of tips for focusing an organisation on vision and purpose. An excerpt from Purpose Driven Campaigning, based on Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Church.

Diagram of the Circles of Commitment also known as the Ladder of Engagement. 5 concentric circles labelled from outside to inside: Community; Crowd; Congregation; Committed; Core.

Levels of Commitment from Community to Core

Rick Warren focuses on five ‘circles of commitment’ – community, crowd, congregation, committed and core, and argue that it’s important to recognise where your supporters fall in these categories, and develop processes to move them from the outside in. An excerpt from Purpose Driven Campaigning.

Training as Organising

Tips for training or other events which connect people to a campaign and help individuals overcome their barriers to action. As organisers we can use the momentum of the group to leverage people to action – like a turbo-charged persuasive conversation.

Black and white photograph of a group of men marching with arms interlinked. Banner reads 'Support BLF Green Bans'.

Green Bans

In the 1970s Sydney builders labourers refused to work on projects that were environmentally or socially undesirable. This green bans movement, as it became known, was the first of its type in the world.

Black and white photograph of four protestors standing in front of Old Parliament House. Placards read 'Land Ownership Not Lease', 'Land Rights or Else!', 'Why Pay to Use Our Own Land', 'Which Do You Choose: Land Rights or Bloodshed?'. 'Legally This is Our Land. We Shall Take It If Need Be'.

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy was established in 1972 when the Coalition Government failed to recognise the land rights of Indigenous people. From its inception, the Embassy has been interwoven into Canberra’s physical and political landscape, blending black politics, symbolism and theatre that opponents have found difficult to counter.

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