Commons Librarian

butterfly on flower at sunset with quote by Gandhi "Be the wish you wish to see in the world"

10 Great Resources on Activist Wellbeing

Are you an activist experiencing stress or burnout? These articles, videos and tips will help you stay healthy and well while working to change the world.

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Perspectives on Ukrainian Civil Resistance

The following articles include opinion pieces on the current situation in Ukraine, the case for nonviolent civil resistance, information about the successful nonviolent Orange Revolution of 2014, and ways to keep up to date on the unfolding war.

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Volunteer with the Commons Library!

Are you passionate about social change? Help make activism smarter and stronger by volunteering with the Commons Social Change Library.

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FWD + Organise 2021: Conference Resources

Conference Proceedings from the FWD + Organise Conference 2021 held by Australian Progress for community organisers and digital campaigners.

Digital Accessibility: Making Online Spaces Accessible

Tips, notes and presentation slides from a session at the FWD + Organise 2021 Conference about how to make online spaces more accessible.

a large group of people gathered together in a group posing for a photo. The front row is seated on the ground and others are standing behind.

Local Power: Shifting Power at the Local Level – Candidate School

Case study of organising at a local level, Victorian Trades Hall Council’s Candidate School, focused on changing who gets elected to local office.

Deep Canvassing to Shift Hearts, Mind and Votes

Learn about the success of a deep canvassing approach to rights for undocumented migrants and Medicare for All in Michigan.

Digital Transformation in Progressive Organisations

How do we convince our organisations to invest in tech and digital? How do we get new ideas up and running, and build a culture of innovation?

A desk in a brightly lit room, with a laptop, coffee and coffee cup, and a notebook and pen sitting on it.

Writing for The Commons Social Change Library

Do you have an idea, case study, how to or article you would like to write in relation to social change? We would love to hear from you!

Tips for Life in Lockdown

Tips for personal and collective wellbeing and resilience during Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. Insights from a survey by Commons Librarians.

A crowd of protestors at marriage equality rally. There are colourful rainbow flags, banners and in the foreground three people are holding signs that say Vote Yes with a green tick.

Marriage Equality Campaign Timeline and Reflections

A timeline of events related to the Australian campaign for marriage equality along with reflection and analysis related to Australian, Irish and US campaigns.

Portrait of Marshall Ganz with a quote that says - Movements have narratives. They tell stories, because they are not just about rearranging economics and politics. They also rearrange meaning. And they're not just about redistributing the goods. They're about figuring out what is good. By Marshall Ganz

Marshall Ganz Quotes and Wisdom about Leadership, Hope, Organizing and Narrative

Inspiring quotes from Marshall Ganz, an expert in leadership, organizing and narrative/story. He is a lecturer at Harvard University.

Picture of a women's face yelling and the word 'ENOUGH!' in red on a black background. Below the image text reads 'Did You March 4 Justice? Ideas for Your Next Steps from the Commons Library.

Did You March 4 Justice? Ideas for Your Next Steps

Ideas for next steps after the Women’s March 4 Justice – including action, skills development, videos, books and podcasts.

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Guide to Publicly Available Data Sources

Through research you can get to know your issues in depth, find out where people stand on those issues, and make a strong evidence-based case for change. Use these Australian publicly available data sources to strengthen and inform your research.

the covers of 2 publications - on left is Glossary of civil resistance with images of people protesting holding rainbow flag. On right is Sharp's dictionary of Power and Struggle with an illustration of a hand punching the air

What does that mean? Dictionaries, Glossaries and Terminology for Civil Resistance

Are you looking for a dictionary, glossary and terminology related to civil resistance, activism and organising? Here is a list of resources.

Digital tools to support effective meetings, training and conferences

List of digital tools activists have used to support effective meetings, training and conferences that complement and/or integrate with Zoom.

Podcasts About Decolonisation, First Nations Justice and Invasion Day

People’s History of Australia-podcast and blog looking at Australian history from the perspective of ordinary people fighting together for a better life.

Ending the Activist Year Well

After a big year of effort it’s important to take time for reflection, evaluation, team-building, celebration, and planning. These resources will help.

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Activist Holiday Gift Guide

Wondering what to give the passionate changemaker in your life… including yourself?! Pay for a training session, look after their wellbeing, support the causes they are passionate about or buy them a book.

How to Deal with Racism at ‘that’ Awkward Christmas Dinner

Casual racism at family gatherings can be tricky to navigate! These resources help you prepare how you will respond.

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