Author

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: 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.

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.

TED talk: Courage is contagious

The “Whose Streets?” documentary tells the story of the protests from the perspective of the activists who showed up to challenge those who use power to spread fear & hate.

TED talk: Online social change: Easy to organize, hard to win

Today, a single email can launch a worldwide movement. But as sociologist Zeynep Tufekci suggests, even though online activism is easy to grow, it often doesn’t last. Why? She compares modern movements — Gezi, Ukraine, Hong Kong — to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, and uncovers a surprising benefit of organizing protest movements the way it happened before Twitter.

TED talk: An interview with the founders of Black Lives Matter

Born out of a social media post, the Black Lives Matter movement has sparked discussion about race and inequality across the world. In this spirited conversation with Mia Birdsong, the movement’s three founders share what they’ve learned about leadership and what provides them with hope and inspiration in the face of painful realities. Their advice on how to participate in ensuring freedom for everybody: join something, start something and “sharpen each other, so that we all can rise.”

TED talk: Our fight for disability rights – and we’re not done yet

In 1977 Judith Heumann helped lead the groundbreaking Section 504 sit-in protest in which disabled-rights activists occupied a federal building for almost a month, demanding greater accessibility for all.

TED talk: What the gay rights movement learned from the civil rights movement

TED talk about the overlaps & tensions between the gay rights & the civil rights movements & how the 2 struggles intertwine and propel each other forward.