Introduction
Australian Progress hosted the FWD+Organise 2021 conference online from the 1-2 Dec 2021 and is an initiative of Australian Progress, a national organisation dedicated to building the advocacy and campaigning capacity of Australian civil society to achieve systems change.
The conference is a place where community organisers and digital campaigners come together to share practical skills, learn innovative approaches to advocacy and build lasting collaborations to win systemic change. The conference featured more than 60 speakers leading more than 50 sessions in the program which included keynotes, workshops, masterclasses and expert briefings. The 2021 program focused on centring communities with lived experience, highlighting winning case studies during the pandemic and tactics to win on our issues in the upcoming Federal Election.
Many thanks to the presenters who shared resources. If you presented at FWD+Organise 2021 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.
Here is a taste of FWD+Organise 2021 – a combination of presentations and articles and related resources from the conference. Click on the titles to visit each post.
Resources
Cell Phones for Collective Action
Inspiring talk by Koketso Moeti, a South African activist & founder of the digital engagement platform and advocacy organisation amandla.mobi.
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 by Caitlin Homrich-Kneiling from We the People MI.
Winning Long-game, Collaborative, Grassroots Campaigns: The WA Forest Campaign Experience
Reflections and wisdom from Jess Beckerling from the WA Forest Alliance. Here are her learnings from winning long game grassroots campaigns.
Home Grown: Mapping Australian Organising Models
A new research project to map organising models in Australia, with examples from three organisations. The project is a partnership between Australian Progress and the Commons Library.
Organising in a Post-Lockdown World: Events and Training
Australian Conservation Foundation ACF shares their tips about organising and examples of strategies they have used in a post lockdown world. Further articles about organising in a post-lockdown world are coming soon.
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 by Manisha Amin from the Centre for Inclusive Design. Manisha also refereed to this valuable resource – Accessible Online Meetings Micro Course by DARU, the Disability Advocacy Resource Unit
Five Lessons from Fair Agenda’s Campaigns for Access to Abortion Care in Australia
Lessons learned from Fair Agenda’s campaigns on winning safe and legal access to abortion care in Australia by Renee Carr from Fair Agenda.
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? By Sara Smylie (United Workers Union), Madeline Holm (Reveille Strategy), and Jack Milroy (Defiance).
Tech Tricks and Trends for Your Pandemic Election Campaign
Sorcha Rochford on how NationBuilder supported customers in running an election campaign and a nonprofit in the midst of the pandemic.
Fast and First: Shifting Narratives through Rapid Response Media Campaigning
Tips on how to run a rapid response media campaign and sustain momentum beyond the immediate media moment.
When Facts Fail: How we Fight Misinformation
Article about organisations fighting misinformation and disinformation from the FWD + Organise Conference 2021 in Australia.
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 who gets elected to local office. By Nadia Montague (Victorian Trades Hall Council).
A Practitioners Guide to Measuring Movements
Brittany Bennett presented ‘Measuring Movements: Lessons from the Sunrise Movement’. Her comprehensive guide encompasses a set of analyses that you can do right now, with your data, to uncover insight on the success and shortcoming of building people power in your organization.
What is Frontloading?
The Tomorrow Movement presented a workshop on Growing Our Movement Through Momentum, including how they had used the principle of ‘frontloading’ in the set up of their movement.
Conference Support from the Commons Library
Are you organising a conference and want to amplify its impact? Contact the Commons to discuss options for collaboration!
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