Activism Archives - The Commons

A Strategy for Climate Insurgency

Lessons from social and labour movements that discuss how movements bringing people together for common preservation arise and can be built.

Australian Rainforest Action Groups boycott Malaysian rainforest timber, 1988-1994

Australian Rainforest Action Groups blockaded ships bringing rainforest timbers logged in Sarawak, Malaysia.

International groups boycott Nestle products to end indiscriminate advertising, 1977-1984

Nestle artificial baby milks infant formula marketing Third World International Baby Food Action Network.

World Peace Day March near the Hotel Australia, King William Street, North Adelaide, 1969. People have signs, which read, "End Conscription", "Save our Sons", and "Bring our boys back".

Australian women protest conscription during Vietnam War [Save Our Sons (SOS)], 1965-1972

Save Our Sons opposed military conscription for Australia’s role in the United States invasion and occupation of Vietnam.

Photograph of a billboard advertising Winfield cigarettes. The billboard advertising reads 'Anyhow... Winfield 25s'. Graffiti has been inserted so it reads 'Anyhow buga up a Winfield 25'.

Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions (BUGA UP) campaigns against tobacco advertising, Australia, 1978-1994

Civil disobedience actions reversed tobacco advertising messages to show the negative health effects of cigarettes.

anti nuclear protestors on USS Worden ship with protest banners saying No Nuclear Weapons

Australians campaign against nuclear power and uranium mining, 1974-1988

Street marches and trade union action typified Australian resistance to the building of nuclear reactors and uranium mining and export.

Three friends of varying genders taking a selfie in a park with a polaroid camera

Quotes from Beyond the Gender Binary

Quotes which draw on contemporary experiences of living beyond the gender binary to inspire collective action, resistance and solidarity.

Dilemma Actions: the power of putting your opponent in a bind

A study of 44 dilemma actions over the last 90 years examines the many benefits of creative protests for social movements.

Circular orange badge featuring at centre the slogan 'Stop the 71 tours' in black text and 'Anti-apartheid movement - fight apartheid' at bottom of badge.

Australians block cricket and impede rugby tour of apartheid South Africa, 1971

Anti-apartheid protesters impeded the South African Springboks rugby tour, and stopped the cricket tour, to protest racial inequality.

protestors with a banner that says Thanks but no tanks

Thanks But No Tanks: Learnings from Disrupt Land Forces [Brisbane: 2021]

Actions and learnings from Australia’s Disrupt Land Forces Campaign at the Brisbane’s 2021 Land Forces weapons expo.

Greenpeace and Sea Shepherds force Japanese seafood company Nissui to sell stakes in whale hunting ships 2005-2006

Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd initiated a consumer boycott against Sealord Tuna to end whaling by its parent company, Nissui.

Black and white photograph of a sign that reads: 'GURINDJI Mining Lease and Cattle Station'.

Indigenous Gurindji win Land Rights in Australia (Wave Hill Walk Off) 1966-1975

The Gurindji of Wave Hill Station (Northern Territory) protested by a walkout against low wages, leading to the land rights movement.

Greenpeace pushes for global ban on CFCs 1986 – 1995

Greenpeace International agitated for a ban on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to protect the global ozone layer from ultraviolet radiation. This case study describes the campaign.

Greenpeace pressures Coca-Cola to phase out HFC refrigeration for Olympic Games in Australia 2000-2004

Greenpeace International agitated for Coca Cola to desist from HFC refrigerants prior to the Sydney Summer Olympics in 2000.

Photograph of the S11 protest in melbourne. Signs with black oil drums saying toxic waste

S11: Australians Blockade World Economic Forum

The S11 Alliance protested againsts the World Economic Forum in Melbourne in September 2000. Their blockades were met by police violence.

a collage of 3 photos. one photo has a sculpture of a metal gun with the barrel tied into a knot. The 2nd photo has people protesting and the third image is a boardwalk leading into the distance surrounded by nature.

Psychology of Change: Evidence Based Strategies to Create Social Change

A video series from the Social Change Lab, University of Queensland explores how to use learnings from psychology to create social change.

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.

Key Resources from Mobilisation Lab

Reports, toolkits, templates and guides from Mobilisation Lab including campaign strategy, storytelling, digital campaigning, security and more.

The Australian Movement against Uranium Mining: Its Rationale and Evolution

Historical overview of the Australian movement against uranium mining, focussed on two major campaigns: Roxby and Jabiluka.

looking up the trunks and canopy of big Jarrah trees

The WA Forest Conflict: The Construction of the Political Effectiveness of Advocacy Organisations

Tactics and strategy of nonprofit organisations involved in advocacy regarding forestry in the 1990s-2000s in Western Australia.

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Activism