Activist Archiving: Start Here
A list of articles and ideas from the Commons Librarians about resources to explore in archiving your work in social change.
Tag
History
Stories of Unemployed Activism from Radical Melbourne: 1906-1982
Introduction Four stories about actions – demonstrations, pickets, eviction resistance and occupations – that the unemployed people of Melbourne carried out from 1906 to 1982. These stories come from the Radical Melbourne 1 & 2 books by Jeff and Jill Sparrow, published by Vulgar Press in 2001 and 2004. The books feature dozens of stories […]
So, what is community organising?
Community organising is a way of building people power that focuses on building the capacity, skills and leadership of the people involved in making change. This article explains community organising and its history.
Films about Women & Social Justice and change
An inspiring list of feature films and documentaries about women and social change including Women of Steel, Suffragette, Mission Blue, She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry and more.
People’s History of Australia Podcast
People’s History of Australia-podcast and blog looking at Australian history from the perspective of ordinary people fighting together for a better life.
Films about social movement struggles, victories and leaders
Be inspired with this list of movies and documentaries about social movement struggles, victories and leaders – Selma, Milk, Silkwood, Norma Rae, Gandhi and more.
Crowdsource your archives: 3 examples of community-based approaches
There has been a shift from institutional to participatory archives – communities rising up and documenting their own histories. Here are 3 examples of how communities are speaking their own truths.
Performing Political History: An interview with Gary Foley
An interview with Professor Gary Foley about using creative practice to bring attention to the political challenges facing Aboriginal people in Australia.
30 years of Creative Resistance
’30 years of Creative Resistance’ is a compilation of writing and art celebrating the work of Friends of the Earth Australia over the last thirty years.
How to inspire a young activist? A collection of books for kids and teens
An inspiring collection of stories about activism and social justice for children and teenagers mostly collated by Melbourne independent bookstore Readings.
From Little Things Big Things Grow Events That Changed Australia
A list of small actions and major events which challenged the state of Australian society and pointed to better ways forward.
What we can learn from the LGBTQ movement’s 50 years of achievement
Despite pain, loss, disruption and grave threats, the LGBTQ movement — decade after decade — launched new campaigns for more advanced goals and won.
How to Make Trouble and Influence People – About and Book Reviews
Information about How to Make Trouble and Influence People, including reviews of the two editions. The book offers an alternative history of Australia, chronicling how it “has progressed by a series of little rebellions”.
BUGA-UP
Formed in 1979, Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions (BUGA-UP) made its mark on hoardings around the nation. By revising advertising slogans and disrupting tobacco-sponsored events, the group revealed the true cost of tobacco and alcohol company deception.
Interview with Kevin Buzzacott
Kevin Buzzacott is a key figure in the opposition to the South Australian Olympic Dam mine and the nuclear industry in general. In this interview he outlines a number of the creative actions he has taken part in as part of a series of campaigns addressing the issues of dispossession and Aboriginal sovereignty.
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.
ChangeMakers Podcast Series 2
The ChangeMakers podcast is short series podcast that tells stories about people who are striving for social change across the world.
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.
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.
The Vietnam War
Case study of the Australian campaign against involvement in the Vietnam War. The emergence of popular protest in Australia during the 1960s presented a fundamental challenge to government decisions and the way those decisions are made. By taking to the streets people challenged the policy positions of government and, in some cases, the very legitimacy and authority of the state itself.