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How are we Measuring People Power in 2020+, and where do we go from here?

How do you measure gifts of time, expertise and leadership? What indicators can you use to assess grassroots power building, organising and volunteer initiatives?

The battle for Aboriginal heritage on Perth’s foreshore 30 years on

Thirty years ago from January 2019 Noongar activists set up a protest camp at Gooninup, the site of the derelict Old Swan Brewery on Perth’s foreshore. This marked the beginning of a four-year long struggle to secure recognition of an Aboriginal sacred site. 

An in depth look at the Hong Kong democracy movement

A collection of articles and podcasts from Amanda Tattersall and ChangeMakers which provide a behind the scenes exploration of the Hong Kong democracy movement.

How to un-do a ‘done deal’ with Strategy and Soul

Campaign insights from Daniel Hunter’s book Strategy and Soul about how to fight a battle people think is a ‘done deal’.

Enabling Emergence The Bentley Blockade and the Struggle for a Gasfield Free Northern Rivers

A case study and theoretical examination of nonviolent direct action against fracking in the Northern Rivers Region in Australia.

Changemaker Chat with Becky Bond

We have radical challenges like climate change and inequality but not many radical political leaders. What does it take to find and elect leaders like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez who is trail blazing a new political agenda in the United States? Becky Bond was one of the Field Directors for the Bernie Sanders campaign and she shares her experience of combining radical agendas and political parties.

Changemaker Chat with Hahrie Han

Hahrie Han is one of the world’s top researchers studying ways of strengthening civic engagement.  We explore the different strategies you can use to build people power and the journey she took to become one of the world’s top researchers in this space.

Four ways to build highly effective community organisers

Learn how to be an effective community organiser and about the Community Organising Fellowship run by James Whelan of The Change Agency.

What is Community Organising?

This excerpt from the Community Organising Guide provides an introduction to community organising. Organising is about generating and wielding people power.

How to organise a local group in your community: ACF Community Toolkit

This practical community organising guide by the Australian Conservation Foundation is a good example of how to start, set up and support community action groups.  

Three Approaches to Organising

This article outlines three frameworks of organising. They are broad based organising; social movement organising; and community development informed organising.

The Little Book of Power

The goal of this book is to help become more aware of your own relationship with power. Despite the many negative associations and memories we have about power (mostly it’s misuse), power isn’t good or bad, and it is necessary.

Community organising aims to win back civil society’s rightful place

Community organising is a way of working that trains and builds citizen leaders inside community-based organisations. We need to build strong and vibrant civil society organisations that act for the common good.

The power of civil society

Danny Sriskandarajah presented at Progress 2015 on what’s gone wrong in Australia and the world, and how we can steal it back. He argues for the power of civil society and solidarity to create a better future. 

Action in Times of Uncertainty: Video with Winnie Byanyima from Oxfam International

Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, makes the case for people power to address economic inequality and social exclusion, at Progress 2017.

Moving the rock Shifting power for sustained change

This article explores the ‘moving the rock’ concept put forward by Daniel Hunter in his book Strategy and Soul. The concept has been valuable for campaigners and organisations reassessing their theory of change and particularly how they engage politicians and supporters.

Time to move the rock

A follow up article from a workshop presented at Progress 2015 by Holly Hammond and Sam La Rocca with a video presentation from Daniel Hunter. The workshop explored Daniel’s metaphor ‘politicians are like a balloon tied to a rock’.

Gurindji Land Rights Struggle Case study & training guide

In August 1966, Aboriginal pastoral workers walked off the job on the vast Vesteys cattle station at Wave Hill in the Northern Territory, sparking the Aboriginal land rights movement. A summary of the campaign case study is included along with a process for use in training workshops.

Umbrella Movement Reflections

In 2014 the Hong Kong Umbrella Occupation shook the world. The 79-day occupation of the Admiralty political and commercial district ended on 11 December 2014, with the police arresting hundreds of protesters.

Can we do politics better than this?

When we leave politics to the politicians, we get The Canberra Show. But when people organised in their communities, acting on their deep concerns, have the skills and knowledge to act powerfully a new political life might finally be possible.