Reset 3: Revitalising Democracy
Reset Reading Group resources for the Revitalising Democracy theme introduced and curated by Tim Hollo. Includes Libertarian Municipalism and Murray Bookchin’s Legacy.
Topic
Theories of Change
In order to make change you need to decide how you think that change will come about, and base on your actions on your best guess. For collective work to be effective it’s important the theory of change is shared. This topic includes activities and discussion starters for exploring different theories, as well as details on some particular approaches.
Theories of Change
A theory of change can help guide campaigners, their teams and communities. James Whelan from the Change Agency addresses four common pitfalls and some remedies so your theory of change works for you and your team.
Introducing a New paradigm for Social Change
A collection of writing focused on new paradigms beyond the climate crisis and techniques for catalysing mass commitment to transformative change.
3 tools for advocacy evaluation
Links to useful resources in the area of advocacy, policy change, and social movement evaluation.
Exploring Roles in Social Change Movements
Holly Hammond’s presentation to Progress 2019 on ‘Rebels and Reformers Unite! Exploring roles in social change movements’. Social movements are made up of many individuals and organisations with varied strengths, perspectives and theories of change.
The Four Roles of Social Activism by Bill Moyer
Four different roles activists and social movements need to play in order to successfully create social change: the citizen, rebel, change agent & reformer.
Frameworks for Winning Change
Social change can be messy and challenging work! It helps to have frameworks to make sense of the situations we find ourselves in and plan for the way ahead. This article outlines four models, by Martin Luther King, Jr, George Lakey, Bill Moyer and Tim Gee.
Changemaker chat with Randi Weingarten: Teachers and Education reform
Teachers’ union activist Randi Weingarten discusses her experiences of social change and educational reform.
Changemaker Chat with Tyson Yunkaporta: Indigenous Thinking
Tyson Yunkaporta discusses Indigenous thinking on power, change, being and coping with chaos.
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: Activating Social Values to Bring About Change
Learn about Daniel Hunter’s metaphor of moving the rock to bring about social change through activating people’s social values.
Workshop Guide: Assessing and Opening Policy Windows
A process guide to be used in training workshops and planning sessions. The workshop introduces the idea of ‘policy windows’ and ‘political opportunity structure’ and enables participants to critically evaluate the political opportunity structure apparent in current campaigns.
3 Resources to Assess and Open Policy Windows
3 resources to assess and open policy windows – Kingdon’s policy window framework, policy window and the advocacy assessment framework.
Elements of a Theory of Change
Getting clear on our theory of change can be personally empowering as well as important for alignment within organisations and campaigns. These notes are from a workshop by Naomi Blackburn, drawing on the Resource Manual for a Living Revolution and Australian Student Environment Network curriculum.
Mechanisms of change: A guide by The Change Agency
A process guide to be used in training workshops and planning sessions about theories of change. This session facilitates political analysis, reflection and dialogue. Why start with a theory of change? This isn’t asking people to be academics, it’s just about being clear about our own and each other’s assumptions.
Naming Political Assumptions: A Guide
A process guide to be used in training workshops and planning sessions to identify the political assumptions that shape our opinions and analysis. Analysis and planning is improved by being aware of the lens through which we see the world. Our lens is influenced by our assumptions and values.
The People Power Manual: Campaign Strategy Guide
The Campaign Strategy Guide is part of the People Power Manual, a resource created for organisers, activist educators and facilitators.
Cyclone Warning A training guide for solving problems
This is a training process guide to explore different approaches to solving community problems, investigate how different problems require different approaches to change to solve them, clarify the differences between community organising, community development, advocacy and service delivery.
This is an Uprising: How nonviolent revolt is shaping the twenty first century: Book review
Joel Dignam reviews Paul and Mark Engler’s 2016 book This is an Uprising: How Nonviolent Revolt Is Shaping the Twenty-First Century. TIAU is an analysis of social change, how it has occurred, and how contemporary campaigners may make it occur again.
Nonviolence
As a means of radical social change, nonviolence draws on a rich history of people’s struggles from around the world. Grassroots people’s movements have brought down dictators, stopped armies, undermined corporations and halted entire industries with nonviolent resistance.