Integrating the elements of successful activism - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Integrating the elements of successful activism

Campaigns as complex adaptive systemsSlide2

Integration of all elements

we need to always be mindful of:the importance of integrating tactical components into effective holistic campaigns

The interconnectedness of individuals and groups involved in social movements

The dynamic and organic nature of social movements as aspects of ecological systemsSlide3

Integration of tactical elements:

creating amplification cycles

No campaign element exists

in isolation

All elements may be capable

of ‘amplifying’ others

Ideally positive feedback loops

can be established that amplify

pressure on targets

Be careful of positive feedback

loops that can damage your own

campaign, these may need to be

‘dampened’Slide4

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What is Direct action?

Direct

in that it is

Action

intended to

expose

a

problem

demonstrate

a solution

or

prevent

irreversible damage

It

is

empowering

, because it directly address the problem (blockades)

Actions

generally speaks

louder than wordsSlide5

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Roles at a Protest

There are a variety of essential roles that are needed.

Someone who observes and bears witness

Peacekeeper one who seeks to defuse conflict

‘Bunny’ one who places themselves in an

arrestable

position

Buddy the friend and

carer

of the bunny who watches over them

‘Coordinator’ who has a strategic perspective

Media spokesperson

Police liaisonSlide6

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Be Smart at protests

Bring the following:

Clothes, food, water, chairs sun protection for all weather

Present yourself in a ‘mainstream’ way

Phone, Camera and chargers

Signs/banners

Protest devices

(

if applicable)Slide7

What is the theory of change behind our protests?

Blockades

etc

are proof that industry is forcing its way into a community over the head of local opposition

This inflicts an ever growing price on government and the companies

This message has to be repeated again again at increasing cost to our opponents

7Slide8

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Intentional law breaking?

The vast majority of people who attend are not breaking any laws

But some people will choose to place themselves in strategic ‘

arrestable

situations”

Police generally respect ‘orderly’

arrestable

protests

The legal system has a long tradition of

recognising

the role of ‘conscientious objectors’ and the courts are usually lenient on themSlide9

Strategic arrestable actions

Well placed, comfortable and difficult to remove, one protester achieves more than 30 in a mass arrest scenario

9Slide10

Exit strategy

It is important to know ahead of time that each local blockade is a battle in a longer war

Maintaining

morale within the movement is the key challenge

10Slide11

Take home messages about NVDA

Strategic arrest vs. mass arrest

Exit strategy awareness

Police liaison

Avoid unnecessary arrests

Maintain morale with a theory of change that includes repeated ‘defeats’

11Slide12

Understanding your group’s relationships

Complex relationships exist

between your group and

other players and between players

Any one player could be made

the centre and webs

constructed around them

The purpose of

campaign mapping

is

to

realise

opportunities

for amplification

or areas requiring

dampeningSlide13

Influencing corporations

We can no longer focus solely on change through the public sector

Activist strategies need to create conditions that align corporate self interest with our campaign goals

This is done by creating an atmosphere where there will be adverse consequences for the company that breaches widely held social values

13Slide14

The growing activists toolkit

Brand attackSupply chain targetting

Ethical investment

and

divestment campaigns

Strategic shareholder actions

*Social movement risk as an investment risk14Slide15

The amplification cycle of corporate campaigning

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Effectively the very fact of

social movement activity

can be harnessed as a ‘risk’

factor that can be used to

unsettle non-ethical

shareholders

The risk ‘amplifies’ at every

turn through the cycleSlide16

The new frontier: risk based campaigns

All of the older methods of corporate campaigning have relied on the choices of the ethically oriented, but there is a need to go beyond this

The challenge is to use the prism of investor self interest as a

mechanism

for pursuing the public interest

16Slide17

Case study : Northern Rivers destroys Metgasco

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Social movement

Campaign takes off

March 2012

Lismore rally 7000

march in early May

Public poll 87%

against CSG Sept

State government grants

production license Sept

Blockades Nov to March

Coy admits to market

‘protests hurt us’ Jan 24

Coy discloses new

Govt

regs

will affect

it

Coy announces

suspension of

whole program

ANU divests

Feb 26Slide18

The fall and fall of Metgasco

Effective community mobilisationEntrenched blockadesConcerted corporate disclosure campaign and shareholder risk campaign

All combined to devastating effect

Incidentally the corporate disclosure campaign also ‘silenced’ coy attacks on the movement for alleged ‘violence’

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Metgasco shares drop as protests escalate

Mick Daley

13th Dec 2012 2:09 PM

COAL seam gas mining company

Metgasco's

shares plummeted to an all-time low of 15.5 cents this week, a drop of some eight per cent since last week.

The apparent nervousness of investors is not shared by Metgasco CEO Peter Henderson, who was issued an extra 1.3 million shares by the company on November 14 and has vowed the company will press ahead with CSG well drilling, despite the massive community opposition.

See also

http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/protests-do-hurt-csg-miner/1731009/

But in the past week, protestors at

Glenugie

(south of Grafton) have stopped a truck with a generator from entering a drilling site, and a drill rig has been held up in Casino while protestors continue a vigil

ouside

Metgasco's

office.Slide20

Social movements as complex adaptive systemsSlide21

© A Ricketts 2012

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