Tips for Activism
1. Know your enemy.
Take the time to find out exactly whose responsibility it is to make or change the decisions you are protesting. If you suspect someone is passing the buck, ask them to explain how their organization's decision-making process works.
For example:
Several years ago I talked to someone at the Stop AIDS Project in San Francisco, which is focused on men with HIV and AIDS, and was told that trans guys were not welcome. I was on the Trannyfags listserv, many members of which lived in that city, and raised the question of whether it would be appropriate to organize a boycott or some other action to protest their policy.
Someone else on the list happened to know that they were actually working on what their policy around this should be, and thinking about starting trans-specific workshops (which they have since done), so we all dropped the issue. Meanwhile, however, friends of mine who worked at Stop AIDS had heard that I was organizing some sort of big protest against them and were really pissed off at me for some time... all because I took the word of one person there and talked to my own community before asking them for a definitive answer.
Sometimes, especially in corporations or other large groups, responsibility for everything is spread very thinly, making it difficult for you to point a finger or hold anyone accountable. In this case, it might help to travel up the ladder till you find someone who has enough power to make executive decisions.
The first step is talking to them, explaining your view and what you want, and listening to what they think should be stopping them from giving it to you. Which brings us to the next point:
2. Know that your enemy might be your friend.
Don't assume that even apparently evil politicians or corporations are your enemies. In many cases, the people with power don't have any damn idea what's going on around them. Sometimes Martha and Kathie honestly don't know about all the sweatshops and embezzlement going on in their names. Often change can be brought about just by opening the right people's eyes, and that doesn't always require crowds of protesters or lengthy boycotts.
For example:
Various queer and queer youth organizations in Northern California used to organize Youth Lobby Day once a year, inviting queer youth and allies to attend and even present workshops about current political issues and how to talk to their representatives, and then to go in groups to their representatives' offices and present the information of their choice. Several Youth Lobby Days were focused around the "Dignity for All Students Act" (later The California Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000), which prevented discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in schools. The largely straight and often conservative politicians were deluged with crowds of queer youth telling stories of how they had been beaten up, verbally harassed, or even raped in school for being queer.
One after another, the senators and assemblymembers thanked the organizers and the young lobbyists for making this event possible. They told us how much they wanted to hear what their constituents wanted, and how they had to listen every day to powerful, pushy professional lobbyists from big corporations, and how much they wanted to see people like us show up in their offices to tell them what we wanted. In 1999, the bill passed and was signed into law.
Remember that privilege isolates people. The CEO might never see their sweatshops, or the managers busting up unionizing workers, or might not know enough about labor conditions and unions themselves to see why they shouldn't lean on middle management to bust the unions. This is not an excuse, but a reason. This is where a lot of really creative activism comes in:
3. Tailor your actions to the issue. Let the punishment fit the crime.
For example:
Michael Moore does this brilliantly. In his television shows (The Awful Truth, TV Nation) and movies (Roger and Me, Bowling for Columbine), he uses direct action and culture jamming to raise awareness and effect change.
An article on Salon.com described one episode of The Awful Truth in which "Moore took up the cause of Chris Donahue, a Florida man with complications from diabetes whose HMO, Humana, denied coverage for the pancreas transplant he needed to stay alive. The footage of Moore and Donahue staging a mock funeral (complete with bagpipes and mourners) in front of Humana headquarters, and running up against the brick wall of corporate indifference in the form of an unyielding public relations flack, deftly brought together guerrilla theater, muckraking journalism and political satire.... (For the record, Humana reversed its decision after Moore's visit and paid for Donahue's transplant.)"
Starhawk recommends asking yourself the following questions when planning an action:
# What are my/our reasons for this action? (In the context of anti-war organizing, she says, "WHY are we against the war?... There are strong moral, ethical, economic, and strategic reasons to oppose this war. Which are most important to you?")
# Which groups am I/are we best able to communicate with? Where can they be reached, and with what message? (Undecided neighbors? Staunch supporters of the war? Local news media? Politicians? National or international news media? Consider the political positions of your potential audience, as well as their size and what reason they might have for listening to you.)
# What actions am I/are we willing to take? Her list of possible actions includes:
* Education: speaking to groups or organizing forums, leafletting, writing letters to editors or op-ed columns, tables at shopping malls or public events, teach-ins, etc.
* Making Opposition Visible: rallies, street theater, banner hangs, vigils, marches, symbolic actions, etc.
* Influencing our elected representatives: writing, calling, emailing, petitions, lobbying, etc.
* Actively withdrawing our consent and compliance: refusal to cooperate with the war effort, soldiers refusing to fight, boycotts, strikes, etc.
* Nonviolent disruption of war efforts: disruption of hearings or debates; civil disobedience at Federal Buildings, congressional offices, oil companies, defence contractors, etc.
# What is our message? What symbols, images, slogans, colors, sound bites express our message?
# Where can it best be expressed, and when?
At best, badly chosen and organized activism just wastes your energy. At worst, it actually convinces people that you're wrong and persuades them to think that activism is a retro sixties fad that never worked anyway.
Jafuser says in that, "I know that boycotting has been effective in the past, but it works only if at least a significant double-digit percentage of the population will faithfully follow through. If you can't expect to get these kinds of numbers... you are much better off getting your message out by other (active) means." This illustrates one possible criterion for deciding on an action.
How do you decide what to do?
I am not the most experienced activist in the world, so all I can do is offer ideas, and hope that if we all share our ideas and experiences with each other we can come up with better answers. I do have a few suggestions so far:
1. Brainstorm a list of different kinds of actions, whether you can think of fancy names for them or not - anything from protest marches to "living in a tree." Then take each one and brainstorm another list of different effects that it can have, like attracting the media to an issue or preventing loggers from moving through a forest. Try to include possible negatives, if you think of any.
2. Brainstorm a list of different factors that can affect an action: location, the weather, number of people, and so on. Consider both the action itself and its intended result: the weather might affect an action, and the local news program might hijack and change the message that gets out about it. Try to be clear on which of these factors are within your control, which are things that you can try to change but don't totally control, and which are outside of your control.
3. Remember that the tools at your disposal can be used together, and that coalition-building is the strongest form of activism. Educate yourself: do as much research as you can to find different activist or socially conscious groups in your area, and to find national or international groups working on whatever issue interests you. Each group will have different strengths and experience to bring to any problem, and the more different communities are involved, the bigger and stronger you will become together. The whole will be more than the sum of its parts.
Resources and references:
# The Salon.com story referenced above:
# How to write to, call, or visit your political representatives (focused on the United States):
# How to communicate with journalists:
# How to plan an action (Starhawk's page referenced above):
The Four Types of Activist
by DejaMorgana
Divide and conquer - basic strategy for dealing with antagonistic activist movements:
According to the doctrine of most PR firms, there are four basic types of activists - radicals, opportunists, idealists and realists. PR firms deal with antagonistic movements by dividing the different types, using different tactics for each group:
* Isolate the radicals.
* Get the opportunists on the payroll if needed, or ignore them.
* Cultivate/educate the idealists and convert them to realists.
* Co-opt the realists into agreeing with industry.
Radical activists have socio-political motives for subverting the system. They see multinational corporations as inherently evil, and do not trust the government to protect the people or the environment from the interests of big business. Their larger goals can be characterized as "social justice and political empowerment". Radicals cannot be converted. Therefore, they must be isolated. Their credibility must be destroyed through conversion of the other factions or by personal attacks.
Idealists can be the most difficult activists to deal with. Idealists tend to want a perfect and ethical world. Typically they have nothing material to gain from their beliefs. This, combined with a symptomatic altruism, gives them great credibility and disproportionate influence over the public and the media. Idealists must be dealt with by education, for they will change their positions if it can be shown that their policies cause harm to others. However, the education process can be intensive and difficult for the manipulator, requiring great sensitivity to the issues concerning the idealist.
Opportunists are those who engage in activism for their own gain. They may be after power, increased visibility, or even money. Opportunists can be easily dealt with by "providing them with at least the perception of a partial victory".
Realists are the key to most PR campaigns. They are the ones who are willing to work with trade-offs, and their pragmatism makes them the ones most open to negotiation. They will work within the system, often being willing to enter into partnerships with the business concerns that PR firms represent. Once these relationships have been established, the opportunists are always willing to share the credit, and the radicals will lose credibility and be neutralized.
Summarized from a speech Ronald Duchin, of Mongoven, Biscoe and Duchin, gave to the National Cattlemen's Association in 1991. This speech is quoted extensively in the book "Toxic Sludge is Good for You", along with examples of MBD's tactics in action and a wealth of other information on PR tactics. I can't overemphasize the importance of reading this book. Anybody who ever considered reading a newspaper or watching a micro-second of television should read "Toxic Sludge" first. It will change your perception of 'News' forever. That goes triple for people who want to be activists, no matter what type. It's the most basic kind of tactics: Know Your Enemy.
A few upcoming anti-oppression-related events in the Bay Area
LaborFest fetes workers for month of July
On 7/5, the memory of those workers who died in the San Francisco General Strike of 1934 was honored with the Opening Night of the 10th Annual LaborFest 2003, a month-long series of videos, music, drama, poetry readings, boat rides and mural tours honoring the people who do the work, the working class. Check out or call (415)642-8066 for information.
General volunteer days from volunteermatch.org
Bird Monitoring Team Ê
Friends of Sausal Creek
Sat Jul 12, 2003
Assist The Friends of Sausal Creek (Oakland) as we seek to develop a more comprehensive view of the health of Sausal Creek and its watershed by joining one of our bird monitoring teams. Our teams go out monthly (usually the second Saturday morning)to various locations within the Sausal Creek Watershed to conduct bird counts.
Skills
Some experience identifying birds is helpful but not necessary. Our current teams are equally composed of novice birders and experienced birders. Bring your own binoculars.
Help Repair Gray Whale Cove Trail at McNee Ranch State Park - July 12, 2003
The Trail Center
Sat Jul 12, 2003
Join us at the Trail Center for a day on the coast as we repair damage on the Gray Whale Cove Trail. We plan to complete erosion repair, erosion control, and implement other tread drainage improvements. Work as part of a crew under an experienced crew leader - no prior trail building experience needed. Please see our Trail Building schedule on the Trail Center website-- for additional details.
Skills
Enthusiasm, flexibility, and the ability to use implements for digging and dirt moving. Technical skills for trail creation and maintenance will be taught by qualified craftspersons.
Dolores Eats Ê
The Cohen Residence
Sun Jul 13, 2003
The Residence is a 10-bed, long-term assisted-living facility for men and women with debilitating HIV/AIDS. Formerly homeless, our residents find peace and healing within our beautiful house.
This summer DSCS will be hosting our first annual Dolores Eats celebration and festival in Dolores Park. Scheduled for July 13th this all day event will feature live entertainment, works by local artisans and food from many of your favorite SF restaurants. Putting on a party of this scale will require the help of many volunteers and we would love for you to join us. We will need people to help sell beverages, provide vendor support, set up and breakdown, assist with entertainment and much, much more. If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information about becoming involved, please send an email to .
Field Work at Sausal Creek Restoration Site Ê
Friends of Sausal Creek
Sat Jul 19, 2003
This creek restoration project calls for planting in the winter months, seed collection in the summer, invasive plant removal throughout the year, and year-round work in our demonstration garden. If getting dirty isn't your thing, we also need volunteer support for a variety of projects.
Skills
No skills necessary, just interest and enthusiasm for restoration work. This is a great opportunity to learn about creek ecology and restoration.
All groups of 5 or more must pre-schedule. Please contact us at (510) 387-9744.
Native Plant Propagation Ê
Friends of Sausal Creek
Sat Jul 19, 2003
Join us at the Joaquin Miller Native Plant Nursery to grow the native plants we will need for Sausal Creek's restoration. This is a great opportunity to learn about your local native plants and how to grow them.
Skills
Native plant novices and experts all welcome! 1:30pm-4:30 pm
Joaquin Miller Park Nursery
next to Woodminster Ampitheater
Oakland, CA 94602
All groups of 5 or more must pre-schedule. Please contact us at (510) 387-9744.
Kids Birthday Party Ê
Hamilton Family Residences
Sat Jul 19, 2003
We offer an array of support services for homeless families including case management, child care, counseling, housing referrals, advocacy, temporary housing, meals, and financial assistance. For our resident children we provide a safe environment for self-expression, creativity and play. The children receive educational, recreational and emotional support.
We need volunteers to come help us throw our monthly birthday party. The party is for the residents of our shelter (all ages) and activities include Arts & Crafts, games, running around, cake and more. Volunteers are needed to assist staff with setting up as well as with the running of the party. The party begins at 2:30 and lasts until 4:30, so we generally need volunteers from 2-4:30.
260 Golden Gate Avenue
between Hyde and Leavenworth