Connexions Resource Centre:
Focus on Organizing for Change
Selected Articles
This is a small sampling of articles related to organizing in the Connexions Online Library. For more articles, books, films, and other resources, check the Connexions Library Subject Index, especially under topics such as
alternative media,
boycotts,
community organizing,
labour organizing,
mass action,
media relations,
organizing,
propaganda,
protest,
resistance,
revolutionary politics,
solidarity,
strikes,
tactics,
and workplace organizing.
Transforming
Apathy and Denial - Thoughts on people, power and participation. (CX3999)
If I Can't Dance -
David Rovics. Rovics asks why is so much of the left in the US so attached to being so dreadfully boring? Why do so many people on the left apparently have no appreciation for the power and importance of culture? And when organizers, progressive media and others on the left do acknowledge culture, why is it usually kept on the sidelines? 2008.
Organizing and Group Process
On Organizing - Discusses the democratic organizational forms appropriate to libertarian socialist organizations.(CX7860)
The
collective decides... -
Collective decision making doesn't always work as well in practice
as in theory. (CX4174B).
Managing
Volunteers, Building Consensus, Nurturing Creativity -
(CX4707)
Overcoming
Male Oppression -
Group problems to be aware of and challenge. (CX4710).
Some
Thoughts on Organization - What
type of organization should anarchists, libertarian socialists and
libertarian Marxists be working towards? (CX5149).
Consensus vs. Democratic Decision-Making
What
Is Consensus? - Consensus allows us to recognize
our areas of agreement and act together without coercing one another.
(CX4701)
It
Ain't the Meeting, It's the Motion - A guide
to conducting productive and inclusive meetings in the context of
social change. (CX4716)
One
Vote for Democracy - The 'consensus' model of group decision-making rarely works well. The democratic model
is better both in principle and in practice. . (CX4717)
Blocking Progress: Consensus Decision Making In The Anti-Nuclear Movement - How the fetishization of consensus decision-making crippled the anti-nuclear movement. (CX6187)
Tactics and Techniques
Billboard
Liberation Front -
Strategies for improving outdoor advertising. (CX5047).
Conflict
Resolution in the Classroom - A curriculum
project. (CX4708)
Ecodefence:
Disrupting Illegal Activities - What to do
when you witness environmental crimes. (CX5111).
An Examination of the Microcredit Movement - Can the microcredit movement contribute to eliminating world poverty? (CX6992).
Grassroots Cells, Devil's Architects
Defend Communities - The Householders Guide to Community Defence Against Bureaucratic Aggression. (CX4725).
A User's Guide to Detournement -
Guy Debort and Gil J. Wolman. The French word detournement means deflection, diversion, rerouting, distortion, misuse, misappropriation, hijacking, or otherwise turning something aside from its normal course or purpose. 1956..
Practical Skills
Effective
Media Relations -
Media relations is human relations. Journalism is about telling
compelling stories about people and their lives. (CX5254).
A
Fundraising Success - Fundraising is key
to any successful NGO operation: Advice on fundraising strategy.
(CX4711).
How
to Lobby like a Pro - To reach the government
with your message you need to lobby like a pro. (CX5234)
Is
your Web site media-friendly? -
How to make your Web site media-friendly. (CX5252).
A
New Way to Solve Problems: Do it like Zidane
- Video clip illustrating the Zidane® approach to solving
problems. (CX5622).
The
Write Stuff -
All you ever wanted to know about letter writing. (CX3576).
Communicating
Effectively Through Your Newsletter - Helpful
suggestions for producing an effective, high quality newsletter.
(CX4174C)
Learning from our History
Struggles
Bain
Co-op meets Wages for Housework - The story
of the struggle that gave birth to a housing co-operative and destroyed
the credibility of the ‘Wages for Housework’ sect.
Citizens
for Local Democracy - Some ideas about organizing a community group to fight for democracy and against a reactionary government. (CX5302).
Citizens
Groups Scores Success in Anti-lead Battle -
Citizens fight lead pollution in
their neighbourhood. (CX4704).
The
March - A critical account of a peace march. (CX4702)
Organizing
in a small town -
Experiences organizing in an Ontario community. (CX5119).
Our
Little Victory -
Organizing against Litton in Prince Edward Island. (CX4705).
What Do We Do Now? -
Principles for a new social movement. (CX4719).
Groups and Movements
The
Raging Grannies - They don't see war and
injustice as inevitable. (CX4713).
Why
Do Communities Fail? -
The strains that take their toll on community groups. (CX5003).
Looking
at the Conference -
Comments on a Popular Education Conference.
(CX5116).
Popular
Education Conference (2) -
Another view of a Popular Education Conference. (CX5118).
People
The
Extraodinary Myles Horton - An interview
with Myles Horton. (CX4712).
Selected Websites and Organizations
This is a small sampling of websites and organizations concerned with organizing in the Connexions Directory. For more organizations and websites, check the Connexions Directory Subject Index, especially under topics such as
organizing,
community organizing,
labour organizing,
solidarity, and
alternative media.
Visions, Programs, Manifestos - Selected Manifestos - Programs - Visions - Political Statements.
Europe solidaire sans fronti#res - An association for international solidarity offering militant information on many struggles and campaigns.
Idealist - An interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives.
Social Change and Alternatives Topic Index in Sources Directory of Experts - A subject guide to experts and spokespersons on topics related to alternatives and social change in the Sources directory for the media.
Politics Topic Index in Sources Directory of Experts - A subject guide to experts and spokespersons on topics related to politics in the Sources directory for the media.
Selected Books and Book Reviews
This is a small sampling of books related to organizing in the Connexions Online Library. For more books and other resources, check the Connexions Library Subject Index, especially under topics such as
community organizing,
labour organizing,
organizing,
propaganda,
revolutionary politics,
solidarity,
and workplace organizing.
An Action A Day: Keeps Global Capitalism Away -
Mike Hudema.Hudema presents fifty-two acts to change the world, directed towards garnering public attention and instigating discussion. With a little creativity, they can be tailored to suit a wide spectrum of causes. 2004.
The Activist Cookbook -
Andrew Boyd.A Hands-on Manual for Organizers, Artists and Educators who want to get their message across in powerful, creative ways. 1999.
Anarchist Collectives: Workers' Self-Management in the Spanish Revolution 1936-1939. - Sam Dolgoff. Examines the experiments in workers' self-management, both urban and rural, which took place in Spain during the revolution and Civil War. 1974.
Another world is possible if... -
Susan George. 2004.
Autonomous Media: Activating Resistance & Dissent -
Andrea Langlois & Frederic Dubois. Autonomous media are vehicles of social movements that attempts to subvert the social order by reclaiming the means of communication. 2005.
Barefoot Channel: Community Television as a Tool for Social Change - Kim Goldberg. How your group can use local community TV station to get your message out. 1990.
Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World - Joanna Macy, Molly Young Brown. A guide to transcending apathy and despair through political work that reconnects. 1998.
Common Sense for Hard Times. - Jeremy Brecher.The power of the powerless to cope with everyday life and transform society. 1976.
Combatting Racism in the Workplace: A Course for Workers. - Barb Thomas, Charles Novogrodsky. How workers can equip themselves with arguments and information to resist prejudice. 1983.
The Earthscan Action Handbook - Miles Litvinoff.A compendium of the world's major ills with suggestions for remedial action. 1990.
Farm Gate Defence -
Alan Wilford.1986.
The Fight for Canada: Four Centuries of Resistance to American Expansionism. - David Orchard.1993.
Fighting for Hope -
Joan Newman Kuyek.
Detailed information and advice on how to organize a group for social change. 1990.
Global Thoughts, Local Actions -
David McConkey.
A wealth of information for those seeking ways to link global problems to everyday life. 1985.
Global Visions -
Jeremy Brecher, John Brown Childs, Jill Cutler.
Beyond the new world order. 1993.
How People Get Power: Organizing Oppressed Communities for Action - Si Khan. 1970.
Imagine Democracy -
Judy Rebick.Rebick proposes that, in the face of increasing centralization of power in corporate hands, citizens must become committed participants in the democratization of foundational elements of society. 2000.
Naming the Moment: Political Analysis for Action: A Manual for Community Groups. - Deborah Barndt, Carlos Freire.. 1989.
A New Weave: Popular Education in Canada and Central America - Rick Arnold, Deborah Barndt, Bev Burke. Written for educators working for social change in community groups, trade unions, churches, the peace movement, women's groups, international development organizations, Central America and other solidarity networks. 1987.
Organizing Dissent: Contemporary Social Movements In Theory and Practice - William K. Carroll.Analyzes the practice and theory of contemporary social movements . 1992.
Rank and File: Personal Histories of Working Class Organizers - Alice Lynd, Staughton Lynd.Oral histories of labour activists. 1974.
Resist: A grassroots collection of stories, poetry, photos and analyses from the Quebec City FTAA protetst and beyond - 2001.
Resource Manual for a Living Revolution -
Virginia Coover, Ellen Deacon, Charles Esser, Christopher Moore.1985.
Rules for Radicals -
Saul Alinsky.A classic guide for realistic radicals. 1971.
Sisterhood, Interrupted: From Radical Women to Grrls Gone Wild - Deborah Siegel.
Siegel wants readers to know about the multifaceted and contentious history of what is called feminism's "second wave" so that they can avoid both the trap of rebelling against its supposed stodgy "political correctness" and that of idealizing its supposedly harmonious "sisterhood". 2007.
Ten Thousand Roses: The Making of a Feminist Revolution -
Judy Rebick.
An oral history of feminism in Canada from the 1960s through the 1990s. 2005.
Transforming Ourselves Transforming the World: An Open Conspiracy for Social Change -
Brian K. Murphy.
1999.
A Troublemaker's Handbook. -
Dan La Botz.
How to fight back where you work -- and win! 1991.
Uncivil Obedience: The Tactics and Tales of a Democratic Agitator. -
A. Alan Borovoy.
1991.
We Are Everywhere: The irresistable rise of global anticapitalism -
Notes from Nowhere Collective.
Global voices presenting alternative visions of democracy. 2003.
We Can Change the World: The Real Meaning Of Everyday Life -
David Stratman.
The key to changing the world. Stratman, lies in a different view of ordinary people. 2003.
What a Way to Run a Railroad: An Analysis of Radical Failure. -
Charles Landry.
The failure of the left to be serious about organizing. 1985.
When Hate Groups Come to Town: A Handbook of Model Community Responses -
Randall Williams, LynKim Wells.
An organizing guide from the Center for Democratic Renewal.
Working for Peace: A Handbook of Practical Psychology and Other Tools -
Neil Wollman.
1985.
Selected Video and Audio Resources
coming soon
Resources for Activists
The Connexions Calendar - An event calendar for activists.
AK Press - A worker-run collective that publishes and distributes radical books, visual and audio media, and other mind-altering material.
Alternative Press Center - Dedicated to providing access to and increasing public awareness of the alternative press. Publishes the Alternative Press Index.
Infoshop.org - Large well-organized site with information of interest to anarchists, anti-authoritarians, and other activists.
Libcom.org - Libertarian communist site devoted to the goals of liberty and community and focused on how best to act in the here and now to better our circumstances and protect the planet.
Marxists Internet Archive - Large searchable archive of the writings of Marx and Engels and others in the Marxist tradition.
Media Names & Numbers - A comprehensive directory of Canada's print and broadcast media. (CX5857)
PeaceButtons.info - Buttons, posters and signs promoting peace and justice.
rabble.ca - An online, progressive news site.
Rockridge Institute - Partners with advocates, activists and policy professionals to express American values and ideas and reframe the public debate with a goal of empowering people and affecting positive change. .
Solidarity - A democratic revolutionary socialist, feminist, anti-racist organization which publishes Against the Current magazine.
Sources - A directory for journalists that organizations use to get more media attention. Organizations that list themselves in Sources signficantly increase their odds of getting called by reporters when they are doing a story of their issues.
Spunk Library - The Spunk Library collects and distributes literature in electronic format, with an emphasis on anarchism and related issues.
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