Re-energise your campaign – lesson from #BondConf session
I was really fortunate today to host a panel at the Bond Conference on how to ‘re-energise your campaign’. It was a great hour-long discussion between four inspiring campaigners, who are all leading really important campaigns with some new and different approaches. It was one of those hours where I was trying to keep time, …
in learning
Where could good campaign ideas come from?
Steven Johnson asks a simple question – where do good ideas come from? Looking across the history of innovation and the development of some of the most important breakthroughs in history, his book by the same name explores what are the lessons that we can learn from them, and apply in our own work. The …
The legacy of Gene Sharp – some tools for campaigners
It was announced last week that Gene Sharp has passed away. If you’ve never come across the work of Sharp you should. He was one of the most important writers, thinkers and strategist on nonviolent resistance. Tim Gee has written this really nice reflection on his work and legacy. The short pamphlet that he is …
in learning
A (comprehensive) list of training for UK based campaigners
There are lots of ways to learn how to be a great campaigner – but some people find that going along to a formal training or conference as a useful way to pick up new skills, dive into understanding strategy or make more connections. I was asked by some colleagues at work to put together …
in learning
Conversations for campaigners in 2018
After the last few years we’ve had, it seems foolish to make any predictions about what might happen in 2018. So as we start a new year for campaigning, I’ve decided not to make some predictions, but as I head back to work for the new yearm to make some suggestions of conversations that I …
in lists
12 campaign reads for Christmas
I’m starting to get ready for Christmas, so I wanted to share a few of the articles that I’ve read this year in a reading list for anyone looking for some campaign reading across the holiday period; 1 -Stop Raising Awareness Already – one of many great articles from SSIR. This one challenges us to adopt …
in actions, evaluation
7 campaigns that have impressed me in 2017
Christmas is a time for lists, so over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing a few of mine as another year of campaigning comes to a conclusion. To kick off I wanted to share a few of the campaigns that have caught my eye in 2017. This isn’t an awards list (there are other …
in learning
Help! I’ve got a new campaigning job, what should I do?
It’s a year since I started my role leading the Mobilisation Team at Save the Children UK, and over the last 12 months I’ve asked by others for advice about how to transition into well into a new campaigning job. So I thought it might be useful to share a few reflections and lessons from …
in tactics
How we could all benefit from the ‘art of gentle protest’
Some dismiss craftivism as not ‘real’ campaigning. If that’s you, I’d challenge you to read ‘How to be a Craftivist‘ by Sarah Corbett, and see if you still hold the same view after reading it. I’ve just finished Sarah’s book, which was crowd-funded by hundreds of individuals (including me and my wife), and explores what the …
Could Vicars help us overcome the ‘Activist Paradox’?
US megachurch pastors might not at first glance have a huge amount in common with campaign activists, but both have interesting thoughts on how you go about building a movement. Jamie Bartlett succinctly describes the ‘activist paradox’ that many movements face in his book The Radicals describing “the way a self-selecting groups of similar people create …
mrtombaker
Head of Mobilisation at Save the Children, was Head of Campaigns at Bond, co-founder Campaign Bootcamp, blog about campaigning because I'm passionate about seeing more campaigns win, election geek (and former Labour Party activist), interested in monitoring and evaluation, blog is all my own views. Prone to bad spelling!