I’m really excited to be in Oxford today, speaking at the Campaigning Forum (formerly the eCampaigning Forum), the annual gathering of campaigners from across UK and beyond. I’m going be speaking on ‘Packing for the journey ahead – 7 essentials campaigners need to have to journey into the future’.
In the talk, I’m planning on looking back at the last year, and look ahead at what are the tools, tactics and approaches that as campaigners we need to pack for the journey ahead and ask how do we ensure that our campaigns can continue to be relevant in 2017 and beyond. I’m going to reflect on how we prepare in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world.
Below I’ve posted links to some of the articles, campaigns, studies and resources that I’ve been reflecting on as I’ve been preparing.
On my packing list are;
- Friends – if we’re going to adventure we need to build communities;
- Purpose Driven Campaigning guide drawing on the lessons from the book Purpose Driven Church is here.
- More on the work of Zaid Munson on the pro-life movement in the US is here.
- I’d also recommend anything by Hahrie Han on how we organise, and this excellent resource from Mobilisation Lab on How Today’s Volunteers Build Power for Movements and NGOs comes recommended.
- This is the post I’ve written on what parkrun has taught me about building campaign communities.
- Daniel Hunter on building a resilient culture in hard times.
- The NetChange report can be downloaded from here (and a summary is here)
- Binoculars – To observe, learn and understand those who oppose us
- The full Sun Tzu quote is “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
- My blog on learning from Trump and Brexit is here.
- On the Tea Party, I’d recommend a read of Boiling Mad – Inside the Tea Party and Tea Party and the remaking of Republican Conservatism. This is the Theda Skocpol research on the climate movement.
- On Brexit campaign, then Dominic Cumming’s blogs are really interesting.
- I’d also really recommend this on the Bernie campaign and this is the Indivisible campaign.
- And I’m sharing this quote again as I think it’s always relevant!
- Enamel Mug – because we need to tell stories not just rely on facts.
- Duncan Exley on why we need good stories as well as good facts.
- This is the book Made to Stick.
- I’d also recommend the Myth Gap by Alex Evans (short presentation here)
- A useful read on why facts don’t resonate anymore, and why we get ‘raising awareness’ wrong.
- Multi-tool – ”A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag” Saul Alinsky
- The research I referenced is covered in more detail in this Washington Post article.
- Micah White has some interesting things to say on future campaigning in The End of Protest.
- I mentioned Spendrise, Client Earth and Share Action as interesting examples employing different approaches.
- This has some more on Leaktavism. Hopefully, Craftivism doesn’t need introducing to anyone at ECF2017!
- Torch – time to shine a light on our assumptions, and bring our mistakes into the light.
- Some thoughts on embracing failure here.
- I’ve been enjoying Black Box Thinking about how we challenge and also recommend the Silo Effect.
- Compass – We will still need leaders, but new models of leadership
- My blog on leadership in campaigning is here and a few more links here following a recent Sheila McKechnie Foundation ‘Masterclass’.
- This is the paper on leadership in the age of complexity by Margaret Wheatley
- I’d also recommend this on leadership for charity campaigners by Karl at NCVO.
- Journal – To chart the progress that we’ve already made and are making
- I’m sure many have already read Rebecca Solnit on Protest and persist: why giving up hope is not an option but it’s a really important read.
- Here are a few campaigns that have inspired me in the last 12 months.
- And a few thoughts from one of my favourite campaign films, Selma.
And finally, a reminder;
