Link Loving 12.03.12

• Ruth Davis explains how environmentalists are perfectly placed to lead the world to a better economic system.
• Mark Parker describes his experience at the National Community Activist Network conference.
• Plan International are recruiting a campaigns officer.
• The volunteering sector prividing state services is not a good idea, Andy Benson.

Never In History

Link Loving 11.03.12

• Richard Exell shares some great news about the NHS – so why won’t ministers talk about?
• Why we need International Women’s Day. Read this if you’re a man.
• I never understood why Matt Williams loves birds. Now I do.

Some Good Advice

Link Loving 10.03.12

• The more violence, the less revolution. George Lakey.
• How the West Wing has inspired a generation to go into politics. Juli Weiner.
• Climate change update. Joss Garman.
• What happens when your political party seems to choose pragmatism over principles – and you don’t? Alex Phillips.
• Is corruption always bad? Seth Kaplan.
• A unified theory of social change. Dan Pallotta.
• Julia Middleton lays it down!

Prop 8: The Play

I talk a lot about storytelling, experiential learning and having fun in campaigning – but what does that look like in practice?!

Say hello to Prop 8: The Play, a fantastic dramatisation by uber-celebrities of the California court-case to overturn the ban on marriage equality. I love how this seemingly dry situation (court) is brought to life (personal stories, humour, drama) and ends up educating us (legal process, other opinions) and building purpose and solidarity. Wonderful.

Link Loving 09.03.12

• Tom Baker resolves to read The Daily Mail for seven days. Offers of a support group are likely to be warmly welcomed.
• Introducing trust-building in community work. Tessy Britton.
• How the Tories are preparing for the next election. Tim Montgomery.
• Citizens: A Manifesto.
• You could teach something/attend a class at the newly-opened London Trade School. Very cool.
• Remember Band Aid? Now we have Brand Aid.
• An open letter to Climate Rush with a killer ending. Lucy Parsons. h/t Richard Hawkins.

On Strategy And Craftivism

Craftivism – it’s been a remembered/innovative campaigning activity over the last couple of years, but is often misunderstood. Following a Facebook argument idea exchange, I thought I’d share my thoughts.

• A question to consider – who are Craftivists, and why do they use craft to express political/social statements? By and large, craftivists are women who feel excluded and unable to take leadership in male-dominated, discourse-heavy activist cultures where the internal culture is often ‘my-way or the high-way’. By laughing-off what the craftivist movement is doing, we’re laughing-off those who we have failed to welcome into the work we do.

• Craftivists work with the strategy that personal transformation is part of collective transformation, and that moments of reflection are key to commitment to social change.

• Social change does not happen solely because of political leaders deciding to sign a law – it changes when someone challenges a friend on a racist/sexist/homophobic comment they’ve just made. Craftivism is a fantastic way to get people thinking, using a channel that doesn’t threaten or scare an audience.

• What do people do as they craft? They talk – talk about the issues. For up to a couple of hours at a time. Compare that to the next time you try and get someone to sign a petition.

• Real change = deep change. Deep change = relationships. Craftivism builds relationships. And that’s something that many NGOs could really learn from.

Link Loving 08.03.12

• If you need cheering up, make sure you receive the Project Dirt newsletter. Warm soup for the environmental activist in email form.
• Three very cute animations advocating public transport – penguins, ants and crabs.
• A community strategy to beat austerity. Jon Bee.
• An amusing crib sheet for journalists – how to write about African elections. Kate Cronin-Furman.
• Hanna Thomas shares wonderful histories of women’s unions through her purchase of a lovely LBD.
• A jobs manifesto for young Europe (and the rest of the world). Julie Meyer.
• A history lesson for Cardinal Keith O’Brien. James Hallwood.

Human Rights Film Festival

Make sure you go to see some of the fantastic films on show as part of the Human Rights Film Festival this month. Lots to choose from, some choice picks below –

The Island President – March 22nd

Pink Ribbons, Inc (a film about the corporatisation of breast cancer activism) – March 27th and 29th

Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life – March 28th and 29th