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Organizing for CauseOrganizing for Cause
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Overview of What Well DoOverview of What Well Do
Part 1: Campaign Basics
Who is this guy? What has he workedon?
Quick! We need to launch a campaign!
Power and Oppression
Campaign planning logic
Things you need for a good campaign
10 minute break!
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Reeds Activist BackgroundReeds Activist Background
In high school At school: Environment, GSA, Amnesty
Intl
Around town: Anti-war, RYAN
In undergrad Students Against Sweatshops
Feminist groups Climate Action
Since then Greenpeace Stop Global Warming
Buffalo Prison Abuse Project
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POWER and OPPRESSIONPOWER and OPPRESSION
Who has power in society?How can people who dont have power
get power?Your campaign will hopefully empower
peopleAnti-Oppression Work
Even within your campaign, oppressivethings might happen
Get anti-oppression training to talk aboutit
Caucuses: Groups of oppressed peopleet a chance to discuss thin s to ether
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Campaign Planning LogicCampaign Planning Logic
Example: Buffalo Prisoner Abuse ProjectGoal
Increase the quality of life of prisoners
Reinstate Community Board
Strategies Media and Visibility
Change County Legislature policy
Tactics Weekly televised protests
Presence at County Legislature meetings
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StrategiesStrategies
Media Reaches a wide audience, can make
targets uncomfortable to be on thenews
If your story isnt interesting, they wontcome
Visibility
Take it to the streets! (Or the cafeteria!) Hang a banner on the bridge!
Make a YouTube video go viral!
Messages from the People
Petitions, postcards, lobby visits
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SMART TacticsSMART Tactics
Strategic Its gotta fit with your strategy
Measurable How will you know if your hard work
worked?
Actionable Weve had climbing training, so we can
scale the wall Realistic
Can you really afford a hot air balloon? Timely
Have to promote the candidate before the
election
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GROW ChartGROW Chart
Goals Strategies
Tactics
Audience Who are you trying to appeal to?
Allies
Who will work with you?
Enemies Who will work against you
Targets
Who is the person(s) that can make thechange
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Target: Power MappingTarget: Power Mapping
Who & what matters to this target?
How do you have access to this target?
Target
Power in their position
Financially
Who is influential
Personal Life
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Campaign TimelineCampaign Timeline
Work backwards!
When will you accomplish your goal?
What are the things you need to dobefore then?
Escalate pressure!
Ask the principal for a meeting in writing
before you stage a sit-in demandingone
Arrests are a big deal, should be lastresort
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Things that make a goodThings that make a good
campaigncampaign Passion
Its going to take work, gotta be into it
Recruit
Power in numbers, and more work can getdone
Teamwork and Ownership Nobody likes the campaign know-it-all/hog
Delegate tasks!
Good meetings Follow-Through!
Do what you said you would
Messaging
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RecruitmentRecruitment
In person! People are going to come to a first
meeting if theyve met you before
Called to remind themOnline
Emails, facebook notifications
Events Go to related events and get sign-ups
Fliers Impersonal, but can be effective
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Teamwork and OwnershipTeamwork and Ownership
Invite others to take part If you are the president, and you always
will be the president, and you only likeyour ideas, why would anyone keep
coming?Delegating tasks is SO important
Even just attendance-taker, have a role
Ask people what they are interested in,dont assume
Build leaders Encourage people to take on more
leadership
Do leadershi trainin , romote eo le
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Good MeetingsGood Meetings
Facilitation Get training in meeting facilitation
Agendas, stack, digressions, men dont hog thediscussion!
Dont let meetings drag on and on
Ground rules
Step up/Step back, Oops and Ouch etc
Consensus vs Majority Consensus: all opinions heard, all agree
Thumbs up/down, spirit fingers
Majority: enough of us agree, too bad for therest
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Follow ThroughFollow Through
Do what you can, but dont take on toomuch
Missing an important step can slow it alldown
At the end of a meeting
Go over list of action steps/tasks
At the beginning of a meeting Review list, check-in on who has done
what
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MessagingMessaging
Whats the message that will motivatepeople to join your cause?
Tailor your message to your audience: Scientists vs Everyone else
Students vs. Grandparents
Volunteers vs Targets
One-liners and short-stories Eg. Protect the Heritage of the
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge --For Our Families, For Our Future.