Movement Building: An Introduction
Gandhi called it satyagraha. Henry Thoreau called it civil disobedience. Activists in North Philadelphia sometimes call it Street Heat. In the Philippines, democracy activists call it people power. Regardless of what you label it, one thing is clear: Social movements (and Direct Action) have been key elements to the end of almost all of histories’ dictatorships, regimes, corrupt states, and oppression.
“When we look at change throughout history, it is absolutely no surprise that we consistently find massive, organised collective agency (because it usually requires a large effort to overcome deep-seated forms of power and privilege) driven from below.”
— Laurence Cox
Traditionally, power is seen as flowing from the top downwards. Whether in politics, monarchies, or even business, typically those on top have power. In that view of society everyone below has to follow orders or face consequences: such as being fired, facing political retribution, or being placed in jail. But that is not the only type of power. Power also flows up. Direct action uses this form of power, power flowing from the bottom upwards: people power.
Unequal power breeds an epidemic of poverty, inequitable development, environmental degradation and other forms of injustice, such as we see in many societies today. In both ostensibly democratic and authoritarian societies, unequal power and the forefronting of a very niche set of values (GDP, global power, enviable military prowess) has led to these interlocking ecological crises. The antidote to these ills is building vibrant and democratic social movements, which have the creativity and power to advocate for real solutions to create a better world. (Grassroots International) This is why Movement Building is such a core part of our work.
Movements are about values, strategy, and direct action. The word “movement” means “to create action,” to go from one place to another, and so, sustaining a movement is about sustaining action. The collective power of people gathering, united around a vision for change, is immeasurable. The impact is tangibly imprinted into the fabric of our society, from the civil rights and suffrage movements to Pride, Black Lives Matter and March For Our Lives. (WKKFCLN)
“Social movements, in other words, have been central to the end of empires and dictatorships, the extension of legal equality across barriers of gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, disability and so on, the development of collective welfare provision and economic rights — and remain central to the many unfinished battles in this area.”
— Laurence Cox
Throughout this topic we explore the origins of Movement Building and Direct Action, as well as the other manifestations of resistance, reformation, and revolution. We look at how Social Movements fail when they are not inclusive, and the complexities of non-violence in an institutionally violent system. And together we learn how we can build and join social movements, how to harness our visions for a better future, how to overcome setbacks, and why every individual matters on the route to collective and systemic change.
