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21st century movements

by Susannah Vila on Apr 04, 2011

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Looking at the situation differently and using a new set of tools come hand in hand. As an outsider, David sees resources that other’t cant see an doportunities that thothers wouldn’t notice. Outsider input is valuable. The internet is pertwo way and particpatory and is as such dieal for that – more chance of getting out sider input. Facebook pages or groups with walls are indiciativeofthat. Its not just activists, its regular citizens joining up, and THEN theyre activists. That’s why 21st century movements are powerful.Word spreads fasterWord spreads to more people (in closed societies online forums makes it easier for more people to realize that they are not alone in their anger or disillusionment; in open societies same mechanism is at play, i.e. people on their own might’ve thought it was crazy to support Obama because he had no chance, until they met online and There’s more word to be spread –More content: More tweets, status updates, videos (Tunisia: virtuous circle of media production and dissemination)
The internet revolution! The Facebook revolution! The Twitter revolution. Power goes far beyond the minority of people who are on the site. IT doesn’t matter than Bouazizi wasn’t a Facebooker or that Saeed, above, isnt on Facebook. The small minority that is online has a ripple effect. Theres a mutually reinofrcing channel of communication that forms between the online minority and everyone else
Horizontal and no leaders. Horizontal, made up of people. The Otpur fist represented the idea that the fist, and the movement, was made up of people not a small group of leaders. A FLAT NETWORK – not an ORGANIZATION
Resistance in serbianHorizontal decentralized netowkrs. No leader – we are all leaders – this worked bc their was a unifiying strategic vision
It’s easier to start a campaign, harder to make it successful and to KEEP IT GOING.IS IT A REVOLUTION IF YOU DON’T CHANGE THE STRUCTURES OF POWER? EGYPT – A REBELLION NOT A REVOLUTION.an example of those new tools that activists have now is their proclivity to form a facebook group instead of an office, to remain leaderless, to be a network rather than an organizing. combine that with underlying conditions and you get: HUGE FACEBOOK GROUPS with ACCIDENTAL LEADERS no longer surprising for a Facebook forum to catch the right side of circumstance and explode in numbers, often leading to offline change and producing surprising, unlikely, and even accidental leaders. By the same token, it should not be surprising that these leaders don’t have the skills necessary to leverage their new followings, to build capacity and grow their campaign into a sustainable organisation or government
It’s easier to start a campaign, harder to make it succesful and to KEEP IT GOING.IS IT A REVOLUTION IF YOU DON’T CHANGE THE STRUCTURES OF POWER? EGYPT – A REBELLION NOT A REVOLUTION.an example of those new tools that activists have now is their proclivity to form a facebook group instead of an office, to remain leaderless, to be a network rather than an organizing. combine that with underlying conditions and you get: HUGE FACEBOOK GROUPS with ACCIDENTAL LEADERS no longer surprising for a Facebook forum to catch the right side of circumstance and explode in numbers, often leading to offline change and producing surprising, unlikely, and even accidental leaders. By the same token, it should not be surprising that these leaders don’t have the skills necessary to leverage their new followings, to build capacity and grow their campaign into a sustainable organisation or government
Everything that’s helpful in the time leading up to the first big event – be it a huge protest or a coup – is as much of a disadvantage as it is an advantage. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think there’s been an example of a technology driven movement that has managed to stay strong after its first big success.
There was a huge well-organized base of activists throughout the countryThe biggest mistake was to dismiss that network The myth behind the logo was that the people were the fist.. Replace the fist with…scaffolding?If they had wanted to do anything, they would have had the best network to do it. When they changed the logo that was basically the end, the logo was everything – the myth was that the people were the fist. The fist was an uncorrupted symbol, opposed to political.
Unlikely leaders emerge and fall flat unless theyreconne
REMAINS TO BE SENOFA list was 5 times the size of of DNC list in 2008 – largest, most wired supporter network in American history… on Juanaruy 17 2009 OFA becomes Organziing for America and is incorporated as arm of DNC – so the list was to be harnessed for governing, not as a watchdog outside of the administration to hold it to it’s mandate.Ofa goal to contect, organize and mobilize supporters about governance between elections?Supporting the presidents agenda is different from continuing to work for the visioin of bottom up structural change that drove the 2008 campaing
REMAINS TO BE SEEN
THERes no leader.
Its not me its you: Horizontal and no leaders. Horizontal, made up of people. The Otpur fist represented the idea that the fist, and the movement, was made up of people not a small group of leaders. A FLAT NETWORK – not an ORGANIZATIONA new set of tools: Looking at the situation differently is STILL necessaryWord spreads fasterWord spreads to more people (in closed societies online forums makes it easier for more people to realize that they are not alone in their anger or disillusionment; in open societies same mechanism is at play, i.e. people on their own might’ve thought it was crazy to support Obama because he had no chance, until they met online and There’s more word to be spread –More content: More tweets, status updates, videos (Tunisia: virtuous circle of media production and dissemination)-
It’s easy to agree that you all want to kick out the dictator, but then what? Otpur is exporting reovlution, with barel any emphasis on the next step. Hence the trouble in in egypt right now.
-- theory of change-- measurable-- resources-- tactics-- timelinePower is RELATIONSHIPS
So that they can adapt them better.
So that they can adapt them better.
Movements.org is facilitating whats already happening – activists sharing info with each other. It should keep happening, and not just for tactics on how to bring down a dictatorr. A global network = relationships = resources available

21st century movements — Presentation Transcript

What’s Next for 21st Century Social Movements?
Susannah Vila
@susannahvila
21st century (digital) movements: how are they different?
Why did David beat Goliath?
1. An outsider’s perspective and a new set of tools
Facebook affects a lot more than just Facebook
“Saeed is grateful to Facebook for helping bring forth the revolution. Though he himself has not used the website, he believes users of Facebook and similar tools will be critical to his country’s salvation. ‘Technology is powerful. It allows true dialogue’…Everyone should be on on Facebook. It is our duty.’”**
2. It’s not me it’s you
- The fist is people
Leaderless, horizontal, networked
Rewind!!!!!
Serbia: Otpur! 2000
CROWDS
CROWDS
Ukraine: Orange Revolution 2004
CROWDS
Colombia: One Million Voices Against the FARC 2008
CROWDS
USA: Obama for America 2008
Egypt: Tahrir Square 2011
CROWDS!
Now what
?
“Although we have seen how David can sometimes win, remaining David, as the biblical David discovered when he became king, can be even more challenging.”*
- Marshall Ganz
Serbia: Otpur! 2000
Otpur! Replaces its famed fist symbol with scaffolding imagery
Ukraine: Orange Revolution 2004
6 years later, Yanukovych is back in power
Colombia: One Million Voices Against the FARC 2008
Moldova
Getting connected with a global network
help to sustain 21st century movements, but
continued impact of No Mas FARC is debatable
USA: Obama for America 2008
?
?
The very advantages that new technologies provide for gathering a crowd (here comes everybody!) are disadvantages after the big event (now what?)
Solutions?
Can activists put the defining characteristics of 21st century movements to use for new campaigns with new goals?
Yes. By agreeing on a new strategic vision based on what’s just been achieved: (hard!)
“Strategy is a verb – something you do, not something you have. An ongoing interactive process of experimentation, learning and adaptation.”*
-Marshall Ganz
And by using similar tactics and expanding tactical capacity (getting more skilled)
Movements.org
Resources for activists looking to use digital technologies to increase their impact.
- Case Studies
- How To Guides
- Blog
- Live Streams
- Debate Center
- Activist Map
- Video Center
Characteristics of 21st Century Movements
- A global network of peer to peer learning/support- Lightweight and non-hierarchicalWebsites instead of offices, Facebook pages instead of a paid staff, Twitter hashtags instead of a brand
Unlikely leaders emerge from 21st century movements
Help them build capacity by connecting them with the right resources – especially each other.
*Get in touch to hear about the 2011 activist gathering*
Thanks for Listening!
Get in Touch: @susannahvila @aym
susannah@movements.org
Citations//
*Ganz, Marshall. “Why David Sometimes Wins: Leadership, Organization and Strategy in the California Farm Worker Movement,” Oxford UP. 2009.
**Brisson, Zach and Lee, Panthea. “Egypt: From Revolution to Institutions.” Reboot. 2011

21st century movements

by Susannah Vila on Apr 04, 2011

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21st century movements — Presentation Transcript