Slacktivism describes online activism that requires little effort and CAN, without marshalling the right strategies, fail to create real social change. Examples of slacktivism include “liking” a cause on Facebook or retweeting an online petition. While these actions are simple and require little involvement, in the hands of a good organizer they do have the potential to make a difference. In this session, we’ll explore how to move your online community from the slactivism to activism.
Takeaways
- Learn why slacktivism is an important step in engaging people more deeply in a cause
- Gain insight on how to amplify the impact of your campaigns by bringing newfound slacktivists to the next level of engagement
- 11 organizing principles to inspire your online community
5. . . . And what of it? 5
! Social web now integral to non-profit and social organizing
! Twitter has taken over as a conversation and connection tool
especially internationally
! But . . . a tendency to think in terms of traditional success measures
(additions to email lists etc.)
! Moving from connection to engagement and action is the challenge
. . . Organizing online is a core competency for non-
profits and advocacy groups
6. How we do it:
1. Understand social dynamics
2. Draw from historic and
current organizing principles
6
7. 7
Dr.
Giorgos
ChelioEs
(gchelioEs@nus.edu.sg)
CommunicaEons
and
New
Media,
NaEonal
University
of
Singapore
8. Online organizing doesn’t change
how people make decisions to
participate – or not
1. Personal approach best for
recruitment
2. Knowing that “someone like me” is
on social platform (trust)
3. Personal invitations/direct support
help people get started
4. Understand needs, then help meet
those needs encourages
participation and ongoing
involvement
Neighbourhood
Forums:
(from
an
evaluaEon
of
E-‐
Democracy.org
Inclusive
Social
Media
project)
10. What
social
web
acEvism
can
do
Create
Educate
Organize
Courage
to
Act
Act
10
11. Organizing Principles
Organizing principles
1. Contain anger | find ideological balance
2. Make action choices straightforward, obvious and easy
3. Connect everywhere
4. Use social tools to organize groups (We used to call them ‘cells’)
5. Give people offline connection and action opportunities
6. Identify local network leaders . . . And empower to self-organize
7. Personalize the relationship
8. Facilitate peer-to-peer opportunities
9. Provide incentives for offline action
10. Create content that rocks
11. Celebrate successes
12. Manage organizing like a political campaign
13. Two
reasons
this
doesn’t
work:
1. Moves
away
from
core
organizing
message
2. SubsEtutes
anger
for
argument
13
14. Organizing Principles
Organizing principles
2. Make action choices straightforward, obvious and easy
15. Four
reasons
this
works
1. Offers
calls
to
acEon
+
peEEons
2. Educates
on
what
it
means
to
engage
3. Urges
you
to
imagine
something
different
4. Makes
it
easy
15
18. Three
reasons
this
works:
1. Displays
and
repeats
evidence
of
mulEple
pla]orms
2. Uses
visual
pla]orms
3. Has
mulEple
points
of
access
for
connecEon
19. Organizing Principles
Organizing principles
4. Use social tools to organize groups (We used to call them ‘cells’)
23. Organizing Principles
Organizing principles
6. Identify local network leaders . . . And empower to self-organize
24. Three
reasons
this
doesn’t
work:
1. No
place
to
idenEfy
yourself
as
willing
to
lead
an
acEon
2. No
infrastructure
for
self-‐
organizaEon
of
groups
3. Doesn’t
educate
within
the
context
of
organizing
But
this
does
.
.
.
24
32. We can learn a lot about creating great content from 32
internet memes . . . They operate in affinity spaces and are
characterized by
Dr.
Giorgos
ChelioEs
(gchelioEs@nus.edu.sg)
CommunicaEons
and
New
Media,
NaEonal
University
of
Singapore
33. TACTICAL
TOOLKITS
AND
GUIDES
Drawing
by
Numbers
10
TacEcs
Message
in-‐a-‐box
Mobiles
in-‐a-‐box
Security
in-‐a-‐box
Info-‐design
guide
Maps
for
advocacy
Online
advocacy
guide
ONO
films
Digital
Survival
Guide
33
35. Good Data Visualization 35
! Have a storytelling ! Context is critical
disposition in data – Give us the ‘so what’
assembly ! Create the story from
! Less data, more story the data . . .don’t jam
(but collect it all) the data into a story
! Focus on opportunity ! Highlight actionable
not data pimping data