What is social action? ___Social action is the practice of taking action – usually as part of an organized group or community – to create positive change, generally in the direction of greater equity and economic and social justice. ___The Iron Rule of community organizing is never to do for people what they can do for themselves. ___The Iron Rule of community organizing is never to do for people what they can do for themselves. Examples of social action include: ___Organized communication (letters, phone calls, e-mail) with policy makers and others in authority. ___Encouraging media stories and reporting. ___Putting together or backing a slate of candidates for public office. ___Attending, as a group, a public meeting at which an issue of interest to your community is being discussed. ___Picketing or organizing a strike. ___A boycott. ___A sit-in. ___Street theater. ___Demonstrations, rallies and marches. Why engage in social action? ___It empowers and energizes populations that have traditionally been powerless, or haven’t understood their potential for exercising power. ___It unifies communities. ___It demonstrates to the world that the community is a force to be reckoned with. ___It may be the only thing that will move a stubborn opponent. ___It motivates people to take other kinds of positive action. ___It can be the beginning of a process that ends in a more unified larger community. ___It can lead to long-term positive social change. When should you engage in social action? ___When negotiation and reason will get you nowhere. ___When time is short. ___When you want to make a dramatic statement that will focus public attention. ___When you want to energize and empower the community, and develop community leadership. ___When you want to catch the attention of the public – and the media – and galvanize public opinion in your favor about an issue or about your organization or community. Who should be involved in social action? ___Planning and implementing a social action strategy should be inclusive and participatory. ___Involve previously existing community groups. ___Involve individuals affected by the issue(s) at hand. How do you engage in social action? ___Get to know the community. ___Identify the issues that are likely to lead the community to social action. ___Identify and contact key individuals and community groups. ___Recruit community members to the effort. ___Build a communication system. ___Encourage leadership from the community from the beginning. ___Create a structure to help the community accomplish its goals. ___Develop a strategic plan for social action. ___Decide what kinds of actions will work best in your community, and what kinds of actions the community is and is not willing to take part in. ___Develop contingency plans based on the level to which you’re willing to escalate. ___Choose the time, place, target(s), and nature of your action based on its purpose, and on how it fits into your overall strategy. ___Provide training and other support necessary to carry out a successful action before you engage in it. ___Plan the action in detail, then follow your plan. ___Organize for action. ___Carry out the action. ___Follow up and evaluate. ___Finally, plan your next move based on how what you just did fits into your overall strategy. Contributor Phil Rabinowitz
