MOVE GLOBAL SOCIAL MOVEMENT CENTRE
SUPPORTING ORGANISING AND MOVEMENT BUILDING TOWARDS A GREEN, JUST AND FEMINIST FUTURE
Since 2011, ActionAid federation has been collaborating with movements, basing this work in its 30 years of experience of direct involvement in social change struggles, and a shared vision of secularism, democracy, feminism, and economic, ecological, and social justice. Despite popular understanding, social movements include both mobilising and organising. Only focusing on protests and moments of mobilisation ignore key aspects of social movements that determines whether they succeed in creating change or not. The support mechanisms in MOVE are built around the different needs in the lifespan of movements; from initial mobilisation and peaks of optimism and attention to equally important moments of crisis and disillusion and in overcoming challenges to finally establish sustainable pathways for influence and change.
WHAT WE DO Connecting people, movements and causes through physical events such as the annual Global People Power Forum (85+ practitioners and thought leaders) and safe online spaces to share skills, strategies and experiences on how to most effectively make change through a social movement. Flexible funding for small scale actions when opportunities arise (‘direct action’ fund) or when context demand it (‘rapid response’ fund for individual activists in danger). Strategic funding to build internal structures, recruitment and retention plans, and fine tune the long-term strategies of the movement. Action-research with practitioners and movement minded scholars and institutions, for example on how to measure and resist nuanced ways of repression or how to mobilise and support diaspora communities. Curating and sharing lessons and insights and engage people in it through stories that inspire shared via blogs, webinars and short publications Organising and leadership development through mentorship or capacity programs on how to build sustainable movements and employ campaign tactics including crafting messaging strategies, planning protests and engaging power holders in dialogue. Advocacy and solidarity actions to support social movements by adding attention, legitimacy and international pressure for their cause and to condemn crackdowns they may face.
HOW WE DO IT Rooted network of local partners MOVE’s 5 regional hubs host local activities and training and ensure that relevant activists and movements are connected in the region. The hubs share ways of working, activities, solidarity actions across borders and knowledge through global digital events, annual celebration of the social movement of the year and the Global People Power Forum. We collaborate with ActionAid’s Global Platforms Network, which is spaces for youth-led training, organising and activism, located in more than 20 countries to ensure direct collaboration with rooted youth-led groups and movements in the different contexts. Direct collaboration with movements MOVE implements, designs and pilots specific support mechanisms together with social movements, based on their needs. Currently, it entails strategic support including funding for longer term sustainability, direct action grants, a rapid response fund for human rights defenders in danger and tailormade mentorship programs. Pilots currently include a structure for mass organisation through direct support of frontline activists and counter-surveillance of phones. Based on our experiences from working in sensitive contexts, we have built a practice of tools and skills to ensure that those movements we work with are effective and safe.