GATHER
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assembly required
FOR A NEW GENERATION OF PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION
Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If EVERYONE all over the world would dO this, it would change the earth. - William Faulkner
If you care about a cause, there is nothing more powerful than presence in great numbers. In today’s digitallyconnected world, we can tweet and share Facebook articles about things that enrage us but creating real, radical, long-term change, we need to build strong communities and collaborate on real solutions. All revolutions of the past never happened overnight or were achieved by one person. Collectively, all social movements help improve and enhance the human experience. Jillian Schwedler, associate professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, described it best: “[Revolutions] result from accumulations of dozens, even hundreds of moments, often stretching over a period of years, that make possible the ruptures that emerge when vast numbers of people begin to imagine, and then to demand, an alternative to their living conditions.” This is a guide book to help you effectively participate in social action and find a community of people equally passionate about issues you care about. It includes tips on social media, knowing your rights, and how to get involved for the long run. Let’s move forward together.
9 Tips for peaceful protest “Students have stood up and fought back against rape, violence, curricular meddling, and more. They’ve been organizing, taking action, and they’ve been winning.” - Angus Johnston @studentactivism
Remember the movement’s goals When protesting, keep in mind your goals to improve a situation and whether your actions contribute or detract from progress. You can’t control the public and you can’t control the police, but you can control yourself !
Respect public/private property Vandalism offers no solutions, hurts innocent people and businesses financially, and gives the public a reason not to support your cause! Channel frustration energy into finding positive solutions. Take note of anyone you see destroying property.
Know your rights
Learn more or share your own tips onLINE AT gather.org!
If you believe your free speech rights are being threatened, speak to the protest organizer or call an attorney. If a police officer asks if they can search you, you have the right to decline until a warrant is presented.
1849
Thoreau publishes “civil disobedience”
1897
STUDENTS AT CAMBRIDGE HELD A PROTEST TO ALLOW WOMEN TO RECEIVE FULL DEGREES
1960
FOUR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS SAT AT A WHITES ONLY LUNCH COUNTER TO PROTEST RACISM
1967
HUNDREDS OF AMERICAN STUDENTS PUBLICLY BURNT THEIR DRAFT LOTTERY PAPERS TO PROTEST THE PRESENCE OF AMERICAN TROOPS IN VIETNAM
1990
300,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED A SUCCESSFUL SIT-IN AT NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY TO PROTEST FOR DEMOCRACY + A DIRECT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
2013
HUNDREDS OF ARIZONA STUDENTS PROTEST NEW LAW BANNING ETHNIC STUDIES CLASSES
2014
COLUMBIA STUDENT EMMA SULKOWICZ CARRIED A MATTRESS EVERYWHERE SHE WENT TO PROTEST THE SCHOOL’S REFUSAL TO PUNISH HER RAPIST
Avoid violence
Follow up
Violence undermines the credibility of protests and gives police a lawful reason to shut them down. It creates more problems and doesn’t move a cause forward. Stay safe!
When the day is over and a protest ends, don’t let it be the end of your involvement! Find out from organizers how you can be involved long term and join their team.
Visualize your message
Talk to people, spread the word
Make posters, fliers, visual aids, or pamphlets to help spread your message and communicate your concerns to others. During the protest, you can give out information with links and contact info so people can follow up and learn more about the cause on their own time.
Protests are public and there will be people who aren’t familiar with your cause. Protests can also be opportunities to educate the public. But if a person says “no” and isn’t interested, say “thank you anyway” and move on.
Be prepared Bring bottled water and food if the protest is going to last a long time, or even bring something to share with your fellow participants. If events take a turn for the worst, a bandana soaked in apple cider vinegar & stored in a plastic bag can help combat the debilitating effects of tear gas. You never know!
Social media is power Be active on social media and spread the movement’s message through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This can help other people become aware of issues around the world and inspire them to get involved! Include any direct links.
Y
“Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.”
- Ronald Reagan
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.” - Nelson Mandela
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
- Elie Wiesel
“Protest and anger practically always derive from hope.” - John Berger
WISE WORDS FROM THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS
The pros and cons of social media CLICKtivism JOIN THE CONVERSATION with us @gather
PRO: With social media you can send more messages to more people, and faster. Our reach is more instantaneous and bigger than ever before.
CON: Social media activism is based on
PRO: By organizing, creating, and supporting hashtag campaigns, people from all over the world can get involved in the conversation.
CON: Hashtag campaigns are often
PRO: Social media is widely accessible and platforms are free to join and post on. Successful examples are Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook.
CON: People can buy tweets, those
PRO: Social media gives people the power to call out injustices & brings about better understanding of other cultures and people.
CON: Unless changed perceptions and
weak ties between strangers so they will often not get involved long-term. Messages are also easy to ignore.
not effective. An example of this is #bringbackourgirls, 270 Nigerian girls are still missing after a year.
with money can buy space on social media and take away from momentum activists work hard to create.
new attitudes make their way from the digital space into the real world, change loses impact.
THE FACTS 1 in 2
young adults ages 20-28 donate time to support the causes they care about
1 in 3 1 in 5
boycotts a business based on causes they care about
participates in a rally or meeting or contacts their local representative
7 in 10 3 in 5
American young adults are social activists
youth activists are women
LEARN MORE AT GATHER.ORG
CREATE CHANGE TOGETHER Join a movement today and learn how you can make a difference at GATHER.ORG
Share your stories and join the movement for real change JOIN us on GATHER.org and on social media @GATHER
assembly required