
Activism that Works
Description
How do social justice and environmental activists determine or define their effectiveness? This unique consideration shares the stories of eight diverse social justice movements—including the Alberta College of Social Workers, the Calgary Raging Grannies, Oxfam Canada, and the Youth Project of Halifax—as they contemplate their own achievements. Revealing that success is not measured only in large-scale social reform, but is also found in moments of connection, such as in building relationships and raising awareness, this record provides meaningful insights into the struggle against neoliberal capitalism. A contribution to the movements challenging the domination of free market ideology, this book will offer a space for reflecting on the impacts of activist groups.
Reviews
“Activism That Works is a powerful book. It will help both students and activists think about how to pursue social change in new and, ultimately, more productive ways. The editors set the stage with a brilliant introductory chapter (“Building Success in Social Activism”) that insists we must address both power and power inequalities as well as the concrete organizational challenges involved in social justice work. Then a series of contributors demonstrate how to combine these two themes, drawing from grassroots lobbying campaigns, identity building groups, public protest participants, etc. The activist examples recounted here are radical, provocative and often moving. But they are not simply ‘blue-sky’ utopian prescriptions. The analytical framework and examples set out in Activism That Works encourage us to grapple with the concrete challenges involved in trying to change the world, like building up community support, anticipating opposition, making the most of unforeseen events and opportunities, and so on. The book demonstrates that activists don’t have to choose between ideals and accomplishments, though it reminds us that good ideas and intentions are never enough.”
- Dennis Pilon, Political Science, York University