The choice and mix of strategies are shaped by many factors unique to every place, people, moment, set of issues and organisations. Careful (power) analysis of all of these determines the pathways for contesting and changing power.

For example, COPINH’s strategic choices were shaped by specific contextual realities unique to Honduras and regional institutions unique to the Americas. Their organising led to a blockade of dam equipment in one moment, and a hearing at the Inter-American Human Rights Commission in another. Similarly, the decision to build their centre, Utopia, as a space for rituals and political education was driven by a sense that the recovery of Lenca identity and worldview would be central to a shared vision of the future to guide them, and to building the power needed to confront a formidable situation.

Download handout: Factors shaping strategic choices.

Making strategic choices

Context and history
The politics, history, culture, and society of any given place are critical, as they determine how the government functions and who it serves, who has economic power and who is most affected by inequalities. The social fabric – cohesiveness and community connections – also shape choices about organising and social conflict. Given a history of colonialism, imperialismm and globalisation, many decisions inside a country may be controlled by outside governments, banks, and corporations – and this creates both challenges and opportunities.

Civic space
What is the degree of political openness and basic freedoms and rights? Where are state repression and social violence happening, and misogyny tolerated and promoted? How do censorship and surveillance affect public discourse, expression, and activism and who do they affect?

Entry points
Some issues are more controversial than others. Those that generate the most conflict are often perceived as cultural – centring racism, religions, sexuality and gender – as well as economic access and the demands of the working class, poor, and marginalised. In an era of extremist and authoritarian politics, the state itself is highly contentious. In the PEKKA case study, Marginalised women organise in Indonesia, basic needs provided a less directly conflictual entry point for a strategy that eventually challenged patriarchy and capitalism and the cultural beliefs that sustain them.

The moment
Crises, scandals, natural disasters, and pivotal events (such as a pandemic or military coup) change the terrain. They may create even bigger possibilities to shape what’s on the agenda and challenge dominant power or they may shut down or refocus other strategic possibilities. In the short term, major events like the sports events, concerts, a visiting dignitary, or a national holiday can create opportunities for visibility and attention.

Narratives, media, and freedom of expression
Popular culture shapes politics and beliefs and is central to messaging, narratives and outreach strategies. However, the degree of access and surveillance determines how useful social media and digital platforms will be for connecting, educating, and mobilising. Since sports, music, and popular shows shape perceptions and public discourse, they offer possibilities for change strategies.

Capacity, resources, clout, and reach
The size, scope, reputation, relationships, and reach of an organisation or network obviously determine many strategic choices. These determine how much clout an organisation can leverage to draw attention and open doors. ‘Resources’ refers to both funding and people – although more funding and more people do not automatically translate to greater capacity. A movement that relies on vast active constituencies though sparse funding may have far more reach than a large well-funded institution.

Download handout: Making strategic choices.

Crisis is the new normal

This is a time of poly-crisis. Climate and ecological crises. A democracy crisis. A crisis of inequality. To build and transform power amid these and many other, simultaneous crises, movements can keep six priorities in mind.⁷

• Be nimble: Crises open windows for change, but those windows don’t stay open forever. Prepare organisations to be nimble so they are ready to adapt as a crisis unfolds.
• Go bold: In moments of crisis, it is more possible to advance bold demands for structural reform than it is in normal times. Millions of people go through intense struggles in moments of crisis, and their immediate needs mandate solutions that go beyond what established mechanisms can address. As a result, bold demands often make more sense than incremental reforms in moments of crisis.
• Make meaning: In moments of crisis, people need to be able to make meaning out of their changing reality. Because the old ways of understanding are inadequate to explain peoples’ lived experiences during a crisis, we have openings to challenge dominant narratives. But we can only do that if we have clarity on the story we need to tell and clear ways to get that story out to the people who need to hear it. That story needs to connect to the ways in which people are experiencing the crisis and offer a narrative that connects those experiences to the bold reforms that we are advancing. If we miss this opening to consolidate a new story to make meaning of the moment, people will fall back into old narratives based on fear, scarcity and division.
• Build power: During moments of crisis, our organisations can grow much more rapidly than in normal times. In a crisis, huge numbers of people are open to stepping out of their daily routines and getting involved in social change efforts. We need a plan to quickly build mass mobilisations so we can both inform what happens and absorb the individuals who become involved.
• Build a bigger ‘we’: In moments of crisis, our organisations can quickly move into much stronger positions of leadership. Changing circumstances can encourage us to build alliances with other organisations that had previously been distant or even antagonistic to us. We can also move beyond primarily leading our own communities to leading much broader sections of society.
• Plan for backlash and heightened risk: When we challenge power structures and the status quo, we need to expect backlash in the form of threats, hostile narratives, criminalisation and repression. It is vital that we integrate strategies for safety, both individual and collective, physical and digital, into our organising for social change. The toll and strain of pushing for change, also requires attention to care for our hearts, minds and bodies.

See JASS’  toolkit on collective protection and wellbeing: Our Rights, Our Safety.

Download handout: Crisis is the new normal.