Polling 201: utilizing public opinion research in your communications ca

Here are 5 insights for climate activists from the science of well-being. Your mental health matters for saving the planet; protect yourself and your team by fighting burnout; learn to embrace and allow negative emotions; give yourself the gift of self-compassion; embrace skeptical hope to gain energy and agency. In this video, psychology professor Dr. Laurie Santos discussed how the climate community can apply these strategies to work more effectively and avoid burnout. Two distinct methods are described. First, the RAIN method (by Tara Brach): recognize what is happening; allow feeling to be just as it is; investigate with interest & care; nurture with self-compassion. Second, the steps of self-compassion (by Kristin Neff): mindfulness (“I’m struggling”, “this is hard right now”); common humanity (“this is something everyone deals with”, “I’m only human”); self-kindness (“what do I need right now?”, “what can I take off my plate?”).

A new climate campaign is testing whether relentless civil disobedience can stop Citi from backing the fossil fuel industry. It is an experiment: Can sustained disruption play a major role in toppling support for the fossil fuel industry from a big bank like Citi? First of all, it’s about a wide range of constituencies being disruptive. Also, to sustain disruption, we need more people, period, which requires many recruitment methods. Specifically, this campaign has partnered with community-based organizations to activate existing membership bases, and with grassroots groups and NGOs small and large to send email blasts to recruit supporters into mass calls and meetings. The campaign has also hired campaign fellows and activated volunteers to phone, text bank and flier, sticker and put up posters. This campaign is an organizing project that seeks to recruit and empower many more people and groups to step into escalated risk and disruption.

Here are practices based in the science of motivation, performance and well-being to improve the quality of political organizing trainings. Connect the activity to its impact on other people or the world. Present goals and timelines as valuable information that is necessary for achieving a shared goal. Be clear about any requirements, guidelines, or boundaries. Provide a meaningful rationale for requests and requirements. Acknowledge and accept negative feelings and affect. Provide appropriate scaffolding (training, shadowing, role-plays, etc.).

There is a large gap between people’s interest in climate activism and their self-reported actions. Social norms are linked with increased follow-through. First, there is a big difference between those who say that they “definitely” or “probably” would take an action. Americans who follow through on climate activism tend to feel more social pressure to do so.

Young people bring critical perspective, expertise, and energy to our movement spaces -- but traditional organizing and mobilizing structures can leave them feeling undervalued, tokenized, or burnt out. 

How do we design ladders of engagement that truly support youth leadership development within our climate organizing work?

Participants will leave this Lab training with:

• Evidence-insights into the challenges and opportunities of youth climate organizing

Are you looking to build digital and in-person organizing tactics that will support your organization or local group in your long-term strategy? Join us for an exclusive training session on the integration of online and offline organizing tactics; a strategic approach designed to amplify impact and engagement across diverse channels.

• Discover the significance of leveraging both digital and traditional organizing methods and tactics to effectively achieve long-term goals.

Relationships are the building blocks for all community organizing activities. Community building occurs one-to-one: you need to build relationships with people one-to-one if you want them to become involved in your group or organization. Often building relationships is the groundwork that must be laid before anything else gets done on a project. The bigger the project, the more relationships you will usually need as a foundation. When you plan a project, you need to include the time it takes to build relationships into your plan. People need time to build trust. Whenever people work together, they need to have trusting relationships. When trust is missing, people usually have a difficult time functioning cooperatively. Here’s an 11-step program to building trusting relationships: build relationships one at a time; be friendly and make a connection; ask people questions; ask people questions; go places and do things; accept people the way they are; assume other people want to form relationships, too; overcome your fear of rejection; be persistent; invite people to get involved; enjoy people.

Mass movements work by organizing ordinary people to work together and withdraw consent from the status quo. As the Momentum participant guide explains, “For instance, the boss relies on the tacit consent of the workers to work; if the workers don’t show up, the boss’ power is empty – he rules over no one.” With a social view of power in mind, movements need many, many participants in order to have the power to win – not just a few core organizers. To bring supporters on board to a movement, we can categorize support as “passive” or “active.” The difference between passive and active supporters is exactly what it sounds like; active supporters walk the passive supporters’ talk.

In the spring of 2020, Sunrise Movement had a goal of making 300,000 phonebank calls on six congressional primary races. Sunrise decided to create volunteer teams to manage other volunteers, liaise with campaigns, set goals, and develop strategy. The volunteer leaders of these teams took on a level of responsibility and autonomy typically reserved for staff. The team members took responsibility for setting goals, creating strategy and tactics, liaising with campaigns, and managing the work of thousands of other volunteers.