Creative + Strategic = Effective Movements for Change
by Rivera Sun
1038 words
Posit: You and some friends want your town to change a public policy and the city government is ignoring you, so you decide to make some fuss to try to initiate a shift in policy.
If you want to make change, think outside the protest box. It's easy to get hung up on demonstrations. We've heard about them, they're highly visible, and they're relatively easy to pull off. The problem with protests is that - all too often - they're easily ignored. Creativity is key to making your actions meaningful and memorable. Paired with a sound strategy, creative actions can be unstoppable.
Strategy for nonviolent change is relatively straightforward: we have to remove tangible support from the problem (think: boycott the business, go on strike, walk-out of schools and workplaces) while putting resources into the solution (think: worker-owned cooperatives, restorative justice, solar panels, local food). Nonviolent struggle offers hundreds of methods of action. Instead of relying on the same-old protests, perhaps it's time to unleash creativity and strategy by thinking outside the protest box.
Here are three campaigns that combined creativity and strategy to make powerful change.
Rainbow Grandpa Paints the Town, Taiwan, 2010-2019
Huang Yung-fu was relocated to a military settlement in Taiwan after the Nationalist Party lost the struggle with China's Communist Party. Originally, there were 1,200 inhabitants, but over the years, people moved away or died, eventually leaving Huang Yung-fu alone. To combat loneliness, he began to paint colorful images on the walls of the buildings. After years of painting, the brilliantly colored artwork covered much of the town.
A decade ago, he learned that the Taiwanese government planned to demolish the village. A local university got involved and the students began to paint with Huang Yung-fu. They also developed a social media campaign to fundraise to support the artwork and prevent the demolition. It worked. One million visitors flock to the village each year, and the government decided not to tear it down. Huang Yung-fu is now affectionately called "Rainbow Grandpa," is 97 years old, and still lives in his same house.
Often times, community activists looking to prevent development stage protests in front of government buildings, form blockades of construction equipment, and launch boycotts and shareholder actions against the development company. All worthy tactics, but the story of Rainbow Grandpa illuminates the strength of a constructive strategy. By using creativity to make the village unique and tapping into the folk-art-tourism economy, this campaign was successful in offering the government another -- better -- option.
Canadian Artist "Copyrights" His Land to Stop Pipeline
Oil and gas companies wanted to build a pipeline through 800-acres of land owned by Alberta artist, Peter von Tiesenhausen. So, in 2003, he covered the earth with art such as a "a 33-metre-long ship sculpted with willow stalks, winter ice forms, nest-like structures in trees, statuesque towers and a "lifeline" or visual autobiography composed as a white picket fence built in annual sections left to weather naturally". This move protected his land under copyright law. It also increased the remuneration for disturbance from $200/acre for crop loss to $600,000 for a work of art. Peter von Tiesenhausen also started charging $500/hour consultation fees any time the company lawyers called him. In 2010, his copyright claim was still holding up in court and the oil and gas company had backed away.
By using art and creativity, Peter von Tiesenhausen changed the playing field. Instead of fighting the oil and gas company on its own terms, he made them dance to his tune. He pulled the legal rug out from under their feet by protecting his land with copyright law. When we're facing overwhelming odds and powerful opponents, the more we can shift the playing field to serve our advantage and play to our movement's strengths, the more likely we are to win.
Do-It-Yourself Campaign Stamps Harriet Tubman on $20 Bill, 2019
In 2016, the US Treasury (finally) agreed to put the Black, female, slave emancipator Harriet Tubman on the front side of the $20 bill, relegating Andrew Jackson to the backside of the nation's highest circulation currency. But, in 2019, the Trump Administration backed off from the plan.
In protest, an artist, Dano Wall, crafted a stamp of Harriet Tubman and released the 3D printing design into the public domain, calling upon citizens to stamp the African-American woman's portrait onto the $20 immediately. His goal is to stamp 5-10 percent of the bills in circulation, making it difficult for the administration to ignore. He has raised $3,000 for charity through the sale of the stamps and the design can be printed out by 3D printers, which many public libraries have.
This strategy is a form of direct action, taking matters into one's own hands. It is similar to the lunch counter sit-ins of the 1960s. By engaging without seeking permission, we make the envisioned world possible here and now. This kind of direct action challenges the complacency of the establishment, upends injustice, and actively asserts the solutions we propose.
The Take-Away
Each week, as the editor of Nonviolence News, I report on 50+ stories of nonviolence in action. These stories are brimming with creativity. The capacity of human beings to address conflict with ingenuity, humor, and out-of-the-box thinking is staggering . . . and inspiring. In the past month, I've covered stories of guerrilla archiving climate data to protect it from conservative regimes, paddle-out surfboard protests against Australian offshore oil drilling, and how "The Ruths" ran a marathon for women's rights dressed as Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg. On the US-Mexico border fence, a group of artists are painting the world's longest peace mural. In Sudan, amidst a nonviolent revolution, activists are about to unveil the longest protest banner (nearly two miles long) in the world. In Spain, faced with a ban on street protesting, citizens created the world's first holographic projection protest. More recently, a German circushas replaced live animals with holograms in a major step forward for animal rights. Hollywood actors mobilized their star power (and checkbooks) to end Brunei's death penalty for gay sex by organizing a boycott of the Pacific island's hotels.
The stories are endless. When it comes to unleashing creativity for a cause, nonviolent action is where it's at. The very best campaigns combine strategy and creativity in effective movements for social change. They're heartening. They're powerful. They're a balm for the soul . . . and medicine for our world.
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Rivera Sun, syndicated by PeaceVoice, has written numerous books, including The Dandelion Insurrection. She is the editor of Nonviolence News and a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent campaigns.
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CNBC Presents Coverage with Special Correspondent Scott Cohn Revealing the 2019 America’s Top States for Business across CNBC Platforms on Wednesday, July 10th
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 10, 2019 – With an escalating trade war, historic labor shortages, aging infrastructure and a record economic expansion showing signs of stress, what makes some states more competitive than others in the battle for business and jobs? The calculus has never been more complicated than it is now, and America’s Top States for Business is back to make sense of it all.
Starting Tuesday, July 9th, CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, will broadcast coverage of its thirteenth annual study of America’s Top States for Business. The network will build a special event around this CNBC exclusive study with the complete rankings being revealed on Wednesday, July 10th, during the network’s Business Day programming. The complete ranking for all 50 states will be available on CNBC.com and include an in-depth look at each of their respective rankings.
CNBC Special Correspondent Scott Cohn will broadcast live from the top-ranked state beginning on Tuesday and will announce the top five states on this year’s list on “Squawk Box” (6AM-9AM ET) Wednesday.
CNBC Digital will reveal, in conjunction with on-air, the complete list of America’s Top States for Business rankings on Wednesday, July 10th. In addition, topstates.cnbc.com will feature a wealth of coverage about each state including economic snapshots (employment, budget, tax and housing data) and exclusive stories looking at the unique issues facing the states this year, from labor shortages and crumbling infrastructure to the changing dynamics around the trade war.
Follow us on Twitter @CNBC and take part in the social conversation using hashtag #TopStates.
CNBC’s exclusive study scores all 50 states on 64 metrics across ten categories of competitiveness. The methodology grades the states based on the qualities they deem most important in attracting business. To do that, CNBC assigns a weight to each of the ten categories by analyzing every state’s economic development marketing materials. The more frequently a selling point appears, the more weight it carries in the study.
Here are the 2019 categories and weightings:
Workforce (450 points)
We rate states based on the educational attainment of their workforce, the number of available employees, and net migration of college-educated workers. We consider each state’s concentration of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) workers, increasingly in demand by business. We measure workforce productivity based on each state’s economic output per job. We look at the relative success of each state’s worker training programs in placing their participants in jobs. We also consider union membership and the states’ right-to-work laws. While organized labor contends that a union workforce is a quality workforce, that argument, more often than not, does not resonate with business.
Economy (375 points)
A solid economy is good for business. So is a diverse economy, with access to the biggest players in a variety of industries. We look at economic growth, job creation, and the health of the residential real estate market. We measure each state’s fiscal health by looking at its credit ratings and outlook, its overall budget picture, and pension and retiree health care obligations. Because of their own economic impact as well as the ripple effect, we consider the number of major corporations headquartered in each state.
Infrastructure (350 points)
Infrastructure is about access to people and markets. We measure the vitality of each state’s transportation system by the value of goods shipped by air, waterways, roads and rail. We look at the availability of air travel in each state, the quality of the roads and bridges, and the time it takes to commute to work. We measure population within a day’s drive of each state. We also evaluate each state’s utility infrastructure, including the condition of drinking water and wastewater systems.
Cost of Doing Business (350 points)
We look at the competitiveness of each state’s tax climate, as well as state-sponsored incentives that can lower the cost of doing business. Utility costs can add up to a huge expense for business, and they vary widely by state. We also consider the cost of wages, as well as rental costs for office and industrial space.
Quality of Life (325 points)
One way to attract qualified workers is to offer them a great place to live. We score the states on livability including several factors, such as the crime rate, the quality of health care, the level of health insurance coverage and the overall health of the population. We measure inclusiveness by looking at statewide anti-discrimination protections, as well as the ability of local jurisdictions to set their own standards. We evaluate local attractions, parks and recreation, as well as environmental quality.
Education (175 points)
Education and business go hand in hand. Not only do companies want to draw from an educated pool of workers, they also want to offer their employees a great place to raise a family. Higher education institutions offer companies a source to recruit new talent, as well as a partner in research and development. We consider the number of higher education institutions in each state as well as long-term trends in state support for higher education. We look at several measures of K-12 education including test scores, class size and spending, and we look at technology infrastructure in the schools. We also look at life-long learning opportunities in each state.
Technology & Innovation (175 points)
Truly competitive states prize innovation, nurture new ideas, and have the infrastructure to support them. We measure the states based on results, including the number of patents issued, as well as health, science and agriculture research grants.
Business Friendliness (175 points)
We evaluate the legal and regulatory climates of each state, as well as overall economic freedom for businesses and individuals.
Access to Capital (75 points)
Companies go where the money is, and capital flows to some states more than others. We look at venture capital investments by state, as well as traditional bank financing for small and mid-sized businesses.
Cost of Living (50 points)
The cost of living helps drive the cost of doing business. From housing to food and energy, wages go further when the cost of living is low. We measure the states based on an index of costs for basic items.
For more information contact:
Jennifer Dauble
CNBC
t: 201.735.4721
m: 201.615.2787
e: jennifer.dauble@nbcuni.com
Erin Kitzie
CNBC
t: 201.735.4739
m: 201.753.8107
e: erin.kitzie@nbcuni.com
About CNBC:
With CNBC in the U.S., CNBC in Asia Pacific, CNBC in Europe, Middle East and Africa, and CNBC World, CNBC is the recognized world leader in business news and provides real-time financial market coverage and business information to 410 million homes worldwide, including more than 90 million households in the United States and Canada. CNBC also provides daily business updates to 400 million households across China. The network's 15 live hours a day of business programming in North America (weekdays from 4:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. ET) is produced at CNBC's global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and includes reports from CNBC News bureaus worldwide. CNBC at night features a mix of new reality programming, CNBC's highly successful series produced exclusively for CNBC and a number of distinctive in-house documentaries.
CNBC Digital delivers more than 55 million U.S. multi-platform unique visitors each month. CNBC.com provides real-time financial market news and information to CNBC’s investor audience. CNBC Make It is a digital destination focused on making you smarter about how you earn, save and spend your money by zeroing in on careers, leadership, entrepreneurship and personal finance.
CNBC has a vast portfolio of digital products, offering CNBC content to a variety of platforms such as: CNBC.com; CNBC PRO, a premium service that provides in-depth access to Wall Street; a suite of CNBC mobile apps for iOS and Android devices; Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri voice interfaces; and streaming services including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Samsung Smart TVs. To learn more, visit https://www.cnbc.com/digital-products/.
Members of the media can receive more information about CNBC and its programming on the NBCUniversal Media Village Web site at http://www.nbcumv.com/programming/cnbc. For more information about NBCUniversal, please visit http://www.NBCUniversal.com.
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The abcdespañol board game has for 30 years served as a learning tool in more than ten countries to help approximately a million children, youth and adults develop literacy skills. The creator’s daughter, Catalina Gonzalez, founded Literacy4All to ensure students in developing countries were learning their basic reading, writing, and math skills during early education. “Children who don’t learn how to read by the end of third grade are likely to remain poor readers for the rest of their lives, and are likely to fall behind in other academic areas,” says Gonzalez. Her organization created LEMA — Literacy Education and Math Lab — for underprivileged communities and trains its members to become learning coaches to support learning no matter who or where the learners come from. According to Gonzalez, play-based learning through LEMA not only improves students’ reading and math skills, but also allows them to “develop social skills, communication, collaboration, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.” Literacy4All promotes fun learning because it believes academics can only improve for all once effective collaboration is achieved. Gonzalez adds, “Through play, we are able to remove one of the biggest barriers to learning – fear.”
Read the full article here
Catalina Gonzalez is the Founder and Director of Literacy4All, an organization geared towards ensuring 1st-4th grade students in developing countries are at their appropriate reading, writing, and math levels. After beginning the organization in her home country of Columbia and successfully implementing LEMA, Literacy4All has now expanded into 3 other countries and is expected to reach even more in the upcoming years.
CMRubinWorld’s award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, brings together distinguished thought leaders in education and innovation from around the world to explore the key learning issues faced by most nations. The series has become a highly visible platform for global discourse on 21st century learning, offering a diverse range of innovative ideas which are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin, together with the world’s leading thinkers.
For more information on CMRubinWorld
Follow @CMRubinWorld on Twitter
Contact Information:
David Wine
David(at)cmrubinworld(dot)com
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FREE LIVE WEBINAR THIS WEEK
Optimize Your Child’s Summer Schedule: Fun, Learning, and Connection
with Susan Kruger, M.Ed.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019 @ 1pm Eastern Time (find it in your time zone)
Can't attend the live webinar?
As long as you register now, we'll email you the replay link
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For the last 10 months, your child has put in superhuman effort to meet academic expectations and overcome learning challenges. You don’t want him to lose the progress he's made, yet you know that he needs a break from school-related pressures. Learn how to strike the right balance this summer.
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Digital learning tools and web-based platforms continue to revolutionize the way students develop skills for a 21st century workplace such as communication skills, presentation and interpersonal skills, digital literacy skills and digital citizenship skills. In a new interview with C. M. Rubin, the director of studies of Pegasus English Language School in Macedonia, Pero Sardzoski says “going paperless with Edmodo is one of the most significant achievements we have made,” and notes that the use of digital learning tools has enabled his students to “develop the most required skills for the 21st century,” while at the same time reducing the paper consumption in his organization. Through “web design, blogging, filmmaking and video editing, digital presentations, and the use of social media,” students at the Pegasus English Language School improve their digital literacy, which encourages digital innovation and effectively prepares them to be world-ready.
Sardzoski adds that his school provides continuous training for teachers “to enable them to use various digital learning tools in their teaching practice, such as: Edmodo, Kahoot, Quizlet, Quizizz, Nearpod, Triptico, Google Classroom, Google Arts and Culture, Google Expeditions (VR), and many more”.
Read the full article here
Pero Sardzoski is the co-founder and Director of Studies at Pegasus English Language School, a school situated in Tetovo, which specializes in promoting the English language and culture through language courses for adults and young learners, employing contemporary methodology and modern technical applications.
CMRubinWorld’s award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, brings together distinguished thought leaders in education and innovation from around the world to explore the key learning issues faced by most nations. The series has become a highly visible platform for global discourse on 21st century learning, offering a diverse range of innovative ideas which are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin, together with the world’s leading thinkers.
For more information on CMRubinWorld
Follow @CMRubinWorld on Twitter
Contact Information:
David Wine
David(at)cmrubinworld(dot)com======
