Movement for Change is using community organizing to reconnect people's everyday lives with politics.
With local chapters across the United Kingdom, they needed an online solution for connecting people to local events and each other. “A key part of Movement for Change’s strategy over the next three years is to build an innovative online hub which connects activists across the UK to achieve change through Community Organizing," said Kathryn Perera, Chief Executive of Movement for Change.
Today, Movement for Change is hosting a Summer party in London. Activists and members of Parliament will get together to celebrate the new website and this year's organizing accomplishments. If you're in London town, be sure to swing by their headquarters to join the celebration.
So what is Movement for Change doing to take their field organizing tactics online?
After attending a labour conference last year, the organization decided to move their entire website over to NationBuilder. Beginning a year long planning and website design process, they teamed up with certified Architects Mar and Ned from Tectonica, working together to create a gorgeous site built entirely on our new responsive theme, Aware.
Tectonica built the new website to incorporate custom functions such as the chapter map featured on the home page. Utilizing NationBuilder's subnation feature, the map is a visual place where announcements will be made from local chapters, connecting people to local organizers on a hyper-local level.
Supplementing face-to-face communication with seamless online connection is crucial to maximizing massive field efforts. Although the Movement team does not see the online organizing component as a complete dominating force towards their organizing strategy, this additional touch will help move activists up the latter of engagement. "We just found that our organizing on the ground needed an online buddy; a hub to bring activists together and give them the opportunity to share the stories of the field," said Heli Nissinen, Communications Officer at Movement for Change.
The new website will rely on storytelling as a force for driving action. "This is where community organizing and communications come together," Heli added. "We believe in the power of stories to move people and inspire them to get organized. Our hope is that a showcase of stories online, through words, photos, audio and video will follow that key organizing principle, and have the ability to move people into action."
Giving a personal, curated touch when viewing training and events within a few miles of your home is a huge step forward to connecting people through shared experiences. The new iteration of Movement for Change's organizing efforts will help connect hundreds of locals to their larger community, drastically and positively changing the way organizing happens.
