Resources

Consensus and Facilitation

Facilitating Meetings - updated
Ever sat through a meeting that has dragged on and on, with tempers running high, people talking over each other and no decisions being made? This briefing has tips and advice on facilitating meetings and making them worthwhile, including facilitation roles, preparing a meeting, active listening, problems in meetings and large groups.
 Web version |  PDF - 650k

Facilitating Workshops - draft
Some practical tips for workshop facilitators. If you've ever facilitated a workshop, you'll know it's different from facilitating a meeting - here's our guide to help you out.
Draft version - currently only available as  PDF - 605k

Consensus Decision Making
Consensus is a decision-making process that works creatively to include all persons making the decision.
 Web version |  PDF - 180k

Consensus Flow-chart
A flow-chart of how consensus can be reached - this complements our briefings on facilitation and consensus.
 Web version |  PDF - 5k

Consensus in Large Groups - draft
Consensus decision making is widely used in grassroots groups across the globe, but people often assume it's a process that can only work with a small group of people. This briefing gives you some tools you can use to make consensus work with larger groups.
Draft version - currently only available as  PDF - 485k

Hand Signals - draft
some of the most commonly used hand signals used to make meetings run more smoothly, and help the facilitator spot emerging agreements.
Draft version - currently only available as  PDF - 320k

Tools for Meetings
A compilation of exercises that we have found useful when working in groups and facilitating meetings.
 Web version |  PDF - 1.8mb

Doing it Without Leaders
An introduction to the ideas behind direct democracy and consensus - why should we try to organise in a non-hierarchical way?
 PDF - 100k

Making Decisions by Consensus
A practical guide to using consensus in small and large groups.
 PDF - 225k

Doing it Without Leaders and Making Decisions by Consensus have also been published as two chapters in Do It Yourself - A Handbook for Changing Our World edited by the Trapese Collective.

Groups and Meetings

Organising Successful Meetings - updated
Good meetings are vital to working together as a group, whether this is a campaign group, a self-development or support group. They can make all the difference between a group feeling motivated and dynamic or a group getting stuck.
 Web version |  PDF - 275k

Access Issues at Meetings - a short guide - updated
Easy access to a venue is essential for a successful community event. This is a guide to access issues for event organisers when they're planning a meeting or choosing a venue.
 Web version |  PDF - 390k

Checklist for Encouraging People (to Be (and Stay) Involved in Your Group)
A short checklist for groups who want to attract more people.
Draft version - currently only available as  PDF - 40k

Using Questions in workshops - a short guide - new
Questioning is a technique often used by facilitators during workshops, meetings or one-on-one mentoring or coaching as an alternative to presenting information and answers.This briefing discusses how you can use questioning as part of your facilitator's toolkit.
 Web version |  PDF - 325k

Active Listening - a short guide - new
Active listening is a useful skill for all sorts of situations - whether you're taking part in meetings and workshops or dealing with conflict. By actively listening we can come to understand how the speaker feels about a subject or situation - this briefing explains how we can hear people through their words and tune into their underlying emotions, concerns and tensions.
 Web version |  PDF - 325k

Giving and receiving feedback - a short guide - new
Feedback is an essential tool to help us learn new skills and improve existing ones. Like most things, giving inexpert feedback can hinder rather than help. This is a short guide to making the most of your feedback sessions.
 Web version |  PDF - 315k

Planning your Campaign, Research and Strategy

Planning your Project or Campaign
Projects and campaigns usually start because we feel inspired - our first impulse is to throw ourselves into action straightaway. But if we take a little time to analyse the situation and to develop a plan of action we can increase our effectiveness and our chances of success,
 Web version |  PDF - 205k

Action Planning - draft
A guide to the steps you can take to make your action a successful one.
Draft version - currently only available as  PDF - 205k

Communicating your Campaign Message - draft
At some point in time in the life of any campaign you'll find yourself talking to others face to face about the issue - here's some pointers to help you get your message across.
Draft version - currently only available as  PDF - 410k

Preparing for Action - draft
Whatever kind of action you're planning to take, preparation is key to success. Thinking about what to expect, what to take and what roles people can play is all too often neglected.
Draft version - currently only available as  PDF - 525k

...and some external resources:
Corporate Watch UK - extensive site including profiles, briefings and resources on researching and using material on corporations.
Your Right To Know - How to use the law to get information from government, a briefing by Friends of the Earth
How to Lobby your MP/MEP/AM/MSP by People & Planet

Media, Publicity and Outreach

Dealing with the Media - a short guide - new
A short version of our in depth media guide (below) - read this if you want a basic introduction or a refresher.
 Web version |  PDF - 950k

Dealing with the Media - in depth - updated
Most campaigns end up dealing with the mainstream media at some point, whether they choose that contact or are thrust unwillingly into the limelight. This is a guide to getting your message across in the mainstream media, and tips on how to deal with the darker side of the press.
 Web version |  PDF - 1.3Mb

Good Publicity and Outreach - a short guide - new
Publicity and outreach are essential tools for communicating campaign messages and getting people involved in taking action. This briefing gives you some tips on how to best get your message across to the public.
 Web version |  PDF - 590k

...and some external resources:
The Media Trust - guides on PR and dealing with the media.
NetAction's virtual activist - guides to using emails for activism - press releasing, using the web to contact supporters, lobby etc (also available as a  PDF).
An Activists Guide to Exploiting the Media - from George Monbiot.
Rising Tide, the climate change network have excellent How-To guides and other resources, on public speaking and dealing with groups and the media.

Funding

Fundraising for Activists
There are many different ways of raising money and getting materials and equipment. You'll find some of them in this guide together with general tips on raising cash and writing funding applications.
 Web version |  PDF - 165k

...and some external resources:
Voluntary Action Manchester - resources on funding and development of your group
Volresource - huge site with lots of information for those in the voluntary sector - indispensable
Funding Guides - from the S.Yorkshire Funding Advice Bureau. Very extensive - cover topics such as grants, evaluation, making applications etc.

Legal and Planning Issues

Sample constitution for groups
This is a sample constitution for groups (unincorporated associations) to adapt and use - you may need a constitution if your group wants to open a bank account or apply for funding.

ODT - 33k Open Document Format. For OpenOffice.org and most word processors (except MS Word).

DOC - 120k Microsoft Word.

...and some external resources:
Activists Legal Project - information about the law for people who are thinking of taking direct action, or who have taken direct action.
FreeB.E.A.G.L.E.S - materials to introduce you to your legal rights, and to what to expect if you are unfortunate enough to run into trouble with the law.
Your Rights - guide to human rights law in England and Wales. Rights of protest, free expression, privacy, freedom of information, redress, suspects, defendants, prisoners, discrimination, immigrants, mental disorder, children and young people, workers, travellers, the bereaved, parents, property and victims and witnesses of crime, and contains articles on the The Human Rights Act.
Campaign for Planning Sanity - extensive site with information regarding planning issues, and how to use theplanning process to beat adverse developments.

Computers and Linux

Computer Security Postcard Guide
Worried about viruses, Big Brother and computer security in general? This is a simple, practical guide to computer security. Simply print it out, fold it to show your chosen level of security and keep it next to your computer. (PDF, 125k)

Low Cost Computing
Using older hardware for your computing needs (and why you should!).

Linux - what and how?
In this briefing we look at what Linux is, why it is interesting to groups working on social justice issues, and provide some pointers to help you decide if Linux is for you.

Linux X-Terminals - or how to use those old computers to make a network of fast workstations.
How To set up old computers to make a fast and cheap network.

Free Software Bits 'n' Bobs - useful but specific HowTos for various Free Software projects we use: Speedtouch Modem; IBM Thinkpad 600 and Brochure Printing in OpenOffice.