The Activist's Handbook (2012) is a guide to successful activism, written by Randy Shaw. Shaw offers advice on how to organise and mobilise people, win campaigns, and effect change. He draws on his own experience as an activist and on the experiences of other successful campaigners.

‘The Activists’ Handbook’ is a powerful guide to grassroots activism. A priceless resource for everyone ready to make a difference, environmental activist Aidan Ricketts offers a step-by-step handbook for citizens eager to start or get involved in grassroots movements and beyond.

Providing all essential practical tools, methods and strategies needed for a successful campaign and extensively discussing legal and ethical issues, this book empowers its readers to effectively promote their cause. Lots of ready-to-use documents and comprehensive information on digital activism and group strategy make this book an essential companion for any campaign.

Including case studies from the US, UK, Canada and Australia, this is the ultimate guidebook to participatory democracy.

Table of contents #

1. Activism, advocacy and the practice of democracy
2. Building successful social movements
3. Strategy: The art of activism
4. Planning and mapping your campaign: practical tools and processes
5. Media, publicity and research
6. Public sector activism: How to change the law and influence government policy
7. Corporate Activism
8. Direct action, protest and your rights
9. Digital Activism
10. Strategic Litigation
11. Social change and conflict resolution
12. Empowerment and personal sustainability: Staying active and avoiding burnout

Related books #

• The New Activism by Randy Shaw (2002)
• Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW, and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century by Randy Shaw (2012)
• The Activist's Handbook: A Primer for the 1990s and Beyond by Randy Shaw (1990)

External resources #

• The Activists’ Handbook by Aidan Ricketts

Attribution #

This page is an adaptation of the article The Activists’ Handbook by The Change Agency, which was published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.