PHOTO: Gustavo Garcia Solares
PHOTO: Takaitei Bote
PHOTO: Clayton Conn
MOVE
GLOBAL SOCIAL MOVEMENT CENTRE
We know social movements are the most powerful catalyst for the future we deserve. For decades, the ActionAid federation has been collaborating with movements directly involved in social change struggles, based on a shared vision of secularism, democracy, feminism, and economic and social justice. The Global Social Movement Center (MOVE) was set up in 2022 to deepen and expand this work. Today, MOVE consists of 5 regional hubs located in West Africa, East Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Latin America.
MOVE provides an ecosystem for Human Rights Defenders and their movements to be supported in all aspects of their work through the different phases of their struggles. Currently, it entails an integrated set of capacity strengthening activities for activists in social movements, core movement support functions to social movements, including funding and action research on relevant movements trends. MOVE also focuses on building an ecosystem of actors that can and should support movements, including international convenings, and developing resources for civil society organizations, decision makers and donor community to be better and more relevant allies.
MOVE is a collaboration between ActionAid Nigeria, MS TCDC, Tanzania, ActionAid Denmark and ActionAid Association, India.
What Do We Do?
Connecting people, movements and causes through physical events such as the bi-annual Global People Power Forum, global convenings and safe online spaces to share skills, strategies, and experiences on how to make change most effectively.
Flexible and strategic funding for 1) small scale actions when opportunities arise or when context demands it (Rapid Response fund for activists in danger) and 2) for building internal structures, recruitment and retention plans, and finetune the long-term strategies of the movement.
Action-research with practitioners and movement minded scholars and institutions, for example on how to measure and resist nuanced ways of repression or how to mobilize and support diaspora communities.
Curating and sharing lessons and insights and engaging people through stories that inspire via blogs, webinars, and short publications.
Organising and leadership development through capacity programs and mentorship on how to build sustainable movements and employ campaign tactics including crafting messaging strategies, planning protests, and engaging power holders in dialogue.
Advocacy and solidarity actions to support social movements by adding more attention, legitimacy, and international pressure for their cause and to condemn crackdowns they may face.
How We Do It
CONVENINGS & KNOWLEDGE
ACTIVIST WRITER BLOG SERIES: ‘Flash research’ by activists from across the world exploring questions, ideas and learnings central to movements beyond particular contexts. In collaboration with International Center on Nonviolent Conflict.
TROUBLEMAKERS PODCAST: Listen to Troublemakers from around the globe as they showcase stories of creative resistance and examine the tactics, principles, and theories that fuel nonviolent activism.
GLOBAL WEBINARS: Check out upcoming online events bringing people together for critical conversations and collaborative thinking on thematic issues and current events.
MOVE PUBLICATIONS: Collection of guides, tools, thinking and other written endeavors with movements and partners.
TRAINING & MENTORING
Our Global Organising and Leadership Development (GOLD) programme offers a multi-stage learning process designed to fit your busy schedule. Everyone is welcome to take the online courses at any time - at no cost!
These mini courses explore the foundations of organising, distributed leadership, social movements, forms of power and the concept of the Movement Cycle. Upon completing each course, you will be able to download a certificate.
DIRECT SUPPORT
ACTION SUPPORT: For movements that would benefit from doing actions and events to gain experience as a strong foundation to build a sustainable movement.
GET UP, RISE UP DIRECT ACTION FUND: A fund with Beautiful Trouble to support activists globally to shift power through nonviolent direct actions.