| In this section
we have highlighted web resources that have helped us develop
our understanding of national and global movements for change.
Here you will find:
The
J.W. McConnell Family Foundation - This leading
Canadian foundation, a co-founder of Vibrant
Communities, has developed innovative approaches to funding
national systems change initiatives. The Publications,
Reports & Other Resources section of their website
provides an introduction to the foundation’s thinking
on topics such as Applied Dissemination and Grant Evaluation.
Caledon
Institute of Social Policy - The Caledon Institute
of Social Policy is a co-founder of Vibrant
Communities and is a “voice for progressive, practicable
social policy” in Canada. All of the Institute’s
publications are publicly available online.
Illustrative resources on Vibrant Communities and other community
initiatives can be found by entering either “Vibrant
Communities” or “Community Stories” as the
“Subject” line of a publication search.
Alternatives
- Alternatives is a Quebec-based organization that publishes
a newspaper and several Web sites dedicated to raising awareness
about, and working towards global economic and social justice.
Their monthly newspaper
often explores issues related to progressive social movements.
Alternatives also hosts the following Web projects:
- OneWorld.ca
- Publishes news about, and links to, national and international
progressive social movements.
-
Rabble.ca - A site that features stories,
analysis, and interviews by progressive journalists, writers,
artists, and activists. A search through their rubble
for key terms such as “social movement” and
“social change” turns up interesting links
and articles related to movements for change.
The
Polaris Institute - The Polaris Institute grew
out of citizen movements in opposition to Free Trade agreements.
The institute’s mandate is to “enable citizen
movements to re-skill and re-tool themselves to fight for
democratic social change in an age of corporate driven globalization.”
You will find publications
on a range of progressive projects including grassroots globalization,
biojustice, and water rights.
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Ashoka
- Ashoka identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs.
A search of the Ashoka
Fellow profiles uncovers fascinating stories of social
change initiatives and leadership taking place in countries
around the globe. By 2010, Ashoka
Canada will elect 20-24 Canadian social entrepreneurs
to its fellowship.
Changemakers
- An Ashoka initiative aimed at providing resources to act
as a catalyst for social change. This site features a searchable
archive of journal articles,
a library,
and multimedia
presentations that “present compelling stories that
explore the fundamental principles of successful social innovation
around the world.
Veterans
of Hope - This website
is an interactive learning resource that highlights stories,
lessons, models, and connections for movement building. In
the Connections
and Wisdom section of this website you will find biographical
sketches of over fifty inspirational leaders and a rich
collection of web links and words
of wisdom focused on social change and social justice.
Beloved
Communities - This site is user-friendly and
contains a wealth of movement building essays, articles, links,
and ideas. The resources include speeches, papers and interviews
with Grace Lee Boggs, a long time civil rights activist,
as well as speeches and the Letter from Birmingham Jail by
Martin
Luther King Jr.
Leadership
for a Changing World - The Ford Foundation and
the Advocacy Institute have partnered on this project, which
recognizes community leaders working for progressive change
and seeks to foster a dialogue around innovative leadership
initiatives. Each year 17-20 leaders are recognized for their
efforts and their stories
have been posted to inspire others working for progressive
social change. On this site you will also find transcripts
from online
interviews, and research papers and opinion essays
produced by, or in collaboration with, the leadership awardees.
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Philia - Philia is
a PLAN initiative
founded on the belief that the health, well-being and strength
of our society requires the presence and participation of
all citizens. This site features ideas, conversations, and
actions around sustainable social change initiatives and @Philia
is a monthly ezine published by the group.
McGill-McConnell
Masters Program - Between 1997 and 2002, The
J.W. McConnell Family Foundation sponsored a Master of Management
for National Voluntary Sector Leaders with McGill
University. Over two-dozen major papers by the program’s
graduates are available online.
Stanford
Social Innovation Review - SSIR’s
mission is to “share substantive insights and practical
experiences that will help those who do the important work
of improving society do it even better.” Their articles
are geared towards the fields of nonprofit management, corporate
social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.
Archived SSIR articles have been categorized and are publicly
available.
Margaret
J. Wheatley - Margaret J. Wheatley is an internationally
renowned educator, author, and consultant. Margaret’s
book Leadership
and the New Science: Learning About Organization from an Orderly
Universe has been credited with establishing a fundamentally
new approach to thinking about organization. Her articles
on topics such as leadership, complexity theory, and organizational
change have helped us think about how change happens in natural
interconnected systems.
Lisbeth
Schorr, Common Purpose Homepage - Lisbeth Schorr
has written several books and papers aimed at a long-term
goal of developing “a more comprehensive strategy that
could combat a wide range of social ills, including those
that are separating the haves ever further from the have-nots”.
This site features her insightful book Common
Purpose: Strengthening Families and Neighborhoods to Rebuild
America and recent articles
that explore innovative approaches to solving social problems.
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Movement
History - This site
outlines the efforts of a Canadian writer and activist who
is compiling an oral history of Canadian social movement activists.
This project is in its formative stages and aims to publish
both a book and a series of radio shows called “Radical
Elders” based on the interviews conducted. Several sample
interviews and project progress
updates are posted online.
Social
Movements & Culture - The
American Studies Department at Washington State University
has developed a Social Movements and Culture resource site.
They have compiled on-line articles, bibliographies, course
syllabi, conferences, and sets of links related to American
social movements. Their Glossary
of Terms Used To Study Social Movements provides
a helpful overview and introduction to terms that are frequently
used in discussing social movement theory.
The
King Center - Founded by Mrs. Coretta Scott King,
The King Center has a “long-range mission to spread
the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. to a broader, global
constituency” and build the “Beloved Community”
that Dr. King envisioned. Among the many resources on this
site you will find a biographical sketch and chronology of
Dr.
King, and programs and services such as The Martin
Luther King Jr. Papers Project and a tutorial
on nonviolence.
CoolWomen.ca
- A very “cool” website dedicated to women and
girls who are making history. They have compiled a searchable
database of stories and an extensive listing of women’s
resources, including national and international web links
and a “Cool Chronology” of the achievements of
women in Canada.
The
SPIN Project
- This strategic media communication project was created to
strengthen “organizations hoping to shape debates and
shift public policy.” Their online
resources include communication tutorials, links, consultant
directory, and free online communications plan generator.
You can also browse the books and articles
they have published to facilitate strategic communication
for progressive social change.
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