Activism that Works

Edited by Avery Calhoun, Elizabeth Whitmore, Maureen Wilson

How can we understand “success” in relation to social justice and environmental activism? How do activists themselves determine or define their effectiveness? Activism That Works shares the stories of eight diverse social justice movements, from Oxfam Canada, to the Calgary Raging Grannies, to the Youth Project of Halifax, as they contemplate their own successes. What we discover is that success is not measured only in large-scale social reform but is also found in moments of connection — in building relationships and raising awareness. Taking the lead from these stories, the authors contextualize and analyze success within social justice activism in Canada. Understanding their work as a contribution to the movements challenging the domination of free market ideology, the authors hope this book will offer a space for reflecting on the contributions and impacts of activist groups — and provide meaningful insights into what success means in the struggle against neoliberal capitalism.

Contents

• Foreword (Budd Hall)
• Making a Difference (Elizabeth Whitmore, Maureen Wilson & Avery Calhoun)
• Building Success in Social Activism (Maureen Wilson, Elizabeth Whitmore & Avery Calhoun)
• Oxfam Canada: The Fair Trade in Coffee Campaign (Bill Hynd & Carol Miller)
• The Disability Action Hall: Tell Stories, Take Action, Change Lives (Ryan Geake, Colleen Huston & members of the Hall)
• Alberta College of Social Workers: Doing the Right Thing (Rod Adachi & Lori Sigurdson)
• Calgary Raging Grannies: Affective and Effective (Sharon Montgomery)
• The Pembina Institute: Alberta’s Oil Sands: Thinking Like Owners (Marlo Raynolds & Amy Taylor)
• Youth Project: Heroes and Outlaws (Sheena Jamieson & Leighann Wichman)
• Social Justice Committee: Success Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers (Derek MacCuish & Maria Rasouli)
• The Storytellers’ Foundation: Learning for a Change (Anne Docherty)
• What Does Success Mean to Social Activists? (Avery Calhoun, Maureen Wilson & Elizabeth Whitmore)
• Sense Making: What Have We Learned (Elizabeth Whitmore, Maureen Wilson & Avery Calhoun)
• Appendix 1: Songs from the Raging Grannies.
• Appendix 2: List of Resources: Frameworks, Guides and Complexity
• References
• Index

About the Authors

Avery Calhoun is an associate professor of social work at the University of Calgary.

Elizabeth (Bessa) Whitmore is professor emerita at Carleton University’s School of Social Work.

Maureen G. Wilson is a professor in the Faculty of Social Work and cochair of the Consortium for Peace Studies at the University of Calgary.