WE ARE NOT SHEEP-Civil Disobedience for Dummies
ODM had it, and his pissed off-o-meter is reading a little below 100%..
ODM wants Syrians to be aware that the show of support to this regime and the masses you see wearing shoe-hattas come from 0.073 percent of the public. out of 20 million people, you may have found 200 thousand people marching with flags, chanting anti American slogans, and supporting Syria. What you have to understand, that most of those 6% are Syrian nationalist, not Assadists..but they are confused too.
It is time for Civil Disobedience: As I promised in my first post of this blog in early 2005, February of 2006 is the official kick off of my Civil Disobedience Movement. The official date in february is not public yet, as to our leadership will first undergo closed door meetings with the current regime, to try to have them meet every Syrians demand without the hassle, in other words, their last chance to save face.
If they don't accept, the campaign will officially start once our First Press Release is faxed to Al Jazeera, followed by a blast fax list consisting of more than 340 Media outlts across the world.
Below, ODM has outlined the steps to Civil Disobedience in plain terms, for people who have no clue of what I am talking about. More details on our Civil Disobedience Ultimatum and Civil Disobedience Movement are available in ODM's previous posts.
Steps to making a "We Are Not Sheep" Campaign
Most movement programs revolve around organizing single, unrelated events-demonstrations, forums, whatever. Were these activities strung together in an integrated fashion- building on one another -- the impact and potential for success would be magnified dramatically. Civil Disobedience Movements are like snowballs, people love revolution, especially when they are directly affected from what they are revolting against.
Such is the advantage of campaign organizing. The campaign provides an escalating series of actions over a period of time focused on a target in order to achieve specific goals. Persistence and a systematic approach are key ingredients of a campaign.
All this is not to say demonstrations should not be organized on individual dates when people are already being mobilized- like Corrective Movement Day (March 8), Independence Day (April 17), Faggots day, and so forth. But, when possible, pre planned actions which are part of campaigns can make a stronger statement.
Planning a Campaign
While a demonstration takes a good deal of careful planning, a campaign requires considerably more attention.
The first step is to do the basic groundwork of self-education on the issues and problems to be combated. This can be accomplished through research, study groups, workshops, and conferences.
The masses need to know that the "We Are not Sheep" Campaign is a Syrian cause for all Syrians, and that the agenda is for the empowerment of Syrian voice, basically gaining the Syrian Parliament, and getting rid of the rotten emergency laws.
The next step is to decide where to focus our initial efforts. What you need to find are weak points in the opponent's "armour," which will provide levers or handles to focus criticism and action.
During one phase of the Indian campaign for independence from Britain, Gandhi selected the British monopoly on salt as the focus for a campaign. At first this appeared to be an insignificant issue to worry about, compared with independence itself. But because salt affected everyone on this rather hot subcontinent, because its cost was a hardship on the masses, and because it was relatively easy to manufacture (and thereby violated the salt laws), it became an ideal symbol of why independence was being sought.
In our case it is the "WE ARE NOT SHEEP" motto that will appeal to everybody who is taking orders to live his life with his head dipped in the sand. This will appeal to the poor shawerma stand guy who has to shower in clorox for 4 hours because of his shitty job, to the Army General who deep inside knows that he and his grandfather has been sticking to a cause that has diminished, between a group of thugs that have already went through plans A-Z, and nowthinking of plan "Z" to the power of three-which is how to get out of here alive with some of the booty they made in the past 40 years.
In Ghandi's struggle, the British viewed the Salt Campaign as "nothing less than to cause a complete paralysis of the administrative machinery." In retrospect, the year-long campaign was the most spectacular effort in the 28-year struggle for independence.
The United Farm Workers grape boycott is another example of a well chosen campaign in the struggle to win union recognition and better conditions for farm workers.
One of the most important steps in a campaign, after determining the target or focus, is to choose the short range goals. Long range goals are easy, e.g., world peace or an end to sexism.
But sometimes if short range goals are not clearly defined, then the campaign could be stalled. Short range goals should be winnable within the near future (providing a boost and the encouragement needed to keep your group moving toward the longer range goals), measurable (you ought to be able to tell when you have accomplished them), set on a timetable to allow for periods of evaluation, be a significant step towards the long range goal(s).
Analysis
After the goals have been set, an analysis should be made to see who the participants in the campaign are and how they can aid the campaign.
Who do you need to participate if the campaign is likely to succeed? Who is on your side now? How are those people reached?
Write, call, or visit the community groups which are likely to be sympathetic: cooperatives, clinics, some veterans groups, women's groups, Third World groups, student groups, religious organizations, women's groups, and so forth.
Who are the opponents? How can they or their supporters be won over or neutralized. The supporters of the opponents might be the community, Business Men, Army personnel, newspapers, or clergy. Those people are really easy to win over in time of crisis as they know that they will be consumed by the masses if they don't stop what they do..
After this analysis, a plan of action set on a timetable is needed. This plan of action should be in a step-bystep escalation.
Escalation is necessary if the pressure on opponents needs to be increased. This does not necessarily mean the previous level of activity is abandoned, but simply that an escalated stage of activity is added to the previous stages.
For example, education should be a constant and complementary component of every campaign- never being abandoned. In the campaign for Syria, initiate the campaign by writing a formal press release handed to all local and regional media sources and forward it to all heads of government, demanding parliamentary elections and an end to emergency laws; etc. Should an escalation be necessary, picketing, leafleting, or boycotts might be next.
Beyond that, demonstrations, marches, and rallies could be organized. Then, perhaps, a student strike, and maybe carefully chosen civil disobedience actions.
Organizers should not lightly go from one level of a campaign to the next. Each stage should be evaluated and considered seriously. Remember, shifting to the next stage does not mean activities at earlier levels should always be forgotten (e.g., going from picketing to a sit-in does not necessarily mean picketing should be discontinued).
Step by Step Escalation in a Nonviolent Campaign
Investigation and Research
Checking facts and allegations; building an airtight case against opponents and preparing for countercharges
Negotiation and arbitration
Meeting with opponents to settle conflict before going public; ultimatum issued before moving to next level.
Public forums, letters to editor, etc.
Basic public education on issues
Picketing, leafleting, etc.
Public contact with opponents
Demonstrations, rallies, marches
Show of strength by maximizing numbers
Limited strike
Involving those immediately affected
Boycott
Against company or the whole government and its apparatus, if appropriate
Analyzing a Campaign
This outline is an expansion of an outline used by Joan Bondurant in her analysis of Gandhian campaigns. It can be used either in evaluation of a campaign or in preparation for a campaign.
1. Dates of the Campaign
2. Goals
Long range
What were the ultimate goals being sought?
Short range
What goals were set?
Were they achievable?
Were they measurable?
Can you tell if they've been accomplished?
Would reaching them have brought the campaign measurably closer to the long range goals?
Timetable
Was a timetable set to allow for periodic measurement of progress of the campaign?
What was it?
Bottom line
Were there any minimum acceptable goals set in advance, so as to avoid being compromised or coopted?
3. Participants
Who was on "our side" at the beginning?
Who was needed if the campaignwas likely to succeed?
How could those people we neededhave been reached?
Was there a core of people organized and prepared to stay with a sustained campaign so as to provide continuity?
4. Opponents
Who were the opponents?
Who was calling the shots in opposition to the campaign?
Was it necessary to win over or neutralize supporters of the opponents in order for the campaign to succeed?
How were supporters of the opposition won over or neutralized?
5. Organization and Constructive Work
What was the organizational structure to carry out the campaign?
How were decisions made?
How was the campaign funded?
Were there parallel institutions to replace those being opposed or any constructive work done during the campaign?
6. Preparation for Action
What research and investigation was done?
Education?
Public forums?
Mass media?
Training for the main actions?
Was there adequate preparation for anticipated repression (jail, levies, violence)?
7. Preliminary Action
Were approaches made to opponents?
Negotiation and arbitration? Petitions or letters?
Was an ultimatum issued? If so, what was the response?
8. Action
What forms of action were used: picketing, leafleting, marches, etc.?
Was it necessary to escalate to a higher level of struggle?
Why and when?
Were there strikes, boycotts, or limited noncooperation?
Did the campaign escalate to civil disobedience, mass noncooperation or some form of mass direct action? Why?
Why did the action end when and where it did?
9. Reaction of opponents
Were participants jailed?
Beaten? Repressed?Property seized?Lies spread? Media blackout? Intimidation? Ridicule?Concessions or coopting attempted? Was campaign basically ignored? GOOD BECAUSE THAT WON'T BE OGNORED
10. Results
Were the short range goals achieved?
Any progress made towards the long range goals?
What happened to jailed or injured people?
Was property returned?
Amnesty?
Did any of the opponents lose support?
Any property destruction by participants?
11. Analysis
Were appropriate tactics used at appropriate times?
Was the best target chosen?
Was the timetable realistic?
Did the campaign meet the timetable?
If not, why not?
Was consciousness raised among the general public?
Did the actions clearly communicate the myths, secrets, and realities of the issues and society?
If short range goals were not achieved, why not?
How could the campaign have been improved?
If there was property destruction, did it help or hinder the campaign?
Was the organizational structure adequate to conduct the campaign?
Was the decision making responsive to participants?
Were there problems in making decisions or lack of decisiveness?
Who had the initiative during the campaign?
Were there any surprises which hurt or helped the campaign?
ODM wants Syrians to be aware that the show of support to this regime and the masses you see wearing shoe-hattas come from 0.073 percent of the public. out of 20 million people, you may have found 200 thousand people marching with flags, chanting anti American slogans, and supporting Syria. What you have to understand, that most of those 6% are Syrian nationalist, not Assadists..but they are confused too.
It is time for Civil Disobedience: As I promised in my first post of this blog in early 2005, February of 2006 is the official kick off of my Civil Disobedience Movement. The official date in february is not public yet, as to our leadership will first undergo closed door meetings with the current regime, to try to have them meet every Syrians demand without the hassle, in other words, their last chance to save face.
If they don't accept, the campaign will officially start once our First Press Release is faxed to Al Jazeera, followed by a blast fax list consisting of more than 340 Media outlts across the world.
Below, ODM has outlined the steps to Civil Disobedience in plain terms, for people who have no clue of what I am talking about. More details on our Civil Disobedience Ultimatum and Civil Disobedience Movement are available in ODM's previous posts.
Steps to making a "We Are Not Sheep" Campaign
Most movement programs revolve around organizing single, unrelated events-demonstrations, forums, whatever. Were these activities strung together in an integrated fashion- building on one another -- the impact and potential for success would be magnified dramatically. Civil Disobedience Movements are like snowballs, people love revolution, especially when they are directly affected from what they are revolting against.
Such is the advantage of campaign organizing. The campaign provides an escalating series of actions over a period of time focused on a target in order to achieve specific goals. Persistence and a systematic approach are key ingredients of a campaign.
All this is not to say demonstrations should not be organized on individual dates when people are already being mobilized- like Corrective Movement Day (March 8), Independence Day (April 17), Faggots day, and so forth. But, when possible, pre planned actions which are part of campaigns can make a stronger statement.
Planning a Campaign
While a demonstration takes a good deal of careful planning, a campaign requires considerably more attention.
The first step is to do the basic groundwork of self-education on the issues and problems to be combated. This can be accomplished through research, study groups, workshops, and conferences.
The masses need to know that the "We Are not Sheep" Campaign is a Syrian cause for all Syrians, and that the agenda is for the empowerment of Syrian voice, basically gaining the Syrian Parliament, and getting rid of the rotten emergency laws.
The next step is to decide where to focus our initial efforts. What you need to find are weak points in the opponent's "armour," which will provide levers or handles to focus criticism and action.
During one phase of the Indian campaign for independence from Britain, Gandhi selected the British monopoly on salt as the focus for a campaign. At first this appeared to be an insignificant issue to worry about, compared with independence itself. But because salt affected everyone on this rather hot subcontinent, because its cost was a hardship on the masses, and because it was relatively easy to manufacture (and thereby violated the salt laws), it became an ideal symbol of why independence was being sought.
In our case it is the "WE ARE NOT SHEEP" motto that will appeal to everybody who is taking orders to live his life with his head dipped in the sand. This will appeal to the poor shawerma stand guy who has to shower in clorox for 4 hours because of his shitty job, to the Army General who deep inside knows that he and his grandfather has been sticking to a cause that has diminished, between a group of thugs that have already went through plans A-Z, and nowthinking of plan "Z" to the power of three-which is how to get out of here alive with some of the booty they made in the past 40 years.
In Ghandi's struggle, the British viewed the Salt Campaign as "nothing less than to cause a complete paralysis of the administrative machinery." In retrospect, the year-long campaign was the most spectacular effort in the 28-year struggle for independence.
The United Farm Workers grape boycott is another example of a well chosen campaign in the struggle to win union recognition and better conditions for farm workers.
One of the most important steps in a campaign, after determining the target or focus, is to choose the short range goals. Long range goals are easy, e.g., world peace or an end to sexism.
But sometimes if short range goals are not clearly defined, then the campaign could be stalled. Short range goals should be winnable within the near future (providing a boost and the encouragement needed to keep your group moving toward the longer range goals), measurable (you ought to be able to tell when you have accomplished them), set on a timetable to allow for periods of evaluation, be a significant step towards the long range goal(s).
Analysis
After the goals have been set, an analysis should be made to see who the participants in the campaign are and how they can aid the campaign.
Who do you need to participate if the campaign is likely to succeed? Who is on your side now? How are those people reached?
Write, call, or visit the community groups which are likely to be sympathetic: cooperatives, clinics, some veterans groups, women's groups, Third World groups, student groups, religious organizations, women's groups, and so forth.
Who are the opponents? How can they or their supporters be won over or neutralized. The supporters of the opponents might be the community, Business Men, Army personnel, newspapers, or clergy. Those people are really easy to win over in time of crisis as they know that they will be consumed by the masses if they don't stop what they do..
After this analysis, a plan of action set on a timetable is needed. This plan of action should be in a step-bystep escalation.
Escalation is necessary if the pressure on opponents needs to be increased. This does not necessarily mean the previous level of activity is abandoned, but simply that an escalated stage of activity is added to the previous stages.
For example, education should be a constant and complementary component of every campaign- never being abandoned. In the campaign for Syria, initiate the campaign by writing a formal press release handed to all local and regional media sources and forward it to all heads of government, demanding parliamentary elections and an end to emergency laws; etc. Should an escalation be necessary, picketing, leafleting, or boycotts might be next.
Beyond that, demonstrations, marches, and rallies could be organized. Then, perhaps, a student strike, and maybe carefully chosen civil disobedience actions.
Organizers should not lightly go from one level of a campaign to the next. Each stage should be evaluated and considered seriously. Remember, shifting to the next stage does not mean activities at earlier levels should always be forgotten (e.g., going from picketing to a sit-in does not necessarily mean picketing should be discontinued).
Step by Step Escalation in a Nonviolent Campaign
Investigation and Research
Checking facts and allegations; building an airtight case against opponents and preparing for countercharges
Negotiation and arbitration
Meeting with opponents to settle conflict before going public; ultimatum issued before moving to next level.
Public forums, letters to editor, etc.
Basic public education on issues
Picketing, leafleting, etc.
Public contact with opponents
Demonstrations, rallies, marches
Show of strength by maximizing numbers
Limited strike
Involving those immediately affected
Boycott
Against company or the whole government and its apparatus, if appropriate
Analyzing a Campaign
This outline is an expansion of an outline used by Joan Bondurant in her analysis of Gandhian campaigns. It can be used either in evaluation of a campaign or in preparation for a campaign.
1. Dates of the Campaign
2. Goals
Long range
What were the ultimate goals being sought?
Short range
What goals were set?
Were they achievable?
Were they measurable?
Can you tell if they've been accomplished?
Would reaching them have brought the campaign measurably closer to the long range goals?
Timetable
Was a timetable set to allow for periodic measurement of progress of the campaign?
What was it?
Bottom line
Were there any minimum acceptable goals set in advance, so as to avoid being compromised or coopted?
3. Participants
Who was on "our side" at the beginning?
Who was needed if the campaignwas likely to succeed?
How could those people we neededhave been reached?
Was there a core of people organized and prepared to stay with a sustained campaign so as to provide continuity?
4. Opponents
Who were the opponents?
Who was calling the shots in opposition to the campaign?
Was it necessary to win over or neutralize supporters of the opponents in order for the campaign to succeed?
How were supporters of the opposition won over or neutralized?
5. Organization and Constructive Work
What was the organizational structure to carry out the campaign?
How were decisions made?
How was the campaign funded?
Were there parallel institutions to replace those being opposed or any constructive work done during the campaign?
6. Preparation for Action
What research and investigation was done?
Education?
Public forums?
Mass media?
Training for the main actions?
Was there adequate preparation for anticipated repression (jail, levies, violence)?
7. Preliminary Action
Were approaches made to opponents?
Negotiation and arbitration? Petitions or letters?
Was an ultimatum issued? If so, what was the response?
8. Action
What forms of action were used: picketing, leafleting, marches, etc.?
Was it necessary to escalate to a higher level of struggle?
Why and when?
Were there strikes, boycotts, or limited noncooperation?
Did the campaign escalate to civil disobedience, mass noncooperation or some form of mass direct action? Why?
Why did the action end when and where it did?
9. Reaction of opponents
Were participants jailed?
Beaten? Repressed?Property seized?Lies spread? Media blackout? Intimidation? Ridicule?Concessions or coopting attempted? Was campaign basically ignored? GOOD BECAUSE THAT WON'T BE OGNORED
10. Results
Were the short range goals achieved?
Any progress made towards the long range goals?
What happened to jailed or injured people?
Was property returned?
Amnesty?
Did any of the opponents lose support?
Any property destruction by participants?
11. Analysis
Were appropriate tactics used at appropriate times?
Was the best target chosen?
Was the timetable realistic?
Did the campaign meet the timetable?
If not, why not?
Was consciousness raised among the general public?
Did the actions clearly communicate the myths, secrets, and realities of the issues and society?
If short range goals were not achieved, why not?
How could the campaign have been improved?
If there was property destruction, did it help or hinder the campaign?
Was the organizational structure adequate to conduct the campaign?
Was the decision making responsive to participants?
Were there problems in making decisions or lack of decisiveness?
Who had the initiative during the campaign?
Were there any surprises which hurt or helped the campaign?
posted by The One and Only O.D.M @ 11:59 AM
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