subscribe: Posts | Comments

RECENT FROM Resources

Resources

This website is full of resources for organizers, activists, students, journalists, or anyone trying to learn about creating positive social change.  The resources are broken up into section corresponding with the Building Blocks of Change, along with some others. Action Planning Resources: tools and resources for planning actions, including tactics, affinity groups, legal support, health, media, communications, direct action manuals, and training agendas Action Planning Template: a template for planning effective actions Anti-Oppression Resources: articles, exercises, tools, and links to trainers groups Campaign Planning: overview of how to plan a direct action campaign Campaign Planning Tools: a variety of power maps for strategizing Campaign Planning Worksheet: use this to plan...

RECENT FROM History

Movement History

This section contains historical documents from past campaigns and mobilizations, as well as pages with stories and resources from various campaigns I’ve been part of, including pages dedicated to Abbie Hoffman, Common Ground, and Camp Casey. You will find action agreements, direct action manuals, pictures, articles, reflections, and more; some organized by topic, some by mobilization, and some in multiple places where it makes sense. The ability to evolve is necessary to the work of any social movement, and this ability rests both in paying attention in the present and in knowing our history.  Each generation has a chance to make things different, better, more just.   But this has never happened without struggle. ...

RECENT FROM Media

Media

A compilation of select writings, articles, videos, photos, and slideshows by or about Lisa Fithian and the campaigns and mobilizations she’s worked on. Writings by Lisa Writings About Lisa Photos Videos Slideshows Lisa’s Right Wing Fan Club Steal This Book – by Abbie Hoffman with an introduction by Lisa What Lies Beneath: Katrina, Race, And The State Of The Nation – with chapter author by Sue Hilderbrand, Scott Crow and Lisa Fithian. Sexism, Ego’s and Lies: Sometimes you Wake Up and Things Aren’t Different by Lisa Fithian on FBI information Lessons from a Summit Hopper, an open letter to the direct action community in advance of the Miami FTAA...

Shut It Down, Stories from a Fierce Loving Resistance...

I am so excited that after seven long years, my book Shut It Down, Stories of a Fierce Loving Resistance is out into the world. Chelsea Green Publishing release it on September 3, 2019. I’ve been on tour since then doing book events and a new training called Escalating Resistance: Mass Rebellion Training. I am so grateful to everyone who has bought the book, given me such positive feedback, organized these events and made them such a success. Now in 2020, the world is changing and many of my upcoming events are being cancelled or organized virtually. When a new world emerges I would still like to come to your community. If you find yourself holed up and...

Shut It Down, Stories from a Fierce Loving Resistance
posted on: Mar 13, 2020 | author: Lisa Fithian

TARG! Disaster Recovery Work

On Halloween of 2013, there was a devastating flood in Austin, TX.  It was not huge ongoing news around the country and many people in Austin never registered it was going on.    It was like a mini-lower 9th ward.  Fast and furious flood waters coming in during the early morning hours.  Six people were killed, 1000 homes affected, almost 700 were majorly damaged.  People had to escape onto their roofs, some were airlifted by helicopter or taken out by boat. Lots of animals were lost, 22 horse killed – you get the picture, it was bad. Because I had a connection with someone who lived in the flood zone several of us were able to get in...

TARG! Disaster Recovery Work
posted on: Aug 6, 2014 | author: organizingforpower

Undoing Racism Austin

For the past year I have been involved in a local organizing effort to address racial disparity and disproportionality in Austin.     Some people say Austin is the most anti-Black city they know and I have no reason to doubt it.   Across the board African Americans are at the bottom of every system in our community.   There is plenty of data to back that up. Our primary strategy has been to organize Undoing Racism trainings to build a stronger base of organizers and leaders who speak the same language and who have a common analysis and then organizing a network and projects that will build community power. We are working with the Peoples Institute for Survival and Beyond. ...

Undoing Racism Austin
posted on: Aug 6, 2014 | author: organizingforpower

The Tar Sands Blockade

Back in the summer of 2011, I met with a group of organizers who were thinking about a prolonged action to block the Keystone XL Pipeline in eastern Texas. It was a good conversation and the bold young group kicked off what became the Tar Sands Blockade. They sat in the trees for over a month, forcing the pipeline to find a new route and launching a new chapter in the history of environmental resistance. They also offered a current alternative to the popular model of orchestrated civil disobediences rooted in cooperation with the state. The Tar Sands Blockade captured the imagination and hearts of many young people and more who traveled to Texas, Nebraska and other state...

The Tar Sands Blockade
posted on: Dec 10, 2013 | author: organizingforpower
Preventing War with Syria

Preventing War with Syria

posted on: Sep 11, 2013 | author: organizingforpower

Just when you think there is some room to breathe, some political space for calm, it’s amazing how a possible war can quickly creep in.  While the conflict in Syria has been ongoing, with deadly serious consequences, it was the use of chemical weapons that ignited the possibility of the use of military force by the United States. We all mobilized, convened strategy conversations and made a plan to stop another war. This work was able to mobilize majority opposition to military action in about a month.   The US Government threat of possible weapons of mass destruction was too reminiscent of the horrors of the Bush Administration and we were not prepared to go down that road again. There was a quick and effective global response and a new way opened to destroy those weapons. The process is still moving forward...

Marching for Jobs, Justice, and Freedom

Marching for Jobs, Justice, and Freedom

posted on: Sep 1, 2013 | author: organizingforpower

This August, I was happy to attend the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington that marked Dr, Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.  There was a synergy about it.  I had served on the National Steering Committee for the 25th Anniversary of the March when I was the Coordinator of the Washington Peace Center. Now at the 50th Anniversary I was serving as the National Convener for United for Peace and Justice, a national network of local and national peace groups.  We mobilized a small contingent to bring our bright message to this Anniversary.  We gathered at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where we laid a wreath, shared a few words and then with the support of the NY Light Brigade held a procession to the Lincoln Memorial and then on to the King Monument.  The sad and perverse thing about the night is that at the King Monument...

Rise Up Texas

Rise Up Texas

posted on: Jul 31, 2013 | author: organizingforpower

On June 25th, Wendy Davis engaged in a filibuster to stop the ALEC-backed Republican drive to strip the people of Texas of their access to abortion and other reproductive health care.  I was in the Capitol Extension when the Republican’s third attempt to shut her down succeeded and women spread throughout the building surged toward the Senate Chambers.  We began to roar.  Over the next few minutes, history was made. The proceedings struggled to continue, stymied by the noise. Though a vote was finally taken, it was after midnight and the session was technically over.  Confusion arose, so the Republicans changed the clock to say the vote was complete by midnight and the Second Special Session was closed. This is how it goes down in Texas. Luckily, some trusty photographers had photos of the vote and the clock and were able to prove that David Dewhurst was lying.  So the Republicans were forced...

Young Transit Workers Build Their Power

Young Transit Workers Build Their Power

posted on: Jun 20, 2013 | author: organizingforpower

I had the privilege of offering training at the Transit Workers Union Young Workers Summit in New York City.   It was April 30th, a day before their May Day in mid-town Manhattan.  The action went beautifully, with everyone having a strong feeling of empowerment.  We were successful at achieving all of the goals – including getting into every lobby we intended in order to deliver their message.  This new experience will go a long way I think in empowering the young workers  to build a powerful union – in the buses, subway and  in the streets.  Check out this TWU May Day Action here ...

« Previous Entries