How do we mobilize in rural communities/small cities?
Rural or small city organizing presents challenges and opportunities that are unique from urban or larger city environments. Many organizers may feel discouraged by limited turnout to their events compared to more populated areas. There are several considerations for organizing in rural areas/small towns, and also several things that can be leveraged to build successful campaigns. The following responds to a request asking for tips on organizing outside larger urban environments, compiling input from experienced organizers here in so-called Canada, direct insight following a learning circle with activists in rural areas/small cities and research findings from organizers in rural America.
Introductory thoughts
"Community organizing has been going on for as long as there have been people living together facing challenges. Many people work together in small and rural communities all the time to address contemporary challenges, this is the basis of community organizing." -Montana Burgess, Neighbours United
Building connections
Talk to family, friends and people you know! |
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Contact local businesses |
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Connect with other local organizations and groups |
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Alliance for a Liveable Ontario" -Sharon Collingwood (Perth Sustainability Hub)
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Connect with local politicians |
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Turn to National organizations for support |
Keep in contact, and ask if they have any local connections. "Your organization is a part of a larger movement." For example... Canadian Environmental Law Association Ontario Yours to ProtectOntario Nature Ecojustice Environmental Defence -Sharon Collingwood (Perth Sustainability Hub)
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Encourage those involved! |
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Seek Indigenous Perspectives Above: Protest, Western University, December 2022. Credit: S. Collingwood |
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Try door knocking! |
"Door to door canvassing is a great way to establish connections. Take your time, and be sure to listen: you will learn a great deal of useful information about the community. You can also organize canvassing trips around farmers’ markets, local fairs, plowing matches, many other local events. Make it fun, and stop for coffee afterwards." -Sharon Collingwood (Perth Sustainability Hub) |
Build a media list |
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Build networks and coalitions | "It is by taking one step at a time, by establishing a core of more committed people that the circle of people ready to get involved will gradually expand. Do not hesitate to create an informal network by giving it a name and taking the time to structure it little by little." (Translated from French) -Pierre Avignon (Organizer against pig farming in rural Quebec)"Partner with other types of committed groups (community gardens, parent groups, women's groups, workplaces, etc.) and collaborate could be a good strategy, as mobilizing people from scratch can take a lot of energy in areas with less density and diversity. Create links and partnerships with the people in charge of gathering places, like the library, cafés, the city (for the organization of events in parks), schools, local businesses, youth centres, community and/or cultural centres etc." -Member of Reseau Demain le QCFor example, a coalition of citizens, politicians and community groups formed a coalition for Quebec to intervene in the management of the Lac Barrière dam. -Member of Reseau Demain le QC
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Socialize and get to know others! | Don't do mobilizing alone; include social events to keep your spirits high and form deeper bonds.-Member of Reseau Demain le QC |
Narrative and messaging
Listen to and learn from locals |
You might even be able to find articles written by people in your area who may be interested in your issue. For example... Farmtario
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Craft a narrative and image that suits the needs of locals | *"When you are confident you understand your audience, communicate a sense of purpose by setting out the main points of what you want to do. Save the details for later." -Sharon Collingwood (Perth Sustainability Hub)
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Leverage key community members/people who are trusted |
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Address stereotypes and tailor messaging |
The following insight comes from organizers with ruralorganizing.org based in the so-called US:
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Use community care values-based framing [8] |
The following insight comes from organizers with ruralorganizing.org based in the so-called US:
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Embrace local businesses and oppose corporate corruption |
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Online presence
Hold hybrid/virtual meetings | *"The organization of virtual meetings also helps to promote involvement, especially because public transportation is sometimes non-existent or difficult to access." (Translated from French) -Pierre Avignon (Organizer against pig farming in rural Quebec)
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Use online organizing tools |
1. "Slack allows you to easily post files, calendars, pictures, links and videos. Posts are kept for 3 months" on the free version.
2. Zoom allows you to create recurring meetings, and you can post the link in a google doc/share widely. It's easy to bookmark and reuse. -Sharon Collingwood (Perth Sustainability Hub) |
Keep a shared drive to distribute and access resources | |
Create an email list |
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Create social media accounts |
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Create an events calendar | *"What will be going on in your area over the next year that you can participate in?" Plan for events in advance, and "be sure that your calendar can be easily accessed by all members of your group. A Google calendar works well for this." After events, "don’t forget to take notes for next year - contacts, emails, telephone numbers and reminders of what was needed for the event. '-Sharon Collingwood (Perth Sustainability Hub) |
Develop affinity groups online to cover large areas | *"The use of digital technology makes it possible to cover sometimes very large geographical areas. As for all mobilizations, the creation of affinity groups on social networks becomes a very useful virtual rallying space that must be maintained and fed regularly." (Translated from French) -Pierre Avignon (Organizer against pig farming in rural Quebec) |
Tactics and strategy
Get creative! Above: Chalktivist event, Stratford Ontario. Credit: S. Collingwood | "Art shows, speeches, parades, dinners, bicycle safaris, picnics, festivals, silent auctions, free concerts." Use your imagination, e.g. "a popup barbershop quartet or rap contest with comic protest songs. A chalktivism event held at the same time as a hopscotch tournament. A puppet making workshop showcasing the use of recycled material, followed by a parade." -Sharon Collingwood (Perth Sustainability Hub)
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Set SMART goals and expectations | "On the one hand, sometimes all it takes is a spark plug to get people who are sensitive to the causes you are defending to join you. On the other hand, it is necessary to'' deconstruct somewhat the idea that organizing a mobilization in urban areas is much easier and very different from rural areas."''' (Translated from French) '-Pierre Avignon (Organizer against pig farming in rural Quebec)
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Hold marches, rallies and blockades |
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Promote positive changes you see in the community |
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Host booths at local events | |
Get involved in local politics | It is "essential to identify the different places of power, involvement and information dissemination. While municipal politics in the region may not be attractive to many, the public meetings of municipal councils that take place on a fixed date each month are important places to understand and influence local issues. This space is also a place for citizen engagement that should be utilized." (Translated from French) -Pierre Avignon (Organizer against pig farming in rural Quebec)
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Create subcommittees | |
Create bulletin and leaflet networks
Above: "Mailbox" by REM Photo Off & On is licensed under CC BY 2.0. |
"Create a bulletin board network. Are there cafes, businesses, libraries, grocery stores, churches, sporting facilities, long-term care residences, or other locations that would allow you to post on their bulletin board? Make a list of the boards you find, then divide the list up geographically among volunteers, so that no volunteer has too many bulletin boards to cover. Announcements can be sent out by email, printed off, and posted quickly.
"A leaflet network asks volunteers to print off a message from their email and distribute in a defined area. For example, volunteers could drop off a few leaflets on their rural route on the way to the grocery store. The message should be carefully designed in order not to waste paper or ink. For example, you might think of printing announcements two to a page. It’s important not to overwork volunteers." -Sharon Collingwood (Perth Sustainability Hub)
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Plan events that are easy to engage in for new volunteers | *"Help volunteers overcome their shyness with actions that are easy to engage in such as "a 'phone canvass party’ where volunteers get together and make calls over tea & coffee. This should be a pleasant social experience. You could have a script made up in advance, and maybe do a few rehearsals together. There are many tools to help you in this, like this one." -Sharon Collingwood (Perth Sustainability Hub)
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Offer public shows of support |
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Unsure of what to campaign around in your small city/rural area? Check out this list of ideas from Tool Complices Pour Notre Communaute. You might also draw ideas from Mouvement Mare's campaigns, which range in focus from local community-specific to National issues.
If you have any suggested revisions or additional resources to share related to the above content, please email them to kenzie@lehub.ca.
- ↑ https://ruralorganizing.org/blog/resource-progressive-strategies-rural-engagement
- ↑ https://actionnetwork.org/forms/running-campaigns-in-small-towns-and-rural-communities
- ↑ https://actionnetwork.org/forms/running-campaigns-in-small-towns-and-rural-communities
- ↑ https://ruralorganizing.org/blog/resource-progressive-strategies-rural-engagement
- ↑ https://ruralorganizing.org/blog/resource-progressive-strategies-rural-engagement
- ↑ https://ruralorganizing.org/blog/resource-progressive-strategies-rural-engagement
- ↑ https://ruralorganizing.org/blog/resource-progressive-strategies-rural-engagement
- ↑ https://ruralorganizing.org/blog/resource-progressive-strategies-rural-engagement
- ↑ https://ruralorganizing.org/blog/resource-progressive-strategies-rural-engagement
- ↑ https://ruralorganizing.org/blog/resource-progressive-strategies-rural-engagement
- ↑ https://actionnetwork.org/forms/running-campaigns-in-small-towns-and-rural-communities
- ↑ https://ruralorganizing.org/blog/resource-progressive-strategies-rural-engagement
- ↑ https://ruralorganizing.org/blog/organizer-toolkit-leveraging-yard-signs-rural-communities