Spectrum of allies: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:17, 20 October 2022

Spectrum of allies describes a concept that examines the potential opposition and support of people and groups, ranging from those who are most dedicated opponents to the most active supporters; helpful tool for deciding what tactics to employ based on a team’s relation to specific allies. - 350.org, adapted by Michelle Xie ^[1]

This tool is helpful in identifying the social groups (students, workers) that are affected by your issue, and to locate those groups along a spectrum, so you can focus your efforts on shifting those groups closer to your position. The tool also encourages looking at society as a collection of specific communities, some of which can be defined as institutions (unions, churches, schools), others of which are less visible such as youth subcultures or demographic groups. Identify impacted communities can help you develop a more targeted strategy that moves groups closer to your position.

Source: George Lakey, Training for Change

How to use the spectrum of allies ^[2]

1. Set up the diagram (see above).	Label the entire drawing with the name of the specific movement or campaign you are discussing, and put yourself on the left side, with your opposition on the right side.
2. Divide the half-pie into five slices.	Place different constituencies, organizations, or individuals in each wedge. Be specific: list them with as many identifying characteristics as possible. The wedges are: active allies, people who agree and are fighting with you; passive allies, people who agree but aren’t (yet) doing anything; neutrals, unengaged and uninformed; passive opposition, people who disagree but aren’t actively trying to stop you; and active opposition, people who disagree with you and are actively organizing against you.
3. Add specificity.	You might be tempted to say “students,” but the reality might be that “wealthy students who are not incurring student debt” might belong in one wedge, and “students who have taken out loans” would belong in another. The more specific you can be, the better.
4. Start a list of follow-up questions	This step is a placeholder for further follow up research as needed.

If you have any suggested revisions or additional resources to share related to the above content, please email them to kenzie@lehub.ca.

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[1] ttps://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HC35f2kDXc8cgLYWc9_oUZmINoTfP3_I

[2] ttps://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/spectrum-of-allies

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[2]

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
-== How to use the spectrum of allies ==
+== How to use the spectrum of allies <ref>https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/spectrum-of-allies</ref>  ==
 {| class="wikitable" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 92px; background-color: #ffffff;"
 |- style="height: 23px;"
 | style="width: 19.6976%; height: 23px; background-color: #99e1d9;" |
-Disposability discourse
+<p>1. Set up the diagram (see above).&nbsp;</p>
 | style="width: 80.3024%; height: 23px;" |
-Much discussion around the severity of COVID was lessened by expressing how it mainly sickens and kills elderly, chronically ill, and disabled people. This discourse suggests these groups are seen disposable.&nbsp;
+*Label the entire drawing with the name of the specific movement or campaign you are discussing, and put yourself on the left side, with your opposition on the right side.
 |- style="height: 23px;"
 | style="width: 19.6976%; height: 23px; background-color: #99e1d9;" |
-Loosened restrictions too early
+<p>2. Divide the half-pie into five slices.</p>
 | style="width: 80.3024%; height: 23px;" |
-When governments loosened COVID restrictions in response to business demands, political pressure, and public impatience, rather than scientific evidence, high risk populations (the chronically ill, disabled and elderly) were subsequently told they are disposable yet again.&nbsp;
+''Place different constituencies, organizations, or individuals in each wedge. Be specific: list them with as many identifying characteristics as possible. The wedges are:''
+*<p>''active allies'', people who agree and are fighting with you;</p>
+*<p>''passive allies'', people who agree but aren’t (yet) doing anything;</p>
+*<p>''neutrals'', unengaged and uninformed;</p>
+*<p>''passive opposition'', people who disagree but aren’t actively trying to stop you; and</p>
+*<p>''active opposition'', people who disagree with you and are actively organizing against you.</p>
 |- style="height: 23px;"
 | style="width: 19.6976%; height: 23px; background-color: #99e1d9;" |
-Working through illness
+<p>3. Add specificity.</p>
 | style="width: 80.3024%; height: 23px;" |
-Regulations around how many sick days should be required when someone falls ill with COVID also demonstrated ableism. In relation to these regulations, and in favour of profit above health, many politicians including US President Joe Biden, praised themselves for working through COVID, instead of encouraging people to rest and recover if they'd fallen ill.&nbsp;
+*You might be tempted to say “students,” but the reality might be that “wealthy students who are not incurring student debt” might belong in one wedge, and “students who have taken out loans” would belong in another. The more specific you can be, the better.
 |- style="height: 23px;"
 | style="width: 19.6976%; height: 23px; background-color: #99e1d9;" |
-Individualism
+<p>4. Start a list of follow-up questions&nbsp;</p>
 | style="width: 80.3024%; height: 23px;" |
-Individuals have been encouraged to make 'personal' choices on vaccines (without legitimate health restrictions), masks and gatherings.
-"''There is no individual safety without collective safety and collective safety requires that no one is safe unless everyone is safe." - Mia Mingus  <ref>https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com/2022/01/16/you-are-not-entitled-to-our-deaths-covid-abled-supremacy-interdependence/</ref>  ''
+*This step is a placeholder for further follow up research as needed.
 |}
 If you have any suggested revisions or additional resources to share related to the above content, please email them to kenzie@lehub.ca.
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Spectrum of allies: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:17, 20 October 2022

How to use the spectrum of allies [2]

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How to use the spectrum of allies ^[2]