Alternative Ways to Get the Message Out
Whether you are already involved in activist work or unsure where to start, the problems of the day can seem insurmountable. Fortunately, there are fun and creative steps you can take any day to spread the word about a certain issue or impact your local community in a positive way. Below are examples of activities that anyone can participate in that spark questioning and generate enthusiasm.
Metro Conversations
During the 2004 elections, ENGAGE members rode the Metro in Washington, D.C., and started conversations with people about political issues. It got people talking to each other about important topics and challenged conventional public transportation etiquette, opening up the possibility of interacting with fellow riders.
Brussels Sprouts
In Brussels, a group planted sunflower seeds in public places. Their purpose was to add more green to the city and make a statement about biofuel from sunflower oil. The police and other city workers didn’t object, even though the action was technically illegal. For this and other creative action ideas, see
Creative Acts and
Guerilla Gardening along with our
Creative Action Resource Links.
Photo: Creative Acts
Banner Drops
A banner drop can be an effective form of direct action. It communicates a message quickly to a wide audience. Check out the first page of
CODEPINK’s Banner-Drop Guide for ideas.
Photo: CODEPINK
Rewriting the Curriculum
At Michigan State University, students coordinated to check out 5,000 American history books from the school library in order to demand the creation of a Hispanic studies major and the hiring of more Hispanic faculty. They hauled the books away on a truck and held them hostage until their demands were met.
Action Underfoot
Villagers from Udon Thani province in Northeast Thailand have been protesting against a potash mine that is being planned around their area. The mine’s construction under their villages could cause irreversible damage to their farmland and way of life. The many actions they have taken in protest include going to a meeting of the mining company and the Thai government in Bangkok and playing drums loudly. They occupied the meeting space and prevented the meeting from happening.
Reach Out and Touch Someone
Dialogue? Projects was started by a woman who put signs with phrases and questions in her window and eventually received sign responses from commuting cars. Dialogue? Projects then began offering clothing labeled with “Dialogue?”. Those who recognize these shirts on others are begin a “dialogue” with these people, no matter when or where, to break down the walls of isolation that inhibit a sense of community and community-level organizing.
Public PARK-ing
A group called REBAR created its “Temporal Distributed Network of Public Open Space” in the form of five PARKs – public parking spaces turned green space – installed around downtown San Francisco. In addition to calling attention to the need for broader discourse regarding public space in urban contexts, REBAR sought to test public response to the PARKs in a variety of socioeconomic situations.
The PARKs were generally met with a varying mix of surprise, approval, joy, and incredulity. Check out
REBAR’s PARKing day website.
More Creative Ideas
Get a group together to
buy shares in a company whose policies affect your community. Use your influence to create shareholder resolutions and use your vote to improve corporate behavior.
Put your message where your money is.
Write your message on dollar bills.
Coordinate your colors. Network with people and wear the same color on the same day together in support of your cause. The full-color outfit provokes curiosity and questions.
Make homebrew and label it with your message and hand it out to people.
Get some friends together, find your favorite crowded public space, and do
street theater skits (impromptu or planned, audience-engaging). Coming up with fun costumes can be an added bonus.
Shop your idea. Put flyers with your message in shopping carts in various stores around your town
Get creative!
Public art can encourage everyone to think about your ideas. Chalk, mural-painting, and butcher-paper banners are just a few options.
Create leaflets and
place them in newspapers.
Refuse to let an “important” meeting happen by having a
dance party in the venue and not leaving.
Make your own
pins, buttons, stickers, or HUGE signs and make sure you distribute them all over! Others might even give you donations for the chance to wear your clever slogans.
Walk across the country for peace. Nothing beats a
face-to-face conversation when you want to share your ideas and learn from others. Check out
Peace Pilgrim,
Earth Walker, and
Global Freeloaders.
Pin your message onto your backpack or messenger bag.
Suggested Reading
The Activist Cookbook: Creative Actions for a Fair Economy by Andrew Boyd (1997)
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