Tactical Innovation and Strategic Thinking

A community for people committed to Human Rights

Learn from other people's innovative tactics
from other people's innovative tactics

Build and adapt effective strategy & tactics
and adapt effective strategy & tactics

Share challenges and sucesses, and find new allies
challenges and sucesses, and find new allies

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Featured Resource
interTactica

Dialogue: The Whole World Stopped Watching: "Diversity of Tactics", Repression, and the RNC protests in St. Paul, Minnesota (Part I)

Philippe Duhamel's picture

RNC protestPhoto: Diana Jou

 

On September 1, 2008, several hundred protesters from across mainland USA tried to stop delegates from attending the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Center in the business district of Saint Paul, Minneapolis, where they were going to crown presidential hopeful John McCain.

 

"Crash the Convention" was the order of the day. But politically and number-wise, whose side really got smashed and crushed?

 

Over 800 people arrested. Many more detained and released. House raids in the middle of the night. Eight organizers facing "Conspiracy to Commit Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism", a second degree felony charges. Maximum penalty: seven and a half years in prison. 

 

Deep police infiltration. Pre-emptive searches and seizures. Baton rounds. Concussion and Sponge grenades. Tasers. Pepper spray. Tear gas. 

 

The intense brutality of the crackdown in the Twin Cities was an awful, a hydra monster of gross violations. Outrage and indignation. These are healthy, vital reactions. 

 

But once the emotion subsides, what should be the question?

Highlighted Dialogue

Dialogue: Mozambique and other African Countries need to review HIV prevention strategies

despite the efforts on the response to HIV, according to several
studies in the SADC region, the HIV infection is alarmingly getting
higher and higher.

Community Announcements

Blog Action Day - October 15

Blog Action Day is an annual nonprofit event that intends to unite the world's bloggers, podcasters, and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. The theme this year is poverty. The goal of the day is to raise awareness and generate a global discussion on poverty relief efforts.

New Tactics - NED Sponsored Grant Partner Initiative - Deadline 27 October 2008

For information and to apply, click here. These funds are intended to make it possible for human rights practitioners to share, translate, adapt and/or apply the New Tactics materials and resources for strategic and tactical innovation in local human rights struggles

Training: Impact Assessment - Oxford, UK - Oct 29-31

With increased pressures on delivery and accountability, the need has never been greater for Civil Society and other development organisations to assess the long-term impact of their work. In three fruitful days you will explore the current state of the debate about impact assessment as well as reviewing current practice and methodologies. Learn to assess the effectiveness of your work.