We recently hosted a University of Houston ‘Issues in Feminist Research’ class (see their class blog here) for a lecture on social movement documentation and preservation.

It gave us the chance to hone in on how we believe that social movements are structured – so that we can start, join and amplify other movements that matter to us in the future.

It’s important to be able to identify the START of a movement to really document the pivotal moments where it turned from a conversation between friends to a global conversation spurring real community action.

Grassroots social movements don’t start at the front of a marching line but rather as a reaction to an unfair or corrupt act. They can take decades before reaching their tipping point when they seemingly explode with protesters pouring into the streets making national headlines.

Here is what we believe are the important aspects to activate people around things that matter when activating your community—whether you are a nonprofit, community organization or simply a group of concerned humans

The 4 Pillars for Community Activation:

1. Identify a leader: Leaders are paramount.
They inspire commitment, mobilize resources, create and recognize opportunities, develop strategies and influence outcomes. They serve the larger cause by acting as articulators of vision, linking the mission of the movement to greater societal context. Grassroots efforts can take off with lots of voices contributing, but having an inspirational leader really accelerates the impact.

2. Create a framework: To inspire action, a framework must be communicated.
To participate in a movement, people need a starting point and examples of what to do, who to reach out to and what resources are available. It’s not enough to inspire and build a thoughtful narrative. There must be specific and actionable steps individuals can take. You can’t leave people thinking “now what.”

3. Think global, build local: Localized conversations can spur global action.
Small communities of people can be the start of a growing circle of activists that organically increases in size until it becomes a mass effort. Large events, demonstrations and protests begin with smaller groups, much like small tremors that signal the coming of a large earthquake. Encourage localized small groups to rally together.

4. A shared vision brings diverse opinions together.
While every group may have a different way to do something, a shared vision acts as the goal. It shifts their focus from what currently is to what could be. The vision should ground every community and bring them together—no matter how far apart they are, no matter their age, no matter their social status.

Movements aren’t just the BIG, LOUD, things you hear about in the media. Sometimes they are small, quiet efforts that build slowly and keep humming along. They usually start with a small group of concerned, passionate individuals who have come together under a shared purpose to activate change.

“Movements” can change people — and changed people change the world.

What organizations do you admire for their ability to rally people together towards action? What movement leaders do you follow?

Need tools in Houston to get you started? Check out our Black Sheep Human Rights Action Guide.