Module 8: Movement Building

Duration: 2 weeks Type: Community Organizing & Activism Strategy

Module Overview

Code is not enough. You need people.

Digital sovereignty isn't just a technical challenge—it's a political and social one. In this module, you'll learn how to build and sustain social movements around digital rights. You'll move from being a technologist to being an organizer: building coalitions, crafting narratives, and mobilizing communities to defend their digital lives.

Learning Objectives

1. Master organizing tactics: Learn how to recruit, train, and mobilize volunteers 2. Craft compelling narratives: Translate complex technical issues into human stories that inspire action 3. Build coalitions: Connect digital rights with other social justice movements (environmental, labor, racial justice) 4. Design campaigns: Create strategic plans for policy change or corporate pressure 5. Sustain momentum: Learn how to prevent burnout and keep movements alive over time

Required Readings

- Textbook Chapter 15: The Archaeobytologist as Activist - Saul Alinsky, "Rules for Radicals" (selected chapters) - adrienne maree brown, "Emergent Strategy" - Case studies: #DeleteFacebook, The Battle for Net Neutrality, Right to Repair

Assignment: Campaign Design

Week 1: Strategy & Narrative

Part 1: The "Story of Self, Us, Now" (Due: Day 3)

Based on Marshall Ganz's organizing framework, write a 2-page narrative: - Story of Self: Why do YOU care about digital sovereignty? What shaped your values? - Story of Us: Who is the community you are organizing? What shared values connect them? - Story of Now: What is the urgent challenge? Why must we act now?

Part 2: Campaign Strategy Map (Due: End of Week 1)

Design a campaign to achieve a specific digital rights goal (e.g., "Ban facial recognition in my city" or "Get my university to switch to open source software").

Define: - Target: Who has the power to give you what you want? (e.g., Mayor, University President) - Asks: What specifically do you want them to do? - Tactics: What actions will pressure them? (Petitions, protests, boycotts, alternative tooling) - Resources: What people, money, and skills do you have?

Deliverable: Strategy Narrative + Strategy Map

Week 2: Mobilization & Coalition

Part 3: Outreach & Coalition Plan (Due: End of Week 2)

You can't do it alone. Identify 3 partner organizations or communities you would ally with.

Example: - Campaign: Right to Repair for medical devices - Partners: Nurses Union (labor), Disability Justice Org (access), Environmental Group (e-waste)

For each partner: - Why would they care? (Identify shared interest) - What resources do they bring? - What potential conflicts might arise?

Write a 3-page Coalition Building Plan: - How will you approach them? - How will you share power? - How will you coordinate actions?

Deliverable: Coalition Building Plan

Assessment Rubric

- Narrative power (30%): Ability to inspire and connect - Strategic logic (30%): Tactics realistically lead to goals - Coalition thinking (20%): Understanding intersectionality and partnership - Feasibility (20%): Plan is actionable

"Technology shapes what is possible, but people determine what actually happens. We build the anvil, but the movement swings the hammer."