While this is aimed at people who will probably never read it, nonetheless a short summary of my views on the subject:
Have a message
This is important. You are not rabble on the streets. Beyond the private politics of every participant, there is a greater cause behind the union of a large number of people. That is your message. Why are you assembled here today. Write it down. Distribute it. Stick to it. This is the point you wish to get across to the broader public. Who is taking part takes a distant second place to that.
Prepare
Yes, things will go wrong. That is the way life is. There will be glitches, and people will be people. Tempers will fray over any amount of time. Frequent reunions are helpful, as are emails and dropbox to keep everyone updated. Your message needs to be distilled, through discussion, to its maximum effectiveness. Choose your route wisely, through well-populated areas with cameras in them. You never know who may be looking. Plan ahead for the worst case, such as an earthquake in Japan. It really does happen.
Press Your Point
This one is obscure and obvious at the same time. Reach out to the general public through their news, tell them about your cause. Speeches are helpful, but your press brief may be even more so. Frequent the internet and spread the word there, too. Be clear as to who is sending the message, and whom you are addressing with it. This is what you took to the streets for in the first place: to express your position on a subject you feel strongly enough to stop downtown traffic.
Be Original
One of my favourite advertising spots from last year is the Telecom takeovers of train stations and airports. I remember them, with fondness, to this day, as events that disrupted the normal flow of life and made people stop and gape at something so out of the ordinary that it was worth recording and taking five minutes out of your day to stop and watch. While you may not have access, or the budget for a fully- fledged dance troupe, there are small and subversive ways to demonstrate your stance and call attention to your cause. I'm not going to make any suggestions, as how you choose to do this is only limited by your own creativity. You'll think of something.
Don't do it too often
While it is, in some places, possible to take to the streets on a whim every day, with the media attention an popular support that it brings. However, the people who march with you are people. Rallying them to a march every two days will wear them out. A march every few days will also lead to what I like to call oversaturation. After a while, the audience will think to themselves "Again?" and start looking away. This is not to your advantage. Taking to the streets should be a last resort. Don't overuse it.
There are quite a few more things to say in this context. I ask you to be patient, as things are happening which will add to this post.
Have a message
This is important. You are not rabble on the streets. Beyond the private politics of every participant, there is a greater cause behind the union of a large number of people. That is your message. Why are you assembled here today. Write it down. Distribute it. Stick to it. This is the point you wish to get across to the broader public. Who is taking part takes a distant second place to that.
Prepare
Yes, things will go wrong. That is the way life is. There will be glitches, and people will be people. Tempers will fray over any amount of time. Frequent reunions are helpful, as are emails and dropbox to keep everyone updated. Your message needs to be distilled, through discussion, to its maximum effectiveness. Choose your route wisely, through well-populated areas with cameras in them. You never know who may be looking. Plan ahead for the worst case, such as an earthquake in Japan. It really does happen.
Press Your Point
This one is obscure and obvious at the same time. Reach out to the general public through their news, tell them about your cause. Speeches are helpful, but your press brief may be even more so. Frequent the internet and spread the word there, too. Be clear as to who is sending the message, and whom you are addressing with it. This is what you took to the streets for in the first place: to express your position on a subject you feel strongly enough to stop downtown traffic.
Be Original
One of my favourite advertising spots from last year is the Telecom takeovers of train stations and airports. I remember them, with fondness, to this day, as events that disrupted the normal flow of life and made people stop and gape at something so out of the ordinary that it was worth recording and taking five minutes out of your day to stop and watch. While you may not have access, or the budget for a fully- fledged dance troupe, there are small and subversive ways to demonstrate your stance and call attention to your cause. I'm not going to make any suggestions, as how you choose to do this is only limited by your own creativity. You'll think of something.
Don't do it too often
While it is, in some places, possible to take to the streets on a whim every day, with the media attention an popular support that it brings. However, the people who march with you are people. Rallying them to a march every two days will wear them out. A march every few days will also lead to what I like to call oversaturation. After a while, the audience will think to themselves "Again?" and start looking away. This is not to your advantage. Taking to the streets should be a last resort. Don't overuse it.
There are quite a few more things to say in this context. I ask you to be patient, as things are happening which will add to this post.
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