Too many activists and community organizers put all their energy into tactics, organizing events, activities, and protests often without articulating their vision, without a concrete sense of their campaign goals, and lacking a clear plan for achieving these goals. Sun Tzu called this the ‘noise before defeat’—all sound and fury but with little result.
On the other hand, when faced with a clear injustice and power holders unwilling to budge, a great strategy without the grassroots engaging in demonstrations, strikes, blockades and other forms of tactical application of nonviolent action, makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to make progress towards achieving your goals.
The manual has been compiled as a resource for activist educators. The People Power Manual aims to support facilitators and educators working to assist local action groups and social movements in winning environmental and social justice goals. It is a collection of participatory and experiential processes and handouts organized around the themes of campaign strategy, community organising, educating the educator, civil resistance, working with groups, and resilience in the face of repression.