Changing the world is a deliberate act. Those who want to change the world face political, cultural and technical difficulties, but they also have centuries of experience behind them. Building on top of this experience and learning from our successes and failures, we can come closer to victory.

A small group of trainers came together in Summer 2021 to launch Fermento.


Fermento is a trainers’ collective based in Lisbon, Portugal.

We facilitate trainings and workshops on organizing, strategy, communication and actions for social movements.

We are an anti-capitalist, feminist and anti-racist collective.

Our vision of activism is guided by the urgency for system change that the climate crisis imposes on us.


Our training modules are designed in Portuguese but we can facilitate them in English.

We also have some resources in English.

Fermento’s trainers were in the Global Climate Jobs Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where almost a hundred organizers gathered to talk about just transition and climate jobs. Trade unionists, grassroots climate justice activists, members of NGOs and political activists joined in the event. We facilitated a workshop on Theories of Change and Conflict Escalation as part of the conference program, where we analyzed how organizations think change happens in society and, based on their understanding of social change, what strategies they use. We are happy to support the strategy discussion at the intersection of labor and climate. [...]
On 3 December 2022, we had a workshop on theories of change and conflict escalation with the Fossil Free London team. Fossil Free London is a grassroots climate group campaigning for a London beyond fossil fuels, imagining a cleaner, greener city for residents and for people worldwide, who are experiencing the loss and damage of climate crises made in London. We explored the theory of change underlining the group’s strategy choices and discussed how they see escalation in their context. [...]
On the European School of Social Movements 2022, organized by ATTAC, Fermento gave a session about Theories of Change and Conflict Escalation. We discussed the different theories of change the organizations present on the session have, and which strategies and tactics they use to achieve their goals. We talked about in which conflict escalation stage they are or should be. Finally, we discussed in which tools they should invest to fight more efectively, based on the dimension of the problem they face and the flexibility of the status quo to solve it. [...]
Fermento’s trainers were in the congress of the End Fossil campaign in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where 60 organizers from 8 countries gathered. We facilitated a workshop on Theories of Change and Conflict Escalation as part of the congress program, where we analyzed how organizations think change happens in society and, based on their understanding of social change, what strategies they use. We are very happy to contribute to the strategic thinking process of the Occupy – End Fossil activists. [...]
Fermento hosted a training in Malmö, Sweden, at the Strategy Conference organized by the Swedish group Allt åt alla (Everything for Everyone, in English). We were happy to do a training on Theories of Change and Conflict Escalation to support reflections on strategy that could feed into the discussions of the conference. The workshop was joined by around 50 Swedish and international activist. [...]
A three-hour training on how to change the world How long? – 3 hoursWho? – social movement organizersWhat? – strategies and tactics that organizations use to achieve social change they aim atFormat – training How does change happen? How do we think change happens? How do we think that this particular change will happen? What do we need to do to make that change happen? In this strategy workshop the participants will explore what their underlying assumptions about activism are and whether their activities have been in accordance with their assumptions. In this workshop we will discuss different theories of change that organisations have regarding different issues and analyse the strategies and tactics they use to achieve their goals. Then we will talk about conflict escalation, a tool that various “momentum-driven” movements have used in recent years. You may well ask: “Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 16 April 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. [...]
A two-day training to plan the communication strategy for a campaign or action How long? – two daysWho? – activists and organizers in social movementsWhat? – strategic planning of communicationFormat – workshop and training re you planning to start a campaign? To do an action? How will you magnify it? How can you surf through the many possibilities that exist in terms of communications? In this training we will provide tools for a strategic planning of your communication, departing from the messaging, language and narrative, down to mapping your most favourable media outlets, as well as your own social media plan, arriving at a media plan that can deliver on your message and reach the desired public. [...]
This is a standard tool for setting goals for activities and campaigns. It is widely used in corporations, in NGOs, and in public institutions. We will tilt the interpretations towards social movements and give examples related to activism. This document was prepared by Climáximo. Here is the PDF document of this text. Here you can find a simple form that can be used to set objectives and assess actions. Why objectives? The learning cycle of an organization passes through recognizing failure and success1, identifying internal and external causes of failure and success2, making decisions for improvement, and take collective steps in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes or errors and in order to consciously repeat accurate and effective behaviors. For this to actually work, the success criteria must be determined before taking action. How objectives? We strongly recommend the goal-setting to be done 1) with the entire action team, 2) in a calm environment, 3) several days before the activity. Everyone has an expectation from an action. Listening to the expectations of the others, people can adjust their own expectations as well as their behavior3. They can also do a reality-check by hearing the reflections of the others.4 This is also a team building activity, and the conversation itself can actually improve your chances of success as activists grow a better understanding of their state.5 Finally, objectives must be set in advance because the activity itself, with its surprises, disappointments, frustrations and excitements, will blur the vision afterwards. It is essential that the team has collectively-agreed-upon objectives so that the learning process is an organizational process. This cannot be achieved after the action with success criteria and success evaluation all mixed up in people’s minds. What objectives? You would need various kinds of objectives: Process (P) objectives: how did the preparations work? shared burden? participation? internal democracy? involving other groups?Execution (E) objectives: how did the action look? interaction with passers-by or security? clear roles and tasks? duration? the real-time effect of the action? safety of the activists?Social impact (I) objectives: media coverage? social networks? reactions of other organizations? reactions of decision-makers?Organizational (O) objectives: increased visibility of the organization? recruitment? capacity building? All of your objectives should be SMAAARRT, that is Specific Measurable Ambitious Achievable Actionable Realistic Relevant Timed Not SpecificSpecificWe will give visibility to the precarious working conditions. (I)We will produce a visual image of the psychological impacts of the short-term contracts.We will denounce this corporate conference. (E)We will interrupt the conference for ten minutes.We will raise awareness on bad climate policies. (I)There will be at leastone news item about our action against the new airport project and its incoherence with climate science.We will protest against the planned oil drills. (I)We will highlight the role of the Ministry of Environment in the decision of the Environmental Protection Agency.This action will put our organization at the center of the coal discussions. (O)In the following three months, when there are new developments about coal, journalists will call us to ask for opinion. Not MeasurableMeasurableWe will do a mass protest. (E)We will mobilize at least 3000 people, of which 1000 in Lisbon, in a total of at least 15 cities.Our action will appear in mainstream media. (I)At least 7 of the main journals will cover our action. We will appear on the news on one television channel.Our action video will go viral on Facebook. (I)Our action video will have at least 7000 reach, at least 1000 views, and at least 80 shares.The preparations of the demonstration will be a democratic process. (P)We will organize at least four publicly announced preparation meetings. Not AmbitiousAmbitiousWe will organize a die-in on the pavement. (E)We will block a main avenue.Our event will attract media attention. (I)We will have journalists participating in our event.We will do presentations to call for action. (O)We will coach at least 5 new speakers through the presentations.With our action, we will tell them that we disagree with their policies. (E)We will interrupt the meeting for 30 minutes, not letting them continue their business-as-usual. Not AchievableAchievableAfter this protest, the decree law favoring fossil fuel extraction will be revoked. (I)The Prime Minister will publicly address our action and take a stand on the decree law.We will bring world peace with this mass demonstration. (I)Due to the mass demonstration at the same time as the plenary session, the parliament will be forced to delay the voting on the invasion.Seven more local groups will appear. (O)Activists from at least 10 cities will contact us to form local groups in their cities.We will use consensus decision-making during this direct action. (P/E)We considered various scenarios and agreed on the levels of consent we need to build at each case. Not ActionableActionableWe will launch the campaign. (E)We will organize a flash-mob in a shopping mall to launch the campaign.We will write a report on just transition. (P)We will involve at least 10 scientists and 10 unionists to write a joint report.We will distribute flyers to raise awareness. (I)We will distribute flyers that invite people to join the protest next week, and we will have a stand for people who may want to ask questions.We will produce three banners. (P)We will organize openly announced material preparation sessions to paint three banners. Not RealisticRealisticTomorrow, we will organize a rapid response action with ten thousand people and block a main avenue. (E)We call for a rapid-response open assembly tomorrow to prepare a mass blockade.We will have a documentary of this event. (P)We will form a media team that will set its goals based on their capacities.At least 1000 people will camp in the main square. (E)If it’s not raining and if there are no police barricades, at least 1000 people will camp in the main square.We will involve 100 people in the preparations. (P)We will create autonomous working groups for external communications, logistics, buses and internal communications, each of which will identify their necessities. Not RelevantRelevantWe will organize a protest against oil extraction. (I)We will organize a protest against oil extraction in the World Cup financed by this oil corporation.We will organize a solidarity action with the car factory workers. (O)We will mobilize our existing networks of labor rights organizations to support a joint protest within our just transition campaign.We will launch a video of the blockade of the conference. (I)We will launch a video of the blockade of the conference while the conference is still continuing.We will organize an introductory meeting. (O)After a mass protest, we will organize an introductory meeting for interested people. Not TimedTimedWe will send a press release and edit a video of the action. (E)We will send a press release while the action is still ongoing, and we will release a video in social media on the next day afternoon.We will organize preparatory meetings. (P)We will organize biweekly meetings until the last month. In the last month before the conference we will have weekly meetings.We will organize a creative flash-mob. (I)In order to catch the media attention of the general strike to release a video on the day of the strike.We will have a learning cycle. (P)One week before the action we will have a meeting to finalize objectives, the day after the action we will have a debriefing, one week after the action we will have an evaluation meeting. We will then share main learning points with our organization in a document prepared in that meeting. Here you can find a simple form that can be used to set objectives and assess actions: SMAAARRT objectives checklist v2 1 Particularly in the civil society organizations which rely on the motivation of the volunteers, we see a chronic success narrative. Many of these organizations have only declared victories for the last thirty years, but somehow the world is not much better. Not acknowledging failures and not addressing them thoroughly causes blindness towards mistakes, errors and structural weaknesses, which in turn creates a conformist organizational culture surrounded by destructive cheerfulness. 2 Even when organizations recognize a success, they often fail to detect why that activity was successful and exactly what attitudes or decisions should be repeated. 3 Maybe a valid expectation of one activist depends on the way you fulfill your role (maybe you just needed to chip in a smile?)… 4 If someone says “Well, I’d love to have huge media attention, but with the World Cup Semi-Finals starting at the moment we send the press release, I don’t really expect that.”, another may realize “Oh, I completely forgot about the World Cup calendar!”. 5 If someone says “Turns out my mother will have a surgery that day. I was really enthusiastic about this action but now my main concern is that we finish on time so I can go to the hospital.” you may intentionally increase your discipline and efficiency to accommodate this need. [...]
We use this table to keep track of the objectives we set for actions and campaigns of social movements. You can download it in PDF format, here. To learn about how to use it, check our guidelines at SMAAARRT Objectives for Activists. [...]
On 28 April 2023, we were in Berlin with the Movement Hub to share the Movements and Currents training. In this 3-hour advanced strategy training, we presented the strategies of the social movements and currents since the French revolution up until today’s new social movements. What was their theory of change? Why did they believe that theirs was the right way to change the society? What was the corresponding organizational model they adopted? [...]
The PDF version of this manual, prepared by Climáximo, is available here. If you download it, pay attention to the version number as we might update the files later. Some actions are organized over several meetings with the participation of all the activists involved, and some actions are organized by an affinity group while other activists only show up to take part in the action. This note for organizers applies to the latter case. Many people show up in an action briefing with some doubts, because they didn’t participate in the process of its creation. Other people may have doubts because they may not feel sufficiently informed about the issue. So, what we as organizers need to do is not only to explain the action, but also contextualize the action and motivate people to participate in it. Here is one way we frame actions in those meetings. 1) Context: We first explain the political context in which the action happens. Depending on who is there, you may start with climate urgency or carbon budget. Or maybe there is an auction or voting coming up about a particular project. Basically, we start by explaining why we must act now. We do not open a discussion about this point. 2) Concept: So, something bad is happening and we must respond. What is the message we want to transmit? This is the second step of the briefing. We try to express it as succinctly as possible, hopefully with a single slogan. In a way, this would be the summary of the press release. We do not open a discussion about this point. 3) Image: Now, what is the action that would transmit that message? We typically think in terms of image. This is defined by the concept, but determined by our capacity (resources, logistics, availability, media outreach etc.). It’s maybe hundreds of people putting their bodies in front of a coal excavator (like in Ende Gelände), or maybe a group of animals invading a corporation’s office (like in EZLN actions during Climate Games). We discuss this point a little bit, because there may be interesting supplementary proposals or there may be substantial objections to the proposal. 4) Details: Then we talk about turning it operational. This is open discussion. We discuss about – preparations: materials, trainings, meetings, meeting point and time, etc. – action roles: activists, mediators, filming, communicators (for media and for passers-by), back-office, etc. – communication: press release, video, live-stream, etc. – debrief: when and where we would make an evaluation. We start with the context (motivate), continue with the concept (inspire), then demonstrate the image (amaze), and finalize with the details (execute). But perhaps this is still too abstract. Below are some examples. GALP Energia vs EZLN – Exército Zoológico de Libertação da Natureza ContextGALP/ENI consorcium wants to start offshore drilling for oil and gas next week. The Portuguese government talks a lot about carbon neutrality, but it gave permission for this project. This would be the first offshore oil drill in Portugal. The fossil fuel reserves already tapped and being extracted are more than our carbon budget, this drill must be stopped now.ConceptPortugal has a strong cultural connection with the oceans. The extractivist GALP/ENI threatens to attack our ocean and our climate. We will fight back. We are nature defending itself!ImageWe will dress up as sea animals and invade GALP headquarters. We will bring the ocean with us. We will make noise and a mess, although uncomparably less than what GALP/ENI would do to our oceans. We will stay for a couple of minutes, then leave, make our dance, and go away.Detailscostumes, filming, choreography, banners, video, press release, trainings, meetings, etc. EDP (Ende Gelaende, Lisbon) ContextA few days before COP-23, thousands of activists will occupy one of the biggest open air lignite mines in Europe. The governments have been negotiating for 23 years, and emissions keep on going up. Ende Gelaende will show how to actually cut emissions: by stopping the fossil fuel industry.While in Portugal, EDP has the coal power plant in Sines, responsible for 10% of national emissions. EDP does a lot of greenwashing talking about electric cars (coal cars?) and a lot of whitewashing too – with its recently opened art museum.We should show our support to our comrades in Ende Gelaende, and we need to bring coal into climate agenda in Portugal.ConceptWe will go to the museums of EDP and draw the red lines for a liveable planet. We will tell EDP that coal belongs to museums and not to energy production any more.ImageWe will draw our red lines around Museu de Eletricidade (old power plant, now electricity museum), because fossil fuels should stay inside the museums. Then we will literally knit and weave red lines at the entrance of the newly opened art museum (MAAT).Detailsknitting material, banners, photos, video, press release, flyers to distribute Marcha pela Ciência & Marcha pelo Clima ContextTrump’s policies triggered a massive movement all around the world defending evidence-based policies for climate and social justice. In April, there will be global marches for science and (one week after) for climate.It is important to underline that one doesn’t need to say what Trump openly says to do what Trump does. In fact, science in Portugal is underfunded and precarious, and while the government talks about carbon neutrality, it also allows new oil and gas projects.Trump’s election is an opportunity for revealing the hypocrisy of all governments, and demand evidence-based climate policies.ConceptOver the course of 10 days, we will have the opportunity to summarize the world and society we want.First, on April 22nd, we will march for science, demanding more funding for those who set the factual base of evidence-based policies: scientists, teachers, universities.One week after, on April 29th, we march for climate justice. We demand sound policies for a liveable planet, and more concretely the cancellation of new oil and gas contracts.This will be a bridge to the May 1st labour demonstration, where we will demand jobs and justice.ImageWe will bring people from all backgrounds and all priorities to the streets throughout ten days: scientists, students, environmentalists, frontline populations of fossil fuel extraction, youth, and workers from all sectors.Detailsbanners, posters, flyers, meetings These examples may help to visualize how to frame an action and how to structure an action briefing. Of course, preparing an action briefing is perhaps the least difficult part of preparing an action. But if you need numbers or if you need to motivate people for confrontation, a well-planned and carefully designed action briefing may be a useful organizational tool. Here, you can draft your action briefing: Context(why we must act now) Concept (what do we want to say?) Image(how will we say it, what is the action?) Details(what do we need to execute the action?)  [...]
ATTAC, Asta and Bikoop are organizing #ESU2022, the European Summer University of Social Movements, between August 17 – 21 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. In tens of workshops, social movements will share experiences and discuss strategy. Fermento is hosting a session too! Theories of Change and Conflict Escalation August 18th, 10:00am How does change happen? How do we think change happens? How do we think that this particular change will happen? What do we need to do to make that change happen? In this strategy workshop the participants will explore what their underlying assumptions about activism are and whether their activities have been in accordance with their assumptions. In this workshop we will discuss different theories of change that organisations have regarding different issues and analyse the strategies and tactics they use to achieve their goals. Then we will talk about conflict escalation, a tool that various “momentum-driven” movements have used in recent years. You may well ask: “Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” (Excerpt from a letter from Birmingham Prison, 16 April 1963, Martin Luther King Jr.) More information, full program and registration: https://www.esu22.eu/en/ [...]
In this note, we’ll give you a total of 16 tools for social movements. They are divided into 2 categories. (1) Organization, related to what people also call Structure, Process, or Internal. (so this is not about Community Organizing) (2) Mobilization, related to Strategy and Campaigning. Each will have 8 tools. They are divided into 2 groupings. (1) Essentials: tools that you need on a daily basis, that you should always have in mind, in every meeting and in every conversation and on every task. (2) Important: tools that you need on a regular basis, perhaps weekly or biweekly, to plan and prepare your activities. Basically, the Essentials should be at your hand at all times and the Important should be at your pocket at all times. So that makes 4+4 Organization tools and 4+4 Mobilization tools. Here is the full list. Further below we will briefly explain what they are and give you references on where you can learn more. OrganizationEssentials Six Leadership Styles RACI organizing Table of Meeting Priorities Delegating Work MobilizationEssentials Spectrum of Allies Cycle of Momentum Action Learning Cycle Action Star OrganizationImportant Tools Checklist for Preparing a Meeting Checklist Media Team Four Organizational Layers Ladder of Engagement MobilizationImportant Tools SMART objectives Action Briefing Stay on Message Points of Intervention So let’s start with the essentials. Essential tools for Organizers O1. Six Leadership Styles We define leader as someone who makes good proposals or who can identify a good proposal when they see one. This means that leadership is relevant in all contexts. In any collaborative space, you need to understand the needs of the group and of the individuals of the group, as well as external factors like approaching deadlines or mandate limitations of the group. That means you need to understand the context in which proposals are being made and received. We propose you start with this introduction to leadership typologies. You can then learn about the Six Leadership Styles based on emotional intelligence, in this playlist. The six styles are Affiliative, Coaching, Commanding, Democratic, Pace-setting, and Visionary. The more you use and think about the leadership styles, the more nuances you will discover about them. We generally present the Six Leadership Styles in our two-day courses as part of organizational thinking. O2. RACI Organizing RACI stands for Responsible Accountable Consult Inform and it’s a tool to organize roles and responsibilities in any team. It clarifies team structure and mandates. It also gives the flowchart of decision-making because it gives which person/team should be consulted before making a decision and which person/team should be informed after making a decision. RACI is a very easy-to-use tool. There are loads of resources online, most of them are quite good. You can start with this one, for example. In any case, in our experience, you won’t be able learn much until you personally engage with it. O3. Table of Meeting Priorities Most of organizational work takes place in meetings. Consequently, most of our frustrations also arise from meetings. We developed a gamification tool that identifies group needs from a meeting. The table looks at various aspects and forces people to speak up what is essential and what is optional for them. We look at Meeting agenda, Facilitation, Physical conditions, Progress, Process, Content, Timing, Documentation and Meeting environment. Here is how the empty table looks like, in Portuguese. After explaining each item, we require each individual to fill in minimum 14 and maximum 15 points in the table. After some more steps, we have a group discussion on whether the meetings correspond to group needs and what should be improved. We introduce this tool in our Meeting Facilitation trainings as well as a stand-along activity in any meeting. O4. Delegating Work Every time we set up a team, roles and tasks are distributed. Only in rare cases do everyone know what exactly the domain of their role is. Only in rarer cases do people have access to all the resources and relevant skills. This means that most of the time, we are delegating work and work is being delegated to us. Our experience is that in social movements, this is done in a lousy way. (Sometimes this lousiness is justified as “empowerment” because, people say, delegation means a hierarchy and instead of delegating one should just let the person take the initiative on their own.) Instead, we propose to handle it intentionally. There are loads of guides, articles and videos online. Many are managerial and you will have to read them with a grain of salt. Most will still be useful. We have an entire 2-hour training on direct-training, coaching and delegation at work. M1. Spectrum of Allies Sometimes also called Spectrum of Support, this tools helps you locate where the movement actors, various demographic groups and influential social actors are in relation to your movement. It also helps you to analyze to what extent your actions polarize the society or the movement. Beautiful Trouble has a wonderful explanation of what it is and how to use it. Check it out here. We use the Spectrum of Allies in almost all our strategy trainings, and recommend groups to consult it every time they prepare an action, an event or a press release. M2. Cycle of Momentum Developed by the Momentum Community, the Cycle of Momentum helps group to strategize in a way that helps build a movement. The Cycle identifies active popular support, escalation and absorption stages. You can learn about the Cycle of Momentum in this article. You should also watch this online training to understand how it works and how to use it. M3. Action Learning Cycle Although there are many online examples of this tool, the one we found most useful for social movements was designed by the Ulex project. While the Cycle of Momentum helps you produce an expansive cycle with the general public and getting more people into the movement, the Action Learning Cycle describes a simultaneous intra-organizational cycle with which the group learns from its activities and deepens its understanding of the sociopolitical context in which it operates. M4. Action Star This incredible tool developed by Beautiful Trouble gives a comprehensive checklist for action preparations. You can learn more about how to use the Action Star, here. These were the top 8 tools for organizers. You should have them at hand at all times. There are another 8 tools that we think you should have in your pocket, always available to use because you’ll need them regularly and frequently. The difference between the first 8 and the second 8 is that you don’t have to be using the latter tools all the time, continuously, Important tools for Organizers O5. Checklist for Preparing a Meeting Many meetings that are ineffective or inefficient are so because people prepared them poorly. This is easy to solve if you have checklist to go through. There are obviously plenty of such lists online. Climáximo prepared one that works for the context of social movements. You can find it here. Checklist for preparing a meeting O6. Checklist Media Team Every time we organize a public event or an action, there is a media team. Sometimes it’s just one person, sometimes a lot of people are part of it. Sometimes they know what they are doing, most of the times they don’t. Climáximo prepared a step-by-step checklist for setting up a media team and running it. You can find it here. Checklist for setting up a Media Team for actions and events O7. Four Organizational Layers Many groups have difficulty in establishing cohesion and coherency because the members don’t know if their baseline agreement is ideological, political, strategic or tactical. We highly recommend a group discussion of the following short article. Four organizational layers: a guide for grassroots activists on organizing and organizations We also facilitate group discussions on this topic in our two-day organizational trainings. O8. Ladder of Engagement This is one of those tools that are really useful but if you look it up online you will only find corporate and commercial examples. 350.org did prepare a short explanation that works for social movement contexts (you can find it below and here), but our intuition is that you will have to design the ladder of your organizations on your own. Increase Your Volunteers’ Involvement: Using the Ladder of Engagement It should ideally start with visibility and go through followers, members, volunteers, activists, and leaders. At any stage of the ladder you may or may not decide to formalize engagement. (Some groups have formal membership. Some groups have formal leadership. Some groups define these in a more fluid way.) We have seen groups using ladders with 5 stages, we have also seen groups identifying 9 distinct stages. The Ladder is also useful to highlight the difference (and overlap) between mobilization and onboarding. We have a one-day-long training dedicated to building a Ladder of Engagement for organizations. M5. SMART Objectives Although there are many versions of this, we use SMAAARRT objectives in our strategy trainings. That stands for Specific Measurable Ambitious Achievable Actionable Relevant Realistic Timed We have a full explanation of what they are, what they are not and how to use them. We also have a table for team leaders to fill when they plan activities. You can find the guidelines here and the table here. SMAAARRT Objectives for Activists SMAAARRT Objectives Checklist M6. Action Briefing We have seen so many meetings go awry and so many action become increasingly confusing. One big reason for this is that the proposal is not presented well in the beginning. (As one friend of ours said: The best way to spoil a good idea is to present it poorly.) When you present a proposal (we call it an action, but it may well be any activity), you should carefully go through the Context, the Concept, the Image and the Details, in this order. Climáximo prepared a manual for how you can prepare your Action Briefing, with several concrete examples. You can find it here. How to present an action in an action briefing M7. Stay on Message This principle, as presented by the Beautiful Trouble, can be defined as follows: “Message discipline is the art of communicating what you set out to communicate, clearly, memorably, and consistently.“ You can learn more about it here. We present and practice this principle in our communication trainings. It is essential not only for press officers and spokespersons but also for anyone interacting with the public in any form. M8. Points of Intervention Points of Intervention are where the status quo reproduces itself and therefore where your group can cause disruption. Beautiful Trouble developed a framework to understand the Points of Intervention. They identify points of Assumption, Decision, Opportunity, Destruction, Production and Consumption. We introduce Points of Intervention in our trainings as one of the basic strategy tools. As you may have noticed, it’s also part of the Action Star. You can learn more about the Points of Intervention here. While there are many more tools, our claim is that if you are using these 4+4 tools effectively, you will be more than comfortable in organizing and strategizing. We have no claims over any of these tools and they are all “copy-left”. If your organization needs support in understanding better any of these tools or in putting them in practice, contact us to set up a training. [...]
The PDF version of this checklist prepared by Climáximo is available here. If you download it, pay attention to the version number as we might update the files later. Before the meeting ⎕ I know the topics and agenda of the meeting. ⎕ I know how detailed the meeting minutes are expected to be: just the decisions and information, or all the discussions? (In the latter case, it may be better to have more than one person taking notes.) ⎕ I know if there is any validation process: if the notes are to be sent to approval or modifications. ⎕ I am aware of the deadline to send the minutes. ⎕ I know where to send the minutes to. During the meeting ⎕ I took note of the attendance list (if considered necessary). ⎕ I structure the notes as topics and subtopics. ⎕ I interrupt the discussion if it is too quick for me to take notes. ⎕ For the cases in which the reader is supposed to act, I use ACT (bold and in capitals) followed by the description of the necessary action. Example: “ACT: Everyone fill in the form until next Monday.” ⎕ For specific tasks, I write the name of the responsible person in bold. Example: “On Tuesday we will have an action training. Ernesto will prepare the content.” After the meeting ⎕ I formatted and organized the notes so that a person who was not in the meeting can understand the summary. ⎕ At the very beginning of the minutes I created a section, KEY, where I compiled the to-do lists by person. Example: “KEY Vladimir: write press release proposal Rosa: prepare speech for Wednesday action, prints pamphlets Ernesto: prepare action training, schedule attendance for the clinic etc.” ⎕ I sent the meeting minutes, or started the validation process. ⎕ If there is a validation process: I updated the document and sent the final version. [...]
The PDF version of this checklist created by Climáximo is available here. If you download it, pay attention to the version number as we might update the files later. Disclaimer: Taking photos in public (particularly of the police) may have legal consequences in some countries. This checklist aims at helping you with logistics and perhaps serving as a reminder for some key components of taking photos. Before the action ⎕ I know who else is taking photos. ⎕ I know what kind of photos I should take. (large crowd, landscape, banners, signs, speaker, details, confrontation etc.) ⎕ I know the route. ⎕ For crowd photos: I know higher spots on the route. ⎕ For confrontation photos: I know safe spots with good angles. ⎕ Am I supposed to publish the photos directly, or should I just send them to someone? ⎕ I know to whom I should send / where to publish the photos. ⎕ I know when I should send/publish the photos. ⎕ If you will publish: I know the hashtag of the action. ⎕ I have a badge/t-shirt to identify me as a photographer of the organization. ⎕ I am aware of possible police reactions: Do I have to take photos of a banner before police/security takes it away? Do we expect physical confrontation? ⎕ I am aware of security measures: Are there activists who should not appear in any of my photos (in case security takes my camera)? Are there activists who must definitely appear in my photos (e.g. police violence against members of the parliament, elderlies, or families)? ⎕ I set up my camera (considering brightness, flash, angle/lenses). ⎕ My camera has enough battery. ⎕ I know who will be filming the action. ⎕ I talked with the filming team and I know what they need from me (photographers might take 3-5 second short videos together with the photos). During the action ⎕ From which directions does the light come? ⎕ We have at least five photos where the crowd and the principal banner are visible. ⎕ For large crowd photos: I took several photos with the principal banner and the demonstrators behind. ⎕ For large crowd photos: I took several photos where one can confirm the number of protestors. ⎕ For landscape photos: I took several photos with several banners and signs. ⎕ For landscape photos: My photos have signs or banners that identify the action. ⎕ We have photos of all banners. ⎕ For banner photos: All banners are legible in my photos. ⎕ For banner photos: The banner holders in my photos do not look distracted or tired. (They may be shouting a slogan, or simply smiling to the camera.) ⎕ We have a selection of photos with various signs. ⎕ For sign photos: The sign holders in my photos do not look distracted or tired. (They may be shouting a slogan, or simply smiling to the camera.) ⎕ We have close-up photos of all speakers of the demonstration. ⎕ For photos of speakers: The photos are not blurred. ⎕ For photos of speakers: I have photos that show various emotions of a speaker. (anger, joy, determination, cheerfulness etc.) ⎕ We have some detail photos: people talking to each other, families, an interaction with security authorities, people with colourful costumes or t-shirts with slogans, people holding signs with long phrases, celebrities, etc. ⎕ If there is a banner drop: I took many horizontal and vertical photos catching the full phrase. ⎕ If there is confrontation: I took photos of the banners that police took away. ⎕ For confrontation photos: I documented police violence. ⎕ For confrontation photos: My photos include the political message – and not just the physical confrontation itself. (Sometimes a sign or a banner is visible. Sometimes the building entrance has a logo. Sometimes activists have t-shirts that identify them with a cause.) ⎕ I am delivering all the urgent photos right away. (The reasons for this may be: An immediate press release must be sent. / Police may take away my camera. / The hashtag is becoming a trending topic and the organizers are expected to feed in.) ⎕ If the filming team requested something: I have enough material for the video. After the action ⎕ I know where my camera is, and if and how I could get it. ⎕ I got into contact with other photographers and confirmed that we have good photos of all kinds (large crowd, landscape, banners, signs, speaker, details, confrontation etc.). ⎕ I selected some 10-20 photos in good conditions, and I sent them to the organizers separately. ⎕ I sent all the photos to the organizers. ⎕ If you are expected to publish: I made a careful selection of 5-10 photos that include crowds, banners, speakers and details; and I published them with a descriptive text and with the right hashtag. ⎕ If there is an immediate video to be edited: I sent all my photos and short videos to the person who will edit the video. [...]
The PDF version of this checklist prepared by Climáximo is available here. If you download it, pay attention to the version number as we might update the files later. This document applies to direct actions, conferences, public sessions, mass demonstrations and action camps. At the end of the checklist, we give a few examples of how teams may be organized. The list applies to both the documentation team (media produced by the organizers) and press work (media produced by others). Although these two are quite different tasks, in grassroots organizations these two teams either merge or work very closely, in order to guarantee coherence in messaging or simply due to limited resources. We avoid stating rules and principles, for two main reasons. Firstly, the expansion and diversification of social networks and the rapid changes in their algorithms make all rules out of date within a time frame of months. Secondly, the capacities of the group, the goals of the action and the media landscape condition the messaging decisions. Therefore, we generally limit ourselves to questions (rather than give definite answers) and to tools to build answers collectively. Planning □ Define media objectives (journal publications, TV coverage, reach, views, shares, number of videos and photos, etc.). Write them down. □ Define key messaging points and write the narrative guidelines. □ Decide on social network needs of the action. □ Study the algorithms of the relevant social networks. □ Identify the teams and the number of people necessary in each. Media teams Here are some media teams you may want to set up. Press team: Writes and sends press releases. Organizes press conferences. Organizes media hours (a guided tour through the event, designed for journalists). Social networks: Publishes posts and stories in the social network accounts, like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Each social network requires different kind of content and a different language, works with different timings and has a different audience. Either have different people taking care of different social network accounts, or downgrade your social media presence to the basics. Photo team: Takes photos during the action. Selects a limited amount of photos. Edits and improves the photos. Delivers to the documentation team. Video team: Films key moments of the action, either in parts or – if extremely important – fully. May need to do live coverage. Edits the videos. Delivers to the documentation team.Interview team: Interviews the participants, organizers and the special guests, preferably in video. Documentation team: Receives from the photo team and the video team; compiles and synthesizes the story. Produces summary texts. □ Write down a detailed editorial calendar. Identify which team should do exactly which task on which day and at what hour. You can use teamup.com to create online collaborative calendars. □ Share media objectives, key messaging points and the narrative with the rest of the organizers. Receive feedback and update the documents. ​Preparation □ Get access to existing social network accounts. □ Create the missing social network accounts and define a strategy to build up their visibility. □ Recruit volunteers (or professionals, if that’s the case) for the media team. □ Make sure that the team members know not only the action itself, but also the background and the context. □ Run a sanity check on the editorial calendar, presence in social networks, and the media objectives. Do you have enough capacities to achieve the objectives? Do the team members agree with the editorial calendar, do they have further suggestions? □ Prepare a language agreement with the media team. Define the tone and phrasing, hashtags and slogans, and a communication policy (if and how to answer comments, gendered language etc.). ​Before the Action □ Write up the mandates and responsibilities of each team member. Please write this up and spend at least 30 minutes of collective time looking at it, to see if there is anything unclear or missing. □ Share access to social network accounts, email accounts and the website(s). □ Agree on the need of meeting time during the action (recommended), on its scheduled moments, its the location; and insert it on the collaborative calendar. ​During the Action □ Send reminders to team members 30 minutes to 1 hour before their tasks are due to start. □ Track the beginning of any team’s activity throughout the whole action. □ Review the contents you are producing, especially in the first moments (as the action gets going, you’ll all be more aligned). □ Don’t forget to always provide specific feedback if something is not up to expectations (feedback should be given to an action and not to a person’s whole personality) and to congratulate people on a job well done. □ Listen to your team’s concerns and, if needed, adjust the course of action for a better outcome. □ In the end of the action, take time to thank in person everyone involved, if possible by holding a brief last all-person meeting. In case you scheduled meetings: □ Review the Checklist for preparing a meeting . □ Get there on time, start and close on time. □ Explicitly save space in the meeting to let everyone speak their minds, how they are feeling and how can our collective work be further improved. (You can make this by, for instance, going round the table with the answer to these questions, while letting them now they are not obliged to speak and can pass on to the next person) □ Review the job done. □ Review the tasks and responsibilities of everyone until the next meeting. □ End on a positive note. 🙂 After the Action □ Keep tracking any tasks yet to complete (posting after-movies of the action, press release of how it went, etc). □ E-mail or message a thank you note to everyone involved (from team members to media partners or even just the person who borrowed you a camera for the action). □ (in case the team is supposed to dissolve after the action) Ensure next steps for the organization you are communicating are taken care of (e.g. if you need to transition social media accounts to another person who would do the work from that day on). *End of the Checklist* See examples in the following. Example 1: EZLN vs. GALP action (link) This direct action involved a team of 30 people in total. Dressed as sea animals, activists entered the headquarters of GALP Energia. No media team was formed separately. Media work was integrated in the action preparations as a whole. More specifically, – the press release was written collectively, – one person was responsible for selecting and improving photos, and then sending out the press release and publishing social media posts with those photos, – during the action, one person took photos and three persons filmed, – after the action, one person edited the video. The type of the action (the surprise element for media, and affinity group organizing rather than publicizing openly) limited the press work. The media team did not have a separate debriefing. Example 2: Rise for Climate (8 September 2018) demonstration (link) This mass protest was organized in three cities: Lisbon (800 people), Porto (200 people), Faro (200 people). Separate media teams were formed for each city, who reported back to action coordination. More specifically, Photo team was 2-5 people per city. In Lisbon, the organizers had another task force of 4 people who distributed tiny flyers to participants, explaining the hashtags and where to send their photos. One person made a selection of 40 photos for the entire event (from the 2000 received), another person improved them. Video team was 1-3 people per city. One person received all the videos filmed, and edited the action video. There was no interview team nor social media team. The documentation team was a single person who wrote and sent out the wrap-up text. The total amount of volunteers in the media team would add up to 10-12 activists, some with repeated roles. Example 3: Rebellion Week (14-21 April 2019) action week (link) This was an action week consisting of 10 different actions. Each action was organized by an affinity groups. While some activists did belong to more than one affinity group, the actions were independent of each other. Each affinity group had its own media team, who then reported to the media team coordination. More specifically, – many affinity groups did live streaming through social media; – others only took photos; – some edited action videos; – all were encouraged to write a press release collectively, which was sent out by the coordination during or after the action (either using the links to live videos or with photos received); – the media team coordination served as the documentation team which compiled the actions and produced a coherent narrative for the entire week; – each affinity group had its own media contact person to explain the action, while the media team coordination only talked about the week as a whole. Each affinity group had small media teams consisting of 3-5 people (1-2 to film, 1-2 to take photos, 1 media contact person). The media team coordination was another 2-3 people throughout the week. Example 4: Camp-in-Gás action camp against fossil gas and for climate justice (link) This was a 5-day action camp with 200 participants, that had workshops and trainings and ended with a mass action of 400 people. There were two separate media teams: before the camp, and during the camp. The media team before the camp consisted of 5-6 people. They prepared an editorial calendar to feed social media accounts and send out press releases. The media team during the camp consisted of 21 activists and 1 coordinator. There was a clearly timed editorial calendar with hourly tasks per person. The media team had daily meetings during the camp to give feedback and adjust the plans. More specifically, – Press team consisted of 3 people: 1 person sent out press releases already written, 1 person contacted local media, 1 person organized media hours. This team was independent of the rest. – Social networks team was formed by 6 people who published stories. Their schedule was independent of the rest, as other people took high quality images for editing. – Photo team, consisting of 4 people, took photos during the workshops and the actions. One person then selected 3-4 photos per day, improved them and delivered to the documentation team. – Video team, consisting of 4 people, filmed the workshops and the actions. Two people edited a total of three videos (special plenary session, the action, the camp). – The photo team and the video team split into different parts of the terrain during the action. Throughout the camp, hashtags were announced regularly to compile images taken by individuals. – The interview team consisted of 4 people who had specific questions at hand. They interviewed selected participants and delivered the results to the video team for the camp video. – The documentation team was only one person working closely with other teams, who wrote down daily summaries. [...]
The PDF version of this manual, prepared by Climáximo, is available here. If you download it, pay attention to the version number as we might update the files later. This checklist is about how to send a Press Release, a much simpler task than writing one. Before ⎕ I have the final version of the text. / I know where to find the final version of the text. ⎕ I have the list of emails (of media and journalists, and/or other organizations). ⎕ I know from which email account to send (and I have access to it): This is important, because some actions involve creation of a separate email account. This can be a false account (to avoid relating individuals to the action) or a common account (as in the case of a protest organized by many groups). ⎕ If photo/video will be attached, I have the contact of the person who will send them to me. ⎕ I know at what time to send: ⎕ immediately after an action (e.g. in mass mobilizations) ⎕ during an action (e.g. strikes) ⎕ at the beginning of an action (e.g. blockades, direct actions) ⎕ early in the morning (e.g. declarations, report releases) Sending ⎕ The title of the email is “PRESS RELEASE: ” ⎕ I formatted the text carefully. It should look like this: PRESS RELEASE [signed collective/organization] * More information: ⎕ The email has the logo and website of the organization sending it. ⎕ Email has contact person information. ⎕ I am sending always BCC.* ⎕ I am sending in smaller groups of 20 contacts instead of one massive email: This is because large amount of recipients may cause the email to be marked spam. For instance, Riseup servers do not allow for such use. ⎕ At each re-send, I pay attention to any formatting errors. After ⎕ I prepared an image to accompany online publications. ⎕ I published the Press Release on our own website: Sometimes it is better to wait for 1-2 hours before doing this, to see if media covers the story in their own words. ⎕ I deleted the contact person information in public posts. ⎕ The contact person is ready to receive phone calls. ⎕ I follow the news website carefully for 3-5 hours. ⎕ I share all news coverage on social media. ⎕ Also, I share the full text of the Press Release on all social media accounts that the organization has. ⎕ I deleted the contact person information in public posts. ⎕ I check email and other social media accounts for if any journalist tries to contact us. ⎕ I updated the contact list, deleting the email addresses that bounce back. [...]
The PDF version of this checklist prepared by Climáximo is available here. If you download it, pay attention to the version number as we might update the files later. Disclaimer: Organizing is a political act. A meeting cannot be reduced to a checklist. However, this list may help you with logistics and perhaps serve as a reminder for some key components of organizing the meeting. Before the meeting ⎕ The meeting is announced, meaning either that it is publicized (through the group’s website, newsletter, Facebook page etc.) or that the members of the group are informed (through the mailing list, individual emails, phone, SMS, Whatsapp/Telegram/Signal group etc.) ⎕ The meeting location is confirmed. ⎕ We have everything we need for a meeting. ⎕ projector ⎕ screen for projection ⎕ sound system ⎕ computer ⎕ internet connection ⎕ whiteboard ⎕ board markers ⎕ flip charts ⎕ papers ⎕ I know how many people to expect. ⎕ I read the previous meeting minutes for pending topics and tasks, necessary feedbacks, and upcoming events/tasks. ⎕ I prepared a tentative meeting agenda. ⎕ I know who would facilitate the meeting. ⎕ The facilitators developed tools to facilitate collective decision making. ⎕ The participants know about the meeting agenda, or at least the objective of the meeting. ⎕ I know the group’s attitude/policy/decision about progressive moderation. ⎕ I know when the meeting should end. During the meeting ⎕ Participants know each other or at least the organizers of the meeting. ⎕ Participants know the hand signals that may be used during the meeting. ⎕ The meeting agenda is announced. ⎕ There is a facilitator (either decided upon at the moment, or announced if pre-decided). ⎕ Everyone knows when the meeting should end. ⎕ We are writing meeting minutes. ⎕ We make sure everyone participates (Progressive moderation? Newcomers?). ⎕ We time topics carefully in order not to rush potentially important subjects. ⎕ We make sure people are assigned to tasks. ⎕ We make sure deadlines are set for tasks. ⎕ We know when and where the next meeting will be – if any. After the meeting ⎕ We cleaned the meeting space. ⎕ We delivered back any borrowed materials. ⎕ The meeting minutes and decisions are shared with the group/organizers. [...]
The PDF version of this checklist prepared by Climáximo is available here. If you download it, pay attention to the version number as we might update the files later. Disclaimer: Filming in public (particularly of the police) may have legal consequences in some countries. This checklist aims at helping you with logistics and perhaps serving as a reminder for some key components of filming actions, but does not include legal issues. Before the action ⎕ I know who else is filming. ⎕ I know what kind of video we aim at. (live stream, documentation of repression, footage for action video, footage for documentary) ⎕ I know where the activity will take place. ⎕ For action videos: I know higher spots on the route. ⎕ For repression documentation: I know safe spots with good angles and light. ⎕ Am I supposed to publish the videos directly, or should I just send them to someone? ⎕ I know to whom I should send / where to publish the videos. ⎕ I know when I should send/publish the videos. ⎕ If you will publish: I know the hashtag of the action. ⎕ I have a badge/t-shirt to identify me as a media responsible of the organization. ⎕ I always hold my camera horizontally. ⎕ For footage filming: I filmed the preparations. ⎕ For footage filming: I filmed the arrivals of the activists. ⎕ For footage for documentary: I interviewed some of the activists about what they expect and why they are participating. ⎕ I am aware of possible police reactions: Do we expect physical confrontation? Should I be saving the videos immediately online, in case police takes away my camera? ⎕ I am aware of security measures: Are there activists who should not appear in any part of the footage (in case security takes my camera)? Are there activists who must definitely appear in the video (e.g. police violence against members of the parliament, elderlies, or families)? ⎕ I set up my camera (considering brightness, flash, angle/lenses). ⎕ My camera has enough battery. (In case of live streaming: I have a back up battery.) ⎕ I checked the microphone quality of my camera. ⎕ I know who will be taking photos during the action. ⎕ I talked with the filming team and I know what they need from me (photographers might take 3-5 second short videos together with the photos). During the action ⎕ I always hold my camera horizontally. ⎕ From which directions does the light come? ⎕ We have at least five short videos where the principal slogans are filmed. ⎕ We have at least one short video where the crowd and the principal banner are filmed. ⎕ For live streaming and for action video: I filmed the entire action so one can confirm the number of protestors. ⎕ For action video and for documentary: I have one single footage that could highlight the diversity of the participants. ⎕ For action video and for documentary: My footages have signs or banners that identify the action. In these, all banners are legible in my photos. ⎕ We have footage of all banners. ⎕ For documentary: The activists in my videos do not look distracted or tired. (They may be shouting a slogan, or simply smiling to the camera.) ⎕ We have close-up and audible videos of all speakers of the demonstration or conference. ⎕ For photos of speakers: I have videos that show various emotions of a speaker. (anger, joy, determination, cheerfulness etc.) ⎕ We have some detail footage: people talking to each other, families, an interaction with security authorities, people with colourful costumes or t-shirts with slogans, people holding signs with long phrases, celebrities, etc. ⎕ I always hold my camera horizontally. (Seriously, do not ever forget this.) ⎕ If there is a banner drop: I shot a video catching the entire banner drop. ⎕ If there is confrontation: I filmed the banners that police took away. ⎕ For repression documentation: I documented police violence and I am in a safe place to protect the footage. ⎕ For repression videos: My videos include the political message – and not just the physical confrontation itself. (Sometimes a sign or a banner is visible. Sometimes the building entrance has a logo. Sometimes activists have t-shirts that identify them with a cause. Perhaps some verbal messaging from activists. In the worst case, I myself spoke to describe and contextualize the situation.) ⎕ I am delivering all the urgent videos right away. (The reasons for this may be: An immediate press release must be sent. / Police may take away my camera. / The hashtag is becoming a trending topic and the organizers are expected to feed in.) After the action ⎕ I know where my camera is, and if and how I could get it. ⎕ I got into contact with others of the filming team and confirmed that we have good videos of all kinds. ⎕ I sent all the videos to the organizers. ⎕ If you are expected to publish: I made a careful selection of 5-10 short videos that include crowds, banners, slogans, speakers and details; and I published them with a descriptive text and with the right hashtag. ⎕ If there is an immediate video to be edited: I sent all my photos and short videos to the person who will edit the video. [...]
The PDF version of this page is available here. If you download it, pay attention to the version number as we might update the files later. This is a meeting facilitator’s guide for online meetings using the Big Blue Button platform. We use the below steps in the first ten minutes when people are still joining the meeting, to introduce the main tools and functionalities of the platform. These steps are easily adaptable to Jitsi or Zoom meetings with small adjustments. Step 1: Welcome. At the starting time, say Welcome to all the participants. Introduce yourself, the meeting and existing roles. “Hi everyone! Welcome to the webinar X. My name is Ann, I am from the C collective and I will be facilitating this session. With us today are also Ben and Cecile who will be contributing for the discussion. A warm welcome to everyone in the room.” etc. Step 2: BigBlueButton e.g. “We will be using BigBlueButton for this meeting. “BigBlueButton is a secure platform that does not collect your data. It is not end-to-end encrypted, as this technology does not exist in a robust form for group conferences at the moment. “Another advantage of BigBlueButton is that it is device-neutral, as you can join the call from any internet browser, without installing an application.” Step 3: Mic check Ask people to mute their microphones when they are not talking. Plus, mute people who are causing background noise. Check if everyone is connected by microphone. While entering the room, some people make the mistake of entering only by audio and therefore cannot talk. e.g. “To increase the sound quality and reduce network problems, we will ask you to mute your microphones. Under the slider, you can see the microphone symbol and by clicking it you can mute your microphone. When you want to talk, you can simply click the same button to unmute yourselves. “I see that some people do not have their microphones connected. If this was a deliberate choice, there is no problem. But if you would like to be able to talk during this meeting, you will need your microphone. At the beginning, when you enter the link, the platform asks you if you wanted to enter by audio or by microphone. You probably have chosen audio. This means that the platform does not have access to the hardware itself. What you can do is that you can leave the meeting and return following the same link, this time entering with the microphone in order to allow the BigBlueButton servers connecting to the microphone. After entering, you can always mute yourselves.” Step 4: Slider Introduce the slider and explain that there will be slides. If there will be parts without slides, you can also inform people about how to minimize the slider. Step 5: Welcome We repeat Step 1 here, as more people probably entered in the meantime. Step 6: Public chat Introduce the Public Chat section on the left column. To make sure everyone saw it, ask people to write something on the chat. It can be an introduction or a simple Hello. Some people use this moment to introduce reaction symbols like ++ (meaning: I agree), ?? (meaning: I have a question/doubt.) , * (meaning: I would like to talk.), etc. In this case, you can ask people to “agree” with these chat reactions by putting a ++ on the Public Chat. Announce if you expect people to be active in the chat or if you would prefer them to use it in a moderated way. Step 7: Shared Notes Introduce the Shared Notes section on the left column. To make sure everyone saw it, ask people to write something on the notes. Some people use this moment to have a list of participants in the meeting, where everyone writes their name, collective, etc. Step 8: Mic check. We repeat Step 3 here, as more people probably entered in the meantime. Step 9: Polls Introduce the Polls functionality. Do a test poll to make sure everyone sees the poll on the lower right corner of the screen. When everyone voted, publish the results and confirm that everyone sees the results on the lower right corner of the slider. Some people use this moment to get more information about the participants, with a poll about regions, about ages, etc. Some people use this moment as icebreaker, with a silly and/or provocative poll question. Step N: Breakout Rooms We introduce breakout rooms only at the moment we need them. Be aware that it is the most confusing part and try to be as clear as possible about what people should expect. “We will now leave this plenary session and enter into small breakout rooms. In a short while, the technical support team will launch the breakout rooms and you will see a screen where you are invited to a different room. You should accept the invitation and then you will be directed to a room similar to this one, but with less people. The platform will ask for permission for microphone again, so you should accept that and do the echo test. Then you will have T minutes in that small group. In the breakout rooms you will have an opportunity to discuss/share X. Any questions? “You can always see how much time is left on the top of the screen. At the end of that period, you will be automatically directed to this main room, and you will need to enter the room, do the echo test, etc. as you did in the beginning. The tech support team will always be available to accompany whatever help you might need. Any questions?” Launch the breakout rooms only after making sure everyone understood what was happening. [...]