Want to take action?
Here is how you can get started
*Please note that all of the information shared on the website is for educational purposes*
The following information is relevant when starting an affinity group (AG), when starting a campaign and when engaging in political lobbying.
These steps can be used when starting online actions/groups, too (adjust as needed).
An affinity group (AG) is a group formed around a shared interest or common goal, to which individuals formally or informally belong. For the purposes of this guide, an affinity group is formed around political or social issues, or for purposes regarding activism. Affinity groups can be based on a common ideology (e.g., anarchism, pacifism, nonviolence), a shared concern for a given issue (e.g., anti-nuclear, refugee rights, women’s rights, animal rights) or a common activity, role, interest or skill (e.g., legal support, medical support, art, community-building).
Below is a summary of the steps to taking action as an affinity group (AG).
Unite
Find trusted friends/contacts that you know share your concern(s)/goal(s).
You can do this through online groups and pages; do keyword searches on social media platforms for organisations and groups that are relevant to your interests, and do the same with general searches online for websites, events and other ways you can get involved with either local or online action.
A group of this nature is often referred to as an “affinity group” (AG).
Organise
Take time to do your research and find factual information about the issue(s) at hand. The more informed you are, the better equipped you are. Be sure to review the Research Tips.
Recon may be necessary depending on the type of action you want to do.
Meet and discuss what the problems are, what your goals are and plan the best ways to achieve those goals through activism, and what form(s) of activism you/your group want to be involved with. You will find information, examples and videos/images for all different forms of activism and outreach on the D.A.M website and there are examples of many forms of activism in this guide. Your AG most likely need to meet regularly.
Fight
Execute your plan.
Have fun and look after each other.
Safety first! - Make sure to follow security protocols (see Security & Privacy) and there are some very important things to remember in below.
If you do not know anyone that is concerned about the same issues as you, try searching (online, through local papers etc.) for groups that are relevant to your concern(s) and/or goal(s). You may be able to find an online forum or physical space where relevant groups meet so that you can form connections with others that may be interested in joining an affinity group, or you may even come across an already established AG or campaign that you can join. You may be subjected to vouching processes when attempting to join an established AG, which are explained in further detail below as well as in the Vouching section of this guide.
Important things to remember
When an AG begins, it is important to establish some ground rules and boundaries. In order for an affinity group to have longevity and to encounter as few problems as possible, trust is needed. You need to be able to depend on the people in your affinity group to fulfil their roles and you need to know that members of your group can maintain security protocols and treat one another with respect.
How is this achievable?
Each group and its members will vary and you will need to discuss this topic as a group, but here are some suggestions to get you started:
Vouching systems
At the start, you may need to use a vouching system to ‘filter’ who joins the group. You should have a core group of trusted members and you can build on that, if the group agrees there is a need for this.
A basic example of a vouching system is: potential new members must be known by at least one, possibly two or more, active members that are trusted and vouched for. Obviously, the more “core” members that know the potential new member(s), the better. You can also devote some time to researching the potential new member(s). Safety and security are extremely important. There is more information about vouching in the Vouching section.
Welcoming versus elite
Activism and activist spaces shouldn’t be elite. People from all backgrounds, belief systems and capabilities are concerned about, and impacted by, injustice and can be activists. It is important to create a ‘space’ where different types of people will be considered to potentially join your AG and be reasonably safe and comfortable within the group. If you have an affinity group that has specific goals and actions that certain people may not be able to do, it’s understandable to be selective with who joins your AG. Just try your best to keep an open mind and try to be accepting of each other’s differences to a practical and reasonable extent.
Communication
Open communication is very important. Group members need to be able to express their concerns about AG business. Have regular meetings to discuss plans for future actions and campaigns, and try to schedule routine catch-ups for members to ‘debrief’ and discuss any concerns or problems and to give positive feedback. It is best to keep strict boundaries around what is discussed at ‘business’ meetings and what is discussed at more casual catch-ups. It is not practical to discuss political stances, emotional topics and other potentially volatile issues in an affinity group/activist environment (for strategy/planning/’business’ meetings) and it can have negative impacts on your AG’s effectiveness and longevity.
‘Consensus’ is a commonly used process for group decision-making. When using a consensus decision-making process, the input of all group members is taken into consideration when arriving at final decisions regarding actions and policies within the group. This helps to promote fairness and unity within the affinity group. There can be difficulties with this process, but consensus is used widely by people around the world working towards a more just and equitable society. To learn more about the process and how to handle disagreements, see the Consensus decision making section.
Accountability
Along with being welcoming comes being accountable. If complaints or problems arise, they need to be addressed thoroughly and promptly. Keeping in mind that ‘spaces’ need to be welcoming to a reasonable extent, they must also be safe, first and foremost. If any group member is causing consistent problems or has hurt someone etc., that issue must be addressed, and problematic people and/or perpetrators must be held accountable. Processes for dealing with these situations need to be put in place and may include steps toward resolution like mediation and education or ultimately having problematic members being asked to exit the group entirely. Mediation may not be a suitable option if someone has been harmed. Most issues that arise within AG’s can be attributed, at least partially, to stress, exhaustion and high-intensity situations.
Affinity group basics
An affinity group (AG) is a group formed around a shared interest or common goal, to which individuals formally or informally belong. For the purposes of this website, an affinity group is formed around political or social issues, or for purposes regarding activism. Some AG’s are organized in a non-hierarchical manner, often using consensus decision making, and are frequently made up of trusted friends. They provide a method of organization that is flexible and decentralized. Other AG’s may have a hierarchy to provide management of the group's long-term interests, or if the group is large enough to require the delegation of responsibilities to other AG members.
Affinity groups can be based on a common ideology (e.g., anarchism, pacifism), a shared concern for a given issue (e.g., anti-nuclear, anti-war) or a common activity, role, interest or skill (e.g., legal support, medical aid, black blocs). Affinity groups may have either open or closed membership, although the latter is far more common. AG’s tend to be loosely organized, however there are some formal roles or positions that commonly occur, primarily during meetings. An AG may have all, some or none of these positions. They may be permanent or temporary and the group may opt to take turns in these roles, instead of having fixed roles assigned to people.
Facilitator
A person or people who perform facilitation duties in consensus process of the group and also, to varying degrees, act as a dispute settler when internal conflicts arise, which is inevitable and a common part of being involved with an affinity group.
Media contact
An individual who represents the group to the mass media. The group should discuss this role as it is important the media contact is reliable and “presentable” according to the general public. If you want to get support, it will help to be marketable and relatable.
Vibe watch
A person or people charged with monitoring the mood and feeling of the group. The reference is to vibrations in the colloquial emotional sense. In some Affinity groups, the vibe watch is also charged with keeping the facilitator from using their role to favor any position or proposal.
Snap-decision facilitator
Also called "quick decision facilitator", this is a person charged with making decisions for the group in time-constrained or high-pressure situations. The position is rare and is almost always temporary. This can be a role for meetings and/or actions.
Spokes-council
When you are involved with a larger or long-term campaign, you may work with multiple affinity groups. When this occurs, a spokes-council may form. This forms each affinity group elects a representative to attend spokes-council meetings and communicate on behalf of their affinity group. This allows the network, or cluster, of affinity groups to communicate efficiently and coordinate with each other. Examples of different types of affinity groups – legal support groups, medical/first aid support groups, banner/sign/creative groups, arrestable groups and so on.
Spoke
The individual charged with representing the AG at a spokes-council or cluster meeting; roughly the same as a spokesman but without sex-assumptions. Occasionally, the spoke will be granted a more general ambassadorial role by the AG. This role may extend to other areas of decision-making, meetings and/or actions if leadership is needed.
group structures & leadership
Some groups may struggle with the concept of structure or be anti-hierarchal altogether, but without strong leadership, and depending on the experience levels of AG members, an AG may become stagnant or not as effective as it could be. AG’s may need to explore and try out different structures, governing systems and decision-making processes before finding what works best for the people and goals of the AG. Consensus is a type of structure and decision-making process that is commonly used within AG’s, but it is not suitable or the best option for all groups. Just like with different forms of activism, some affinity groups may end up using a mix of structures/hierarchies and decision-making processes.
Some basic information on group structures is below, including links to further information on this topic.
Hierarchal organisational structure
Hierarchal structures better define levels of authority and responsibility within an AG by having one person or small group leading and a ranking following of AG members dependent on experience and relevant knowledge. Your AG may have members that feel very strongly about being able to give input and be involved in decision-making (consensus, or leaning toward consensus) and hierarchal structures might make less experienced and/or less vocal AG members feel left out or unimportant, but perhaps not. These are all matters that need to be taken into consideration and efficient meeting and discussion facilitation can help with some the side effects of using a hierarchal structure.
Horizontal or flat structure
Horizontal, or flat, group structures have decentralized leadership, few or no levels of governance/admin/leadership and have transparency of information. This option spreads the responsibility of decision-making as evenly as possible throughout a group, and may have one person or a small group at the ‘head’ of the structure to guide the AG. This may be viewed as a fairer option by many AG’s, but it may need to be considered that this type of structure might require more time & energy and could potentially foster stunted planning, strategizing and success by allowing AG members that have little experience to have just as much decision-making power as more experienced activists. In contrast, it could, perhaps, foster more creative and robust ideas etc. All of these considerations (and more) should be reflected on when deciding on what structure your AG should have.
Matriarchal Structures
Members of D.A.M believe that we humans can come together, as a global community, to take a stand against the injustices that occur every single day toward our fellow human beings, toward non-human animals and toward the environment which we all depend on. We believe that empowering girls and women and steering our societal cultures toward matriarchal structures & systems, instead of patriarchal ones, is imperative to reversing much of the damage done to the rights of humans, animals and our environment.
When forming an affinity group, and/or when beginning a campaign, it is foolish to repeat or embed within your AG the very structures and systems we, as activists, oppose and fight against; the systems and structures that create and perpetuate the injustices we gather to address. What is being referred to here is not simply a reversal or flipping upside down of our current (and historic) patriarchal governing systems and structures, but rather a different governing system altogether; a different way of cooperating with each other.
Historically and generally speaking, men have been responsible for creating laws and policies which govern our society socially, economically and politically, and this has resulted in inherent biases creating inadequacies, or inequalities, between humans (and animals and against the environment). We must truly begin to restructure how our society sees, thinks about and addresses these inadequacies.
Matriarchal structures are not new, and you are encouraged to learn more about establishing matriarchal structures within your AG via the links below:
International Academy HAGIA for Modern Matriarchal Studies
Modern Matriarchal Studies (second-congress-matriarchal-studies.com)
More about this topic can be learned by reading Invisible Women – Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez.
Patriarch = the male head of a family or tribe.
Matriarch = the female who is the head of a family or tribe.
Patriarchal = relating to or denoting a system of society or government controlled by men.
Matriarchal = relating to or denoting a form of social organization in which a woman is the head.
Consensus
Consensus is a desirable structure for many activists because, when using consensus structures, no one should be forced to go along with an action that they do not agree with and, because all AG members are given the opportunity to have input on strategy, planning, decision-making and other group matters. Consensus-based group structures generally take more time and energy to reach decisions and to take action because the input of all AG members is needed and agreement must be reached before moving forward. Potentially requiring more time, energy and trust is not necessarily a negative regarding using a consensus-based structure, but these potential limitations need to be considered by affinity groups in regards to lengths of meetings and the range of levels of experience within the AG etc.
Learn more important information about the consensus decision-making process here.
Further information
Material to read for more insight on this topic:
Struggles Over Leadership in the Women’s Liberation Movement by Carol Hanisch
