Few Australian environmental non government organisations (ENGOs) commit significant resources to the provision of intentional activist learning opportunities. Activist education and training is sporadic and uncommon in most state and national ENGOs, consistent with an emphasis on short-term campaign goals rather than longer term movement building. This purpose of this paper is to document and critique the content and educational orientation of one potentially appropriate model for organiser training in Australia: the one-week training course for community organisers conducted by the Midwest Academy (MWA) in the United States.

Draft August 2001

On 9 June 1999, Brisbane City Council voted to approve construction of a six-lane inner city freeway through an inner city park. Community groups in suburbs effected by this new road had campaigned vigorously against the decision for several years, developing networks and acquiring political acumen and advocacy skills. While the immediate objective in this campaign, stopping the road, was not achieved, important long-term objectives were realised and valued. Anti-freeway activists learned advocacy skills through both incidental and intentional learning. Inner city resident and environment groups arguably increased their capacity to effect change. Campaign participants demonstrated a strong commitment to training and evolved as a learning community. This case study by a participant researcher explores the potential for and limitations to learning through social action.

A proposed internship scheme matching experienced environmental advocates and interns within state and national environmental non-government organisations (ENGOs).

Activist Training Websites, Organisations & Campaigns, Community campaigning & social change.

We are all media experts

Whether we realise it or not and more importantly whether we agree with it or not, most of us are active players in the mass media game and media interview veterans.

We listen to radio talkback on the way to work, watch the new and current affairs programs at night and regularly see political and business personalities being grilled by fearless interviewers with the public's interest at heart. Even when we try to relax and switch on the television, chances are we'll watch a late night chat show where the host interviews the rich, famous, infamous or the bizarre.

Being part of an organisation or lobby group, you must ask yourselves what you hope to gain by appearing in the media, and once you are there, how can you maximise your impact, credibility and ultimately the net effect of your efforts.

Essential Skills for Environmental Activism, Papers from the first National Environment Movement Training Programme - Adelaide, 1996.

The first National Environment Movement Training Programme came about as a result of broad agreement among many people within the environment movement of the need for an improvement in skill levels among workers within the environment movement.

A significant number of people had come to recognise that staff, Board members and volunteers were being placed in the impossible position of being asked to perform important and difficult and onerous work without being provided with proper training, resources or adequate organisational support. As a result the 1995 conference of Environment Centres and Conservation Councils had agreed that the 1996 conference should focus on training. At the same time, as part of its community sector support programmes, Cycad Consulting and Publishing was independently attempting to develop a proposal to develop and fund national training programmes for the environment movement.