Action star (L’étoile de l’action)

Divide the participants into small groups and ask them to work on one or two key factors using the following prompts:

• Target: Who or what is the political target of our action and why? How is your action designed to pressure them? Will it threaten to or cost them something? Will it put them in a decision dilemma where you win no matter which way they respond?

• Point of Intervention: In what arena are you intervening?

• Allies: How will your action activate passive allies, win over potential allies, and isolate your opposition? Which specific constituencies do you want to prioritize?

• Audience and Message: Who is your priority audience and what message do you want to send them? What kind of presentation and tone (solemn, jubilant, angry, etc.) will be most effective?

• Story: How are you strategically narrating and framing the story? Is there a villain in your story? Are you putting forward your own sympathetic characters as protagonists? Are you foreshadowing your desired outcome?

• Values and Common Ground: Are you connecting with people’s values—especially those of your intended audience—and appealing to their common sense? What kinds of popular images and symbols are you including in your action and messaging?

• Action Logic: Does the action itself tell the story and convey your intended message? Will a passerby intuitively “get it” without you having to say anything at all?

• Building the Group: Will the action build your group’s capacity? Will it generate new interest and help plug new people in? Are you adequately supporting each other as you make sacrifices and take risks together?

Back in plenary, share the work that was done, and reflect on key learnings with the group.