10-10 strategies

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Name: 10/10 Strategies

Time: 30 minutes, or longer

Goal or purpose of the exercise:

This exercise helps people learn about the rich history of nonviolent campaigns, getting a better understanding of campaigns, tactics and movement

How it's done/facilitator's notes

The facilitator asks people to break into small groups of 5-6 (groups should be of equal numbers.) Ask one person in each group to list numbers 1 to 10 on a piece of paper. Tell groups they are “competing” with one another to see who can do the task in the fastest time, as opposed to our usual cooperative style. Tell each group to list 10 wars as quickly as possible, raising their hands when they are done. Facilitator should quietly note the time. Then ask them to list 10 nonviolent campaigns, and again raise their hands when done. Note how it takes longer to come up with the nonviolent campaigns then the wars (which we will not talk about here). Starting with the “winning” group, write their list of nonviolent campaigns on a wall chart. Ask other groups to add to the list. There will probably be a mix of movements, tactics, campaigns, etc. List them all and then use the list to explain the differences so people learn about strategic processes and how effective strategies develop. For example, the list may include “anti-apartheid” ( movement), “Salt March” (a campaign) and “sit-ins” (a tactic). See the Glossary of terms in this handbook. Using the list, ask the participants to describe components of campaigns, identify tactics, and describe what makes a movement. Use a well known campaign as a case study to learn about strategic development of nonviolent campaigns. You can also use this list to introduce people to campaigns they are not familiar with. This list can become the basis of a longer discussion. Adjust the time according the group's needs and knowledge of campaigns.