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advocacy

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A Strategy Tool: The Spectrum of Allies

The 'Spectrum of Allies' is a study of the barometer of social forces and groups, spread across the spectrum from those who are the most dedicated opponents to those who are the most active supporters.

Using it as a tool:

1. Helps in realizing that tactics need to be planned in relation to how much you do or don't attract key allies
2. To invite you into the fascinating complexity of strategizing
3. To encourage more optimistic mobilization efforts through a realization that it is not necessary to win over the opposition to your point of view.

In most social change situations, there is a struggle between those who want the change and those who don't. Those who want the change are represented by a point at one side of the spectrum of allies (say, on the left), and the opponents by a point at the other side.

Societies (or towns, or states) usually include a range of groups that can be put on a kind of spectrum from closest to the point of view for what you are advocating for, to farthest away.

In most social change campaigns it is not necessary to win the opponent to your point of views (the group on the opposite end of the spectrum from you, even if the power holders are the opponent. It is only necessary to move some or all of the pie wedges one step in your direction. If you can shift each wedge one step, you are likely to win, even though the hardliners on the other side don't budge.

Sometimes polarization happens, and the wedges closest to the opponent move away from you and toward the opponent. You can still win, if enough of society takes a step in your direction.

We often have the mistaken idea that we need to win everyone over to our side, which invites a feeling of being overwhelmed. Another mistake is that the whole attention gets focused on the power holders, again this invites despair. It is very important for advocacy efforts to avoid the trap of despair!

When the advocacy efforts bring a basically optimistic attitude toward the task of mobilization, then it is a lot easier to get people on board. Also, the multiplicity of roles (because of the multiple kinds of actions that can reach folks at different points in the spectrum) gives everyone a way to plug into the campaign, rather than everyone having, for example, to lobby politicians or be dragged to jail.

Remember:

• It is a huge win if you can get a group that was slightly hostile to move into neutrality.
• It is a huge win if you can get the group/wedge next to your end of the spectrum to move into activism with you.
• It is usually not necessary to move the opponents on the opposite side of the spectrum to step toward you in order to win, although it can hasten the win.

Adapted from: www.newtactics.org

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