Society is full of would-be 'change agents'-campaigners, government officials, enlightened business people, engaged intellectuals-set on improving public services, reforming laws and regulations, guaranteeing human rights, achieving a fairer deal for those on the sharp end, and greater recognition for any number of issues. Drawing on many first-hand examples and numerous new case studies and interviews with grassroots activists and organizations around the world, as well as Oxfam's unrivalled global experience, this important book answers the question: how does change happen and how can we-governments, organizations, businesses, leaders, campaigners, employees, and ordinary citizens-make a difference?
Drawing on the global experience of Oxfam, one of the world's largest social justice INGOs, this book tests ideas on 'How Change Happens' and sets out the latest thinking on how citizens and others can drive progressive change.
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Part I: A Power and Systems Approach
- 1: Systems Thinking Changes Everything
- 2: Power Lies at the Heart of Change
- 3: Shifts in Social Norms often Underpin Change
- Case Study: The Chiquitanos of Bolivia
- Part II: Institutions and the Importance of History
- 4: How States Evolve
- 5: The Machinery of Law
- 6: Accountability, Political Parties, and the Media
- 7: How the International System Shapes Change
- 8: Transnational Transnational Corporations as Drivers and Targets of Change
- Case Study: The December 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change
- Part III: What Activists Can (and Can't) Do
- 9: Citizen Activism and Civil Society
- 10: Leaders and Leadership
- 11: The Power of Advocacy
- Part IV: Pulling it All Together
- 12: A Power and Systems Approach to Making Change Happen
- Conclusion
- Index
Drawing on the global experience of Oxfam, one of the world's largest social justice INGOs, this book tests ideas on 'How Change Happens' and sets out the latest thinking on how citizens and others can drive progressive change.