Building Power and Making Change: Community strategies and tools

Community-driven change is more important than ever. Whether we are advocating for social justice, environmental sustainability, or political reform, collective action is how we create lasting impact. But how do we build a movement that starts with individual curiosity and grows into sustained activism? That’s where the community platform project comes in — a digital hub designed to empower individuals, support collaboration, and drive meaningful change.

This blog post outlines how the platform and community strategy work together to guide people from discovery of our community to becoming activists within it. 

1. Discovery

The journey of community-driven change starts with discovery. This is the stage where individuals first come into contact with AIUK. Maybe they learn about an issue, identify it as important, and begin to consider how they might want to get involved. Or maybe they meet someone at a demonstration, and discover our community first-hand.

Our social media, through broadcasting, is just one tool that helps people discover Amnesty International UK (AIUK). We make complex issues accessible and relatable. We must do the same as we highlight grassroots efforts and community initiatives. 

We want to encourage posts that show:

• Our dedicated community and highlight key grassroots initiatives and campaigns.
• Signposts to find local groups or events based on interests.
• Digital actions, such as petitions or downloading campaign guides, to help users take their first steps.

Such content ensures that even people who are new can find relevant AIUK communities and take the first steps toward engagement.

2. Intention to Engage

Once someone discovers a cause they care about, the next step is forming an intention to engage. This stage is all about commitment—moving from passive interest to active participation.

By showcasing community on the AIUK website, we both invite people in and celebrate what our community is achieving. We want to present clear pathways for involvement and help community members inspire others to take steps towards action.

We need to figure out processes that help:

• Goal-setting: Encouraging community members to set personal milestones, like committing to attend 100 meetings.
• Sharing success: Telling success stories and finding testimonials that effectively attract new people while celebrating community achievements.
• Balancing information: Showcasing static information about past successes with dynamic, real-time updates on current campaigns from the community.

By making it easy for people to express their intent and take small but meaningful steps, we build confidence and lay the groundwork for deeper engagement.

3. Taking Action: Turning Intent into Impact

With intention comes action, and this is where real change begins. At this stage, people start to feel a sense of belonging and are ready to contribute to a cause they care about.

The knowledge base can help equip users with actionable tools. We’ll need clear resources and learning pathways that:

• Guide people to the right information: Whether it’s organising a protest, writing letters to policymakers, or starting a local campaign, the knowledge hub can provide step-by-step guidance tailored to issues we work on.
• Help people collaborate: People should be able to connect with others who share their interests and work together on projects—whether virtually or in person. Best practices and community policies may also be at home in the knowledge hub.
• Show them into the community: Make sure that people feel supported and seen as they take action. Create an architecture of participation that brings them into the community platform.

This stage is about turning isolated actions into collective power, with the support of the  community ensuring  that every contribution counts.

4. Sustaining Action: Building Lasting Commitment

Sustained action is the key to creating lasting change. Too often, movements fizzle out after an initial burst of energy, but with a strong community strategy and integrated platform, we can keep momentum going.

To sustain engagement, the community platform needs to help people align with others in the AIUK movement. We need to think about:

• Feedback loops: Regular check-ins with the community to understand their needs and ensure that we are adapting the community strategy and platform accordingly.
• A recognition ecosystem: Using digital badges and shoutouts for individuals or groups who demonstrate consistent commitment to help us make activism more visible.
• Storytelling opportunities: Sharing success stories and lessons learned will inspire others and keep motivation high.

By encouraging a sense of belonging and purpose, we ensure that members find reasons to continue building collective power for human rights.

5. Becoming an Activist: Empowering Future Leaders

The final stage is becoming an activist. At this point, individuals understand that community isn’t one person, but rather all of us. They begin to work on behalf of others, coordinate together and lift people up with their leadership.

These leaders will use other coordination tools and processes and that’s great! We want to empower the development of activist and leadership skills. We’ll need:

• Decentralised coordination best practices: For members who are ready to take on larger roles, such as leading groups or campaigns.
• Mentorship programs: Connecting experienced activists with newcomers to share knowledge and build networks.
• Advocacy training: Workshops, webinars, and resources focused on effective communication, policy advocacy, and community organising.

Through these efforts, we can go beyond nurturing individual leaders to continue building a movement.

The Power of Community Work in Driving Change

The journey from discovery to becoming an activist is a process of gradual engagement and empowerment. There is a system of platforms, processes and content that help AIUK move people towards becoming an activist. Although we use various digital tools, the journey is an emotional and social one. 

We are working hard to make sure the community platform project harnesses the collective strength of our community and makes a difference that lasts.