Activists – especially student activists – generally operate within an already existing community. As such, one of the most important components of activism is to build relationships with other groups and communicate effectively with peers.
Various groups and individuals fall on different points along a spectrum of allies. Some agree, others disagree and most are often sadly ambivalent. As a campus activist and/or community organizer, it is important to identify your goal with a particular group or individual based on where they fall on the spectrum. If a group agrees with your positions but is not yet actively engaged in your campaigns, you might want to encourage them to participate. If an individual is ambivalent but could potentially care if given more information, you might want to educate him or her about the situation. Finally, if a group disagrees entirely, you generally want to avoid provoking them into actively organizing against you.
You can make & use a Spectrum of Allies diagram for two purposes:
• Consider what sort of relationships to build with other student groups on campus
• Identify your goals for communicating with a particular audience
Spectrum of Allies Diagram
Draw a half circle on a big piece of paper (or on a board)
• Imagine that the far left of the circle is the position of your group with its values and goals
• The far right are groups with opposite goals (for example, groups which are actively pursuing Western intervention in the Middle East)
• Spread all along the middle region of the semi-circle are a variety of groups which are more or less in agreement with one end of the spectrum or the other (at the top, in the middle, would be ambivalent neutrals)
• Fill in this semi-circle together, adding groups and organizations at their appropriate position somewhere along the spectrum…
The diagram can help you identify:
• Where people or groups stand in relationship to your positions and goals
• What you need or want from a person or group based on where they stand
• The kind of interactions that will help you reach your goal with them
When having a conversation with an individual or speaking to a group, consider your interactions and place them along the spectrum. If you do not yet know where they fall, ask some questions that might give you a better sense. Once you identify where a person or group stands, you can think realistically about where you can move them. Look to the aims on the diagram surrounding the half circle for guidance on how to influence a person or group based on where they stand.
When thinking about relationship building on campus, consider where other student groups fall on this spectrum.
Perhaps you want to develop a shared understanding with groups who disagree in order to keep them from organizing against you. Perhaps you wan to form coalitions or organize an event with passive allies in order to get them more engaged. If you are organizing a campaign, consider which groups you need to inform and win over.
Keep in mind that in order to achieve social change, it is not necessary to win over everyone who falls along this spectrum. It is only important to move individuals and groups within society one step closer in your direction, as well as avoid provoking those who disagree to actively organize against you.
[For more information on the Spectrum of Allies, try Katrina Shields' In the Tiger's Mouth: An Empowerment Guide for Social Action (Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1994).]