How to organise in 11 easy steps
By Mike Peters
05/04/2024 Disabled United
To win, help build a snowball of people that grows until it becomes a big avalanche. Numbers matter; the fight to win will require a lot of work from many people, which means we need to be really organized.
Join all the disabled people who live everywhere in New Zealand by organising in each town and city, so we can be stronger together.
Here are some suggested steps of what to do.
1. Stay Connected
We all need to stay in touch.
Join the Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/disabledunitednz
An email mailing list has been set up for the public using Google Groups. You can sign up to receive short updates on upcoming protests and other efforts to defend our funding support. The list is private, so no one can see your details. The leaders will send messages only, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Subscribe to Disabled United News
Please share articles from the newsletter and this website on social media, your group's mailing lists, and anything else you can think of.
2. Find Other People To Help
Find other disabled people who want to fight the government's changes. Agree on a time and place to meet somewhere.
- Local Public Library
- Community Centre
- Church
- Cafe
Then tell other people about the meeting so they can come. Someone needs to be a contact person by phone or email.
- Advertise on Facebook
- Make a poster and put it on your fridge, in the local public library, church, community centre, cafe, or anywhere else you can find a spot.
3. First Meeting
Well done. Discuss who will do what to spread the jobs around and grow the snowball.
If only a few people come to the meeting, the next step is to find more people to help. Plan to do this and call another meeting in a week or two.
If you have enough people at the meeting, go to step 4.
4. Going Public
When you have enough people to do the work, choose a way to build support by reaching out to more people. Choose the one that works for you. These are all good ways to build disabled people's self-confidence, belief that they can change things, and win public support.
- Have an information table to talk to the public.
- Find disabled people prepared to be interviewed in the paper or radio about the effects of the cuts on their lives and families.
- Ask for messages of support from people and groups.
- Hold a public forum or meeting with speakers who are against the changes.
- Organise a peaceful public protest that families can attend and where cars can toot support.
5. Posters
Print A4 posters to promote the meeting or protest.
Then, ask if people can pin it on their noticeboard or window. Ninety per cent are saying yes. We have a lot of support, and it's growing.
Places to put posters
- Shop
- Cafe
- School
- Marae
- Workplace
- Staff rooms
- Pub
- Community Centre
- Club
- Union
- Farmers group
- Community Group
- Church
Disabled United can help design a poster for you to use. Make a request on the Disabled United Facebook Page or phone Mike Peters 022 600 5006.
6. Signs
You can make placards using old cardboard. Either paint or use a marker pen. You can also print a message on paper and tape it to the cardboard. Use the signs to say what you want. Some popular ones have been.
- Reverse the changes
- Nothing for us without us
- Equality for disability
- We are people, not $$
7. Marshals
Volunteer marshalls are needed to help keep people safe during public events, look after anyone who becomes unwell, and manage silly behaviour. You need to bring and wear a yellow safety vest and have a first aid kit. The Maori Wardens might also help.
8. Speakers
Ask organisations that support the demands to provide speakers at the meeting or protest. Speeches need to be short and snappy. Get a hand megaphone or sound system to use. Get a sign interpreter for the deaf community.
9. Donations
Set up a table or find a way to
- Collect names and contact details from people to build the snowball.
- Collect donations to help with printing costs.
- Signatures for the Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA) petition.
10. Meeting After
After the meeting or protest, go to a nearby cafe, where everyone can sit down, have a cuppa, and discuss what worked well, what could be improved and what to do next.
11. Repeat
- Examples of Peaceful Protests
- NZ Disability Advisory Group (list of disability organisations)