By: Elan Karoll | 7 JULY 2019 | written exclusively for the Hasbara Fellowships Blog
Do you want to stop the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement from invading your community, campus, or organization? You can with this winning strategy from a BDS battle veteran.
This proven model defeated BDS by 2-to-1 margins, twice. Faced with a local BDS referendum, with only three weeks to prepare, over 100 volunteers turned out almost 7,000 combined voters to vote no. The secret to this success was in the fundamental approach of grassroots organizing.
What is grassroots organizing? It is a set of political tactics to achieve massive results through collective action towards a common goal. One person can rally a community into a movement by tapping into the power of individual people. If you can motivate and empower people, and if those people motivate more people, then you can make a political machine.
“Grassroots, community action was the best education I ever had, better than anything I got at Harvard,” said a former Illinois State Senator. His campaign for President, Obama for America, famously utilized these tactics to win the White House. The campaign then transformed into Organizing for Action: one of the world’s largest advocacy networks. They continue to rely on grassroots organizing.
Are you ready to begin, and win? Here is how to defeat BDS by creating your own volunteer-fueled grassroots campaign, step-by-step.
Step One: Identify your challenge and define your goals.
You first need to fully research the issue at hand so you understand every aspect of it. Then decide what you want to accomplish. Define what actions are going to get you there, and be as specific as possible. Get detailed and consider every possibility. Next, envision your plan. Really think in your head about the end result you desire. This vision will guide you. The campaign you assemble will seem “organic” on purpose, but you should know from the beginning exactly how it will grow. That being said, reality will usually end up deviating you from your plan. That is fine, and being flexible is a good thing. But start in the direction of that clear vision you set.
Step Two: Assemble your resources.
Determine what you will need to reach your goals. Resources may include people, time, money, physical items (tables, posters, ads?), and external support (partnerships, endorsements?). Compare your resources currently available, and your resources needed. Make a plan to acquire the difference. (Focus on tangibles… people comes next.) This can be a challenging task, or even impossible, based on your situational limitations. You may need to reshape your plan to account for these obstacles.
Step Three: Recruit your core team.
Every great team depends on a few MVPs. Find 3 to 8 other people to commit to your campaign. These are your champions who you can totally rely on. They will act as power-players and decision-makers. You should prepare a “sales pitch” to sell these core team members on your vision. Ensure they see the challenge faced and the need for this campaign as clearly as you do. Describe the plan to them fully and succinctly. Most importantly: help them buy into the mission. Give your initial players some skin in the game, so-to-speak. The core team needs to feel ownership in order to feel motivated. Let me further stress this crucial factor: the campaign must feel like it belongs to your core team as much as it belongs to you. Now, this can be difficult for head-strong personality types. If that is you, then you need to get comfortable with relinquishing some control.
Step Four: Launch your campaign.
Start by holding a “launch meeting” with your core team. Assemble them together to create some systems and structures for your operations. (Pro-tip: launch meetings go better when you order pizza.) You should develop bylaws, titles and responsibilities, channels of communication, a headquarters location. You may also need a file sharing system, financial accounting document, and a physical asset management plan (basically: storage). Being organized from the start will help you stay organized in the end: when it really counts to be efficient. This meeting is also when you decide on a campaign name, write a mission statement, and design a simple brand. Your brand includes a logo, color scheme, and perhaps some slogans. Conclude the launch meeting by assigning everyone specific tasks to complete. Promise to hold each other accountable. Set firm due dates and a requirement to report on progress. Some people may choose to pair up and form small teams or committees. This structure works best for larger campaigns. Your primary role as Campaign Manager is to play “conductor” and “cheerleader.” It is your job to keep everyone on task and motivated. Spread positive energy and encouragement throughout the team. Don’t forget to give many thank-yous, some well-dones, and shout-outs.
Step Five: Build your base of volunteers.
The wheels are officially turning! You now must earn public support by sharing information about your mission. Solicit volunteers by clearly communicating a “call-to-action.” This call-to-arms must include specific instructions on how potential volunteers can join your cause. When volunteers enlist, assign them members of your core team. This core member will serve as “point person” to the volunteer, and will on-board them into the campaign. This means proving all necessary information, training, resources, and other tools. Empower your volunteers with real responsibilities so they too develop buy-in. Volunteers will continue to be motivated only if they feel like they are making a difference. Finally, ask your volunteers to also go out and recruit more volunteers! This is critical to building your base from a few supporters to a massive movement. Set small goals, like 1 or 2 new people per volunteer, and watch your numbers grow exponentially.
Step Six: Accelerate into action.
This is the critical make-or-break stage when most of the action happens and the fighting gets tough. It is exciting but also stressful. Build hype and raise energy, but keep control and a tight schedule. Your volunteers should be trained and tasked: send them out now to get started. Meanwhile, you should retreat from the frontlines to run the mission from the top, down. Focus on your core team and help them manage the various aspects of the campaign’s complex operations.
Step Seven: Go-time.
Today is the day of the BDS vote! You have been planning for this critical moment. You are ready (repeat that). Everything is in place, and your preparation is going to pay off. You will likely need to overcome dynamic challenges as they arise. Take them in stride and keep pushing through. Make this moment count. Give it your all! Don’t give up the fight.
Step Eight: Reacting to the result and following-up.
Did you win? Congratulations to you! You defeated BDS. Now go celebrate your hard work! Give full credit to your core team and volunteers. Let them enjoy the warm glow of the win, and do not steal the spotlight. Highlight your success to the public: proclaim it to all that will listen! Chances are that many people have been invested in your cause, and are eagerly awaiting news. (In case you lost: do not panic. Thank your team for their hard work. Respond appropriately to the public.) Chances are that the last few weeks have been rough! So go relax, shower off, and maybe eat a salad. As you reflect on your successful grassroots campaign, you discover that all of your hard work was really worth it.
You can truly accomplish anything if you can learn and master this strategy. Grassroots organizing was the most important tool in my arsenal during my four years as a pro-Israel activist in Illinois. Hasbara Fellowships gave me much of the training to learn these important skills. My experience during the Hasbara’s educational mission to Israel helped me succeed as a Hasbara Fellow in my community. These accomplishments would not be possible without their support.
After leading two successful campaigns against BDS using this model, the IDF Military College awarded me an honorary medal. And after organizing almost one hundred pro-Israel programs, meetings, speakers, and rallies, StandWithUs named me the 2018 Student Activist of the Year.
You too, can do this. We all know the seriousness of the BDS threat and the importance of standing up for Israel. Now you know the secret to success. Apply these strategies and you will win, win, win.
Further questions? Feel free to write me at elankaroll@gmail.com. Or contact Hasbara Fellowships to learn how YOU can become a champion for Israel as a college student.
