Coalition Building
Successful movements are built on broad, diverse coalitions. Learn how to find common ground, reach across divides, and build the alliances necessary for lasting change.
Why Diverse Coalitions Are Essential
Research consistently shows that broad, diverse coalitions are key to nonviolent movement success. A movement that speaks with many voices is harder to ignore, harder to dismiss, and harder to defeat.
Numerical Advantage
More participants mean more leverage. Remember the 3.5% rule: no government has withstood sustained resistance from that threshold of its population.
Legitimacy
Diverse coalitions are harder to dismiss as "fringe" or "radical." When teachers, veterans, business owners, and students all stand together, the message resonates.
Protection
Regimes struggle to isolate and repress coalitions that cross demographic lines. Attacking one group means attacking everyone's friends and allies.
Multiple Pressure Points
Diverse coalitions can challenge those in power simultaneously on several fronts, making it impossible to defend against all pressure at once.
Resources and Skills
Strategies for Building Coalitions
Start with Shared Grievances
Identify issues where different groups' interests align. Economic concerns often unite people across other divides. Healthcare, job security, cost of living, and corruption affect everyone regardless of political affiliation.
Key Question: What problems do we all face, regardless of our other differences?
Build Personal Relationships
Coalition strength depends on trust between leaders and members of different groups. Invest time in relationship-building before crises. Share meals, attend each other's events, and learn about each other's concerns.
The relationships you build during calm times will sustain your coalition during storms.
Respect Autonomy
Allow coalition partners to maintain their distinct identities and decision-making processes while coordinating on shared goals. A labor union doesn't have to become a civil rights organization to work alongside one, and a religious group doesn't have to adopt secular language to participate.
Address Power Imbalances
Ensure all coalition partners have voice and influence, not just the largest or most resourced groups. Smaller organizations often bring crucial community connections and local knowledge. Rotating leadership, proportional decision-making, and active listening help maintain equity.
Maintain Clear Communication
Establish regular communication channels and decision-making processes that all partners understand and accept. Miscommunication breeds distrust. Be explicit about expectations, timelines, and responsibilities.
Allow for Diverse Tactics
Different groups may employ different tactics. Some may prefer direct action while others focus on electoral work or legal strategies. Coordinate to ensure tactics complement rather than undermine each other. Not everyone needs to do the same thing at the same time.
Historical Examples of Successful Coalitions
U.S. Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
The Civil Rights Movement wasn't a single organization but a coalition of groups with different approaches, united by shared goals.
Movement Organizations
- * SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)
- * SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee)
- * CORE (Congress of Racial Equality)
- * NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
Supporting Allies
- * Labor unions (funding, organizing expertise)
- * Religious leaders (moral authority)
- * Student groups (energy, risk-taking)
- * White allies (expanded reach, legitimacy)
Key Insight
Anti-Apartheid Movement (South Africa)
The movement against apartheid demonstrated the power of both domestic and international coalition building.
United Democratic Front: 400+ Organizations
- * Trade unions bringing economic pressure
- * Churches providing moral leadership
- * Student groups organizing protests
- * Civic associations representing communities
International solidarity from governments, corporations, and civil society applied pressure from outside while domestic groups organized within. Divestment campaigns, cultural boycotts, and diplomatic isolation all reinforced the domestic struggle.
Chicago's Rainbow Coalition (1969)
One of the most remarkable coalition experiments in American history united groups across racial lines to fight poverty and police brutality.
Black Panthers
African American community
Young Lords
Puerto Rican community
Young Patriots
White Appalachian community
The Lesson
Common Challenges and How to Address Them
Conflicting Priorities
Different groups may have different ultimate goals beyond the immediate shared concern.
Solution: Focus coalition work on areas of agreement. Be explicit about what the coalition is for and what it isn't. It's okay to work together on some issues while disagreeing on others.
Resource Competition
Limited funding and attention can create tension between partners.
Solution: Be transparent about resources. Develop fair allocation processes. Look for ways to expand the pie rather than just divide it. Joint fundraising can benefit everyone.
Tactical Disagreements
Some may favor more confrontational approaches while others prefer working within the system.
Solution: Recognize that different tactics can be complementary. Establish ground rules about maintaining nonviolent discipline. Allow groups to participate at their own comfort level.
External Pressure to Divide
Opponents will try to split coalitions by exploiting differences or offering deals to some partners but not others.
Solution: Discuss this threat openly. Commit to transparency about any outside approaches. Remember that coalition strength is your greatest asset—don't give it away cheaply.
The "Pillars of Support" Strategy
Gene Sharp's foundational insight is that power is not monolithic. Rulers depend on cooperation from institutions and groups—the "pillars of support"—to maintain control. Understanding this changes how we think about creating change.
The Temple Metaphor
Visualize the regime as sitting atop a temple held up by these pillars. Remove enough pillars, and the structure collapses. You don't have to defeat those in power directly—you just have to remove enough of their supports.
Common Pillars of Support
Military & Police
Business Elites
Civil Service
Media
Religious Institutions
Judiciary
Strategic Applications
Identify the Pillars
Map the institutions and groups that enable the power you're challenging. Analyze which are most critical and which might be most susceptible to pressure or persuasion.
Target the Least Loyal
Research shows that targeting persuasion on the least loyal pillars—those most likely to defect—is more effective than trying to build mass numbers alone. Look for cracks in the foundation.
Create Moral Conflicts
Put pillar members in positions where supporting the regime conflicts with their professional ethics, religious values, or family relationships. Police officers have families in the community. Business owners have customers to serve.
Raise the Costs of Support
Make continued support for unjust policies costly through public exposure, economic pressure (boycotts), international attention, and social accountability.
Communication and Branding for Movements
Successful movements communicate effectively and create memorable identities. Your message must be clear, consistent, and compelling.
Principles of Movement Communication
Paint a compelling picture of what you're for, not just what you're against.
Core messages should be clear enough for anyone to understand and repeat.
Repeat key messages across all channels and spokespersons.
Personal stories are more powerful than abstract arguments.
Stay on message even when provoked. Don't let opponents control the narrative.
The Power of Symbols
Successful movements create memorable visual identities that inspire participation and spread organically.
Otpor's Clenched Fist (Serbia)
Bold, reproducible, defiant—could be drawn quickly anywhere
Solidarity's Logo (Poland)
Suggested both strength and community with stylized letters
Yellow Ribbon (Philippines)
Associated with hope and the Aquino martyrdom
Keys Rattling (Velvet Revolution)
Signaled the regime's time was up—"It's time to go home"
What Makes Symbols Effective
Key Takeaways
- Diversity is strategic: Broad coalitions are harder to dismiss, harder to repress, and more likely to succeed.
- Build relationships early: The trust you build in calm times will sustain your coalition during storms.
- Focus on shared grievances: Find the issues where different groups' interests align naturally.
- Target the pillars: Understand what supports the power you're challenging and work to shift those supports.
- Communicate clearly: Your message must be simple, consistent, and focused on a positive vision.
Ready to Build Your Coalition?
Coalition building takes time and intentionality. Start by reaching out to one organization or group that shares your concerns but comes from a different background.