There are four broad categories of action circles might take. Below is a list of action ideas and resources. If you have additions to add to this list, comment at the bottom of this webpage or post in the Thrive Facebook group.
Grow the Movement: Bring more Philadelphians into the campaign.
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Collect petition signatures from friends, family, neighbors, coworkers
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Participate in a phonebank, calling people to remind them about upcoming Thrive events (these opportunities will be posted in the Facebook group)
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“Table” at an event, setting up Thrive materials (petitions, flyers for upcoming Thrive events, fact sheets, etc) at a table during an event while you talk to people about the campaign
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Canvass door-to-door in a neighborhood or on a busy sidewalk, talking to people about the campaign, collecting petition signatures, etc.
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Speak at a community event, faith gathering, etc. about the campaign
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Post flyers in businesses and public places for upcoming Thrive events
- Organize a film screening, panel, or other community event that can serve to recruit new people to Thrive
Keep up the Pressure: Take creative direct action to keep our demands in the public spotlight and pressure PES.
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Plan and carry out a direct action, like the “Expose PES” action
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Example: In 2015 one action circle planned an action called the "12 Days of December." Every day leading up to the action they posted a different article on social media about each dirty "gift" PES has given Philly. On December 12th, immediately following a Movement Training, a large contingent of Thrive activists marched from PES's downtown headquarters to the Christmas Village outside of City Hall. Holding painted cardboard candy canes and presents, the group caroled to the crowd that had gathered. "On the first day of December, PES gave to me, 12 children wheezing, 11 flares a burning, 10 types of cancer, 9,000 greenhouse gases, 8 machines a-failing, 7 trains derailing, 6 tax exemptions, 5 hospital bills, 4 alarm bells, 3 times the asthma, Too many toxins, and a greedy refinery!"
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Take on a role in a mass action- contact [email protected] to plug in
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Attend a mass action- check the website for the next mass action
Storytell: Through media, art, and culture, share stories of the campaign and our vision for a healthy economy.
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Follow Thrive on Facebook and Twitter, invite friends to follow, and share posts
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Add Thrive website to your email signature
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Create a poster for the campaign that circles can post up around the city and use in actions
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Create images or memes to share on social media
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Get involved with the media and communications action circle by contacting [email protected].
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Collect stories of residents impacted by the refinery, oil trains, or climate change
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Create a video
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Create a song the movement can use during actions
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Write an article for a neighborhood or city paper/publication. Example: one Thriver wrote an article for Grid magazine about the Right to Breathe campaign.
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Write an update from your circle about an accomplishment, event, or experience from your circle
Support the Movement: Share skills, reinforce, and empower other circles
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Organize a training to share a skill you have (media, action-planning, song-writing, first aid, gardening, etc)
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Create a how-to manual about an action you took (what steps did you take? what worked? what do you recommend to other circles?)
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Research on a topic relevant to the campaign. That could mean keeping tabs on the PES refinery and Phil Rinaldi, researching campaigns against refineries in other places, or looking into ideas for how our demands could be honed into specifics. Check out the Research page coming soon to see what information Thrive has gathered so far!
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Help out with fundraising for Thrive. Contact [email protected] to learn fundraising skills and get involved.
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Support other action circles develop their leadership and take powerful action. Contact [email protected] to learn what it means to be a Supporter.
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Example: Haverford College students enrolled in an environmental studies course researched different aspects of the energy hub plan, from oil refinery employment to urban planning.
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