Grassroots

A movement or effort initiated by ordinary people at a local level, rather than directed by established leaders or institutions.

Community organizing: The process of building collective power among people who share a place, interest, or problem. It gives local participants durable ways to identify concerns and act together.
Grassroots campaign: An organized effort that builds support from local participants rather than relying chiefly on top-down direction. Campaigns make the grassroots approach visible in concrete political and civic goals.
Top-down approach: A way of organizing in which decisions and direction flow from higher levels to lower ones. It reverses the local-to-leadership direction that defines grassroots efforts.
Civil rights movement: A movement that challenged racial segregation and discrimination and sought equal rights in the United States. Local organizing helped sustain campaigns that confronted racial injustice across the country.
Collective action: Coordinated action by multiple people pursuing a shared goal. Grassroots efforts are one way ordinary people coordinate to pursue common goals.
Door-to-door canvassing: Direct outreach in which canvassers visit homes to share information or ask for support. Local campaigns use face-to-face conversations to build trust and recruit participants.
Lobbying: Efforts to influence public officials’ decisions, often through direct contact or advocacy. Lobbying can advance a grassroots cause, but it often centers access to decision-makers rather than local organizing.
Arab Spring: A wave of protests and uprisings that began in the Arab world in 2010. Local demonstrations spread into national movements challenging authoritarian governments.
Social movement: A sustained collective effort to promote or resist social change. Grassroots organizing can grow into a broader, sustained movement.
Trade union: An organization formed by workers to represent their shared interests in the workplace. Workers can organize from the shop floor to press for collective bargaining and safer conditions.

Linked from 1 page