An introduction to network based organising (MN101) Greenpeace Australia Pacific May 2006 By John Hepburn

Overview of presentation Overview of mass networking What are networks? Why are networks important for Greenpeace? Different types of networks How do networks function? How can we use networks effectively?

What is ‘mass networking’? Mass –Involves people –Social movements –mobilisation Networks –Networks of people –Networks of organisations –Spreading ideas

What is a network? Networks have 2 basic components: –nodes –Links –Nodes with many links become ‘hubs’ An interconnected system of things or people;

Why pay attention to networks? How do epidemics (& computer viruses) spread and how can we contain them? How do ideas spread through society? How do products become popular? Military – create robust communication networks? Military – how to destroy enemy communications? How do biological and ecological systems work (ie food chains, protein networks etc)?; What does the web look like & how does it work? How can we build powerful social movements?

Sydney rail network

An aquatic food web. An arrow from one species to another indicates that the second species consumes the first species

Map of a school friendship network

Map of protein interactions in yeast

Relationships between 9/11 terrorists

Networks relevant to Greenpeace… The spread of ideas through society; The adoption of new behaviours; Social relationships; Funding networks; Political networks; The web;

Networks we want to grow People buying ‘green power’; People doing civil disobedience to create social/environmental change; Supporters of Greenpeace; People thinking that nuclear power is dangerous; Websites linking to Greenpeace sites;

Networks we want to ‘interrupt’ Companies using GE food; Business leaders opposing action on climate change; Scientists promoting the use of pesticides in agriculture; Companies buying illegal timber; Funding networks for new coal fired power stations and many more…

Understanding networks can help us to: Communicate effectively; Fundraise effectively; Choose campaign targets; Win campaigns; Create a green and peaceful future.

Different types of networks Centralised; Decentralised; Distributed; (network topology)

Practical network theory What is the structure of networks? Are they random? What makes networks grow? –How are hubs created? –What makes some hubs shrink while others grow? –What is the role of weak & strong links? How do you effectively interrupt a network?

Are networks random? There is an average around which all values are based; Examples include: average height of people, number of bicycles in each household etc. Random systems are characterised by a normal distribution (bell curve);

Are networks random? How many contacts do you have in your address book? How many people have you slept with? How much money do individual people donate to Greenpeace? How many links are their to any given website? How many people do you talk to about climate change?

Non-random networks Do not follow a normal distribution; 80/20 rule (pareto principle); No consistent sense of scale between the highest, lowest and average number of links – ‘scale-free’.

‘Scale-free’ networks Graph showing the number of links coming into the 100 most popular blogs (

The number of highways coming into a town follows a random distribution – (bell curve)

The number of flights coming into a city follows a scale-free distribution

Random vs ‘scale free’ Number of contacts in your address book Number of close friends

‘Scale-free’ & random networks Most networks that are of interest to Greenpeace are ‘scale-free’ –Social networks –Customer/supplier networks –Funding networks –World wide web etc

Key characteristics of scale- free networks The important role of hubs –80/20 rule Network growth is influenced by –Early adoptor status –Weak links –Stickiness

What are the implications for our work? How can we spread our ideas rapidy and create ‘tipping points’? How can we grow our networks & relationships rapidly, strategically and in a robust way? How can we weaken opposing networks?

Tipping points Malcolm Gladwell How do a viruses and ideas spread? –Connectors –Mavens –Contagiousness –Stickiness factor –The power of context

How can we grow networks? Defining asks that are ‘contagious’ Developing ideas that are ‘sticky’ Using our weak links effectively; Getting connectors to self-select; Developing infrastructure to support and encourage network growth, and to build relationships.

How do you ‘interrupt’ a network? Understand network topology; Focus on the large hubs that will fragment the network; Some networks are more robust than others;

Mass Networking Strategy Outreach (acquiring new links) Development (retaining and strengthening links) Strategy (deciding which nodes and/or hubs to link with for maximum strategic effect)

Mass Networking Strategy Volunteers Local Groups Public Information Events Web True Food campaign Campaign design and implementation

Coming soon… Web101: Using the GP website effectively Integrating mass networking into GPAP’s planning (strategy & tactics); What GPI is doing on mass networking? More abstract theoretical pondering; Heaps of cool stuff we are actually going to do…