Theories of Change are a collection of 10 theories about how long term social and cultural change occurs, they are useful in social, political, and cultural movement building. They are likely less important to our work with Lentara but will be useful for understanding why in a broader context we are using the tactics we will use awhile trying to create broad community level change of attitude toward getting involved at some level with an Asylum Seeker Program.

The first exercise for considering theories of change is to gather context in our mind to frame our viewing of these theories to ascertain which is most applicable to the kinds of changes which need to occur. It is a closed eye meditation exercise, or simply a reflective approach.

Exercise:
Describe and contextualise the problem or issue
Lentara’s Asylum Seeker Program is fighting an uphill battle to keep Asylum seekers afloat in the community, acting as their last line of defence against homelessness, isolation, and illness. Lentara is helping people who are waiting for their claims to asylum to be processed (or who’s claim has been processed and later revoked/changed) and these people often exist in a void with no right to work or study, no basic income, no ability to gain a lease, employment, or connect to the broader local communities, without these lifelines and income these people are at serious risk of going without food and shelter while exercising their basic human right to seek asylum.

Now, make yourself comfortable. Relax into your chair, place your feet on the floor, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths. Now think about the problem we are faced with. Think about the impacts. Who is impacted upon? How? Who benefits? How? Consider employment, profits, political power, public sentiment. How was the problem created? What decisions were made? By Whom? What maintains this as the status quo? How is power created and maintained? Think of consent and authority? Think of the power held by Governments, Industry Bodies, Corporations, the Community. How it is created? What would it take to change the power relations? Think about this in as much clarity and precision as possible.

In this series of questions a number of notions of change may arise, including: Becoming the power holder, influencing the powers that be to make better decisions, confronting the powers that be and applying pressure, education of decision makers and citizens, Meeting the immediate needs of the crisis, Social change through personal change, building alternative institutions, and many others. Lentara’s approach to changing the problem of Asylum Seeker homelessness entails to varying degrees meeting the immediate needs, social change through personal change, building alternatives, and education of citizens, as well as others.

There are 10 (and potentially more) theories of change I will summarise below, some of  which will help understand Lentara’s approach, others will apply to allies and other groups which operate within the Asylum/Human Rights space. It’s important to realise that an organisation or person can hold many theories of change to be true and effective, and they can act together or independently, though for focus of energy one theory or mechanism is usually favoured as most effective.

1. Individual Change Theory:
Essentially if enough people change their consciousness, attitudes, behaviours, and skills a better world will emerge through this transformative change of a critical mass of individuals. (Methods: investment in individual change through training, consciousness-raising processes; dialogues and encounters – think of Consumer behaviour Campaigns to encourage buying free range eggs or pole and line tuna, or workplace training programs, or issue based seminars and awareness campaigns focused on individual actions, like Earth Hour)

2. Healthy Relationships and Connections Theory:
A better world emerges out of a process of breaking down isolation, polarisation, division, prejudice and stereotypes between/among groups. Strong relationships are a necessary ingredient for a better world. (Methods: Processes of dialogue; networking; relationship-building processes; joint efforts and practical programs on substantive problems; connectivity and diversity initiatives – think of the Safe Schools Program, Welcome to Australia’s Walk Together event, Lentara’s programs as a whole tend to apply this theory)

3. Withdrawal of Resources Theory:
Some social problems require vast amounts of material and human capital. If we can interupt the supply of people and goods to the system that maintains the problem, it will collapse and change will be realised. (Methods: campaigns to cut off funding; conscientious objection and/or resistance; embargos and boycotts. Think again of campaigns to discourage purchasing specific products, think of campaigns to divest from ANZ and CommBank when they were considering funding coal ports on the Great Barrier Reef, think of divestment campaigns of FutureSuper and Australian Ethical Super, MarketForces, and recent coal free Uni movements)

4. Reduction of Violence Theory:
Peace will result as we reduce the levels of violence perpetrated by combatants and their representatives. (Methods: cease-fires, creations of zones of peace, withdrawal or retreat from direct engagment, introduction of peacekeeping forces, observation missions, accompaniment efforts, promotion of nonviolent methods for achieving political/social/economic ends. While not a prominent theory present at Lentara, it does feature in their ASP, Lentara are often dealing with clients who have left terrible war torn homes and experienced horrific violence from authority figures or other citizens, as part of their integration programs they offer workshops and training to people seeking asylum about dealing with authorities and the legal system here in Australia through non-violent avenues)

5. Root Causes/Justice Theory:
We can achieve our social change vision by addressing the underlying issues of injustice, oppression/exploitation, threats to identity and security, and people’s sense of injury/victimisation. (Methods: Long-term campaigns for social and structural change, truth and reconcilation; changes in social institutions, laws, regulations, and economic system. Not a mechanism of change which Lentara is very present within as power mapping around this approach to change would often place federal governments and other groups as opponents, and the scale of change would require long term advocacy commitment which takes away from addressing the immediate needs of the problem. This theory of change is adopted by many groups and organisations from Socialist Alliance/Alternatives, to large advocacy and activism organisations like Amnesty International)

6. Institutional Development Theory:
A vision of change will be secured by establishing stable and reliable social institutions that guarantee democracy, equity, justice, and fair allocation of resources. (Methods: New constitutional and governance arrangements/entities; development of human rights, rule of law, anti-corruption; establishment of democratic/equitable economic structures; economic development; democratisation. Think of developments in the B-Corp movement, social enterprises, co-op run labour/factories)

7. Political Elites Theory:
Our vision will be achieved when it is in the interest of political (and other) leaders to take the necessary steps. Our efforts must change the political calculus of key leaders and groups. (Methods: Raise the cost and reduce the benefits for political elites of maintaining the problem while increasing the incentives for the vision or solution; engage active and influential constituencies in favour of our vision; withdraw international support/funding. Many groups use this mechanism of change, usually it is effective when their cause is gaining a lot of media traction)

8. Economics Theory:
As a politician once said, “it’s the economy, stupid!” People make personal decisions and decision makers make policy decisions based on a system of reward/incentives and punishments/sanctions that are essentially economic in nature. If we can change the economies associated with the problem, we can bring about change. (Methods: use government or financial institutions to change supply and demand dynamics; control incentive and reward systems; boycotts. Think of the Carbon Tax and Emission Trading Schemes. The tactics which help realise this theory are often resisted and attacked furiously by advocates of the ideology of the “free-market” and these approaches are often subject to a great deal of scrutiny from powerful vested interests.)

9. Grassroots Mobilisation Theory:
You can’t start a fire without a spark. “When the people lead, the leaders follow.” If we mobilise enough opposition to a problem, political leaders will have to pay attention. Traditionally left progressive activists have been very effective at this mechanism of change, however in recent times it has been effectively used on both progressive and conservative sides of many issues. (Methods: Mobilise grassroots groups to either oppose a political move, or to advocate for a positive action; nonviolent direct action campaigns; use of media; education/mobilisation efforts; organise advocacy groups; public protests to demonstrate the size of opposition; letter writing and petition campaigns; events and communication campaigns to raise consciousness. There are many historical examples of this, particularly Women’s Suffrage, Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Liberation, Sexual Revolution, LGBTI Rights, but even looking at the 2016 USA Presidential campaign this can be seen to varying degrees in both Sanders and Trump campaigns, and even in the reactions to those campaigns from other candidates)

10. Public Attitudes Theory:
Many social injustices are partly motivated by prejudice, misperceptions, and intolerance of difference. We can promote our visions for a better world by using the media (traditional and new) to change public attitudes and build greater tolerance/acceptance in society leading to greater social cohesion and less social conflict. (Methods: TV/Radio/Performances programs which promote acceptance and diversity, Symbolic acts of solidarity/unity; dialogues among groups in conflict with subsequent publicity. This is similar to the Grassroots, Root Cause, and Individual Change Theories, however it is much more reliant on the role of media in disseminating messages and shaping public discourse)