Newsletter

2025 has been a remarkable year for activism around the world. From the No Kings protests in the United States, to mobilisations around Gaza, to the global wave of youth-led 'Gen Z' protests from Bangladesh to Kenya to Nepal, citizens have continued to take to the streets to demand change. Yet this activism unfolds against an increasingly challenging backdrop: rising authoritarianism, democratic backsliding, and the systematic criminalisation of protest in countries that once

Introducing a new series of discussion papers on where the climate movement should focus next. Our first paper in this series examines an often neglected area: activism around extreme weather events.

We're excited to share findings from a new survey, conducted in collaboration with The Movements Trust with responses from 57 groups, offering a rare window into the lives of grassroots movements, in their own words: who they are, what drives them, what they’ve achieved, and the barriers they face.

This edition of the newsletter includes our commentary on the global wave of youth-led protests, new research on factory farming, and an invitation to a webinar exploring mobilisation challenges in the AI safety movement.

Its been a busy Summer here at Social Change Lab. This edition of the newsletter includes details about our new AI safety movement report, results from research into Sweden's wetland restoration campaign, and we're also seeking new trustees to join our board. 

Upcoming Event - Direct Action: Has it Come Unstuck? We're pleased to be joining an upcoming event hosted by Fossil Free London: Has direct action come unstuck? The state of climate protest in 2025.

Our new report maps the emerging AI safety movement and finds critical gaps in grassroots mobilisation and public voice.

Clampdowns are making it tougher for people to exercise their right to protest, but activists are finding creative ways to apply pressure - opinion piece by Cathy Rogers & Markus Ostarek

On 10 July, we were pleased to host a great panel of speakers sharing the latest research and insights on the impact of disruptive protest. You can watch the full recording here.