The Commons Social Change Library

02/06/2026

27/05/2026

Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to The Commons Library: https://commons-library-2026-eofy.raiselysite.com/

22/05/2026

Happy National Voli Week!

Thanks you to all Commons volunteers, past & present 💘

21/05/2026

On 21 May 2021, School Strike 4 Climate rallies were held in over 50 cities and towns across Australia. Tens of thousands of students and their supporters demanded the Federal Government cease investment in new gas projects and shift funding toward renewable energy.

These photos of the Melbourne rally were taken by John Englart. To learn more about the history of school student activism in Australia visit https://commonslibrary.org/when-the-bombs-drop-school-stops-eight-decades-of-australian-school-strikes-and-direct-action/

19/05/2026

We would love to invite you to our housewarming 🏠

The Commons Library is excited to share that we are officially launching our new website! It’s all your favourite free educational resources for campaigning, organising, advocacy (and more!) in one easy to use site.

We would also love you to join us on Thursday 28 May (Wed 27 in the Americas) to celebrate this milestone and take a tour of our new digital home!

Joining from Australia, Asia, Africa or Europe?
https://actionnetwork.org/events/commons-library-housewarming-how-to-use-the-new-website?no_rewrite=true

Joining from Australia or The Americas?
https://actionnetwork.org/events/commons-library-housewarming-how-to-use-the-new-website-2/?no_rewrite=true%E2%80%8B

15/05/2026

On 15 May 1969, the Victorian Tramways union leader Clarrie O’Shea was jailed by the industrial court for refusing to allow it access to the union’s accounts. The union had been fined under anti-union penal powers for undertaking industrial action. The jailing triggered a wave of strikes across Australia with around one million workers taking part until O’Shea was freed six days later.

To learn more about the history of campaigns by Australian unions visit- https://commonslibrary.org/activism-and-campaign-history/

11/05/2026

Join us next Tuesday 19 May for our Research Skills Webinar

Whether you're analysing political landscapes, shaping persuasive narratives or refining political strategy, this webinar will equip you with the practical tools to cut through the noise!

Register: https://www.australianprogress.org.au/events/research-skills

01/05/2026

Today is May Day, the international commemoration of workers' struggles. As part of global marches celebrating workers’ power and protesting the sentencing of Chicago labour activists to death, Australian anarchists and other radicals held Australia’s first May Day celebrations in 1887. The shift from private to public events occurred with a march in Brisbane in 1891 and then one in Melbourne in 1892. Thereafter May Day grew in importance and size across Australia as an annual event.

Sydney's 1971 May Day march saw unionists carrying placards and banners demanding wage justice and better working conditions while also expressing solidarity with a range of campaigns and communities near and far. These photos appear courtesy of the and the State Library of NSW. To read more the history of union activism for social change visit https://commonslibrary.org/activism-and-campaign-history/

21/04/2026

Activism Under Pressure: 10 Creative Practices from Hungary & Serbia

19/04/2026

On 19 April 1980 thousands of anti-nuclear protesters marched through Sydney to mark the first anniversary of the Three Mile Island disaster. This had seen a partial meltdown of a nuclear reactor near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania which came close to being a major catastrophe. The event focused minds on the dangers associated with all aspects of the nuclear cycle and prompted this protest regarding a range of issues, including uranium mining and the role of US bases in Australia in any future nuclear war.

These photos appear courtesy of the Search Foundation and State Library of NSW. To learn more the history of anti-nuclear protests in Australia visit- https://commonslibrary.org/activism-and-campaign-history/ -uranium_and_nuclear_power_campaigns