46 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
46 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
# Coalition
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A coalition refers to the unification of groups, organizations, or individuals to works towards a shared goal as a team. Coalitions generally fall into two camps: internal or external. Internal coalitions are comprised of individuals who are already part of an organization, such as a workplace, while external coalitions are comprised of members of diverse organizations who join together to combine efforts. Coalitions exist at every level of governance, from local and community-based to international.
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**Input:** individuals who have a shared mission, connect with each other, and want to enact something; a trigger that inspires formation (i.e. an event, a threat, or a piece of controversial legislation)
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**Output:** a partnership of organizations or individuals working together to achieve a goal
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## Background
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Coalitions are traditionally associated with defeating a common enemy. Coalition warfare dates back to ancient Greece, when a coalition of city-states came together to ward off the Persian Empire.
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## Feedback loops
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### Sensitivities
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* Increases audience and reach of a project
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* Legitimizes efforts and boosts accountability
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* Creates a larger pool of resources – both monetarily and in terms of human experience, knowledge, and specialization
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* Increases productivity and capacity for putting pressure on institutions
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### Oversights
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* Power may be unequally distributed among organizations within the coalition
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* Consensus and compromise can be time-consuming and difficult to achieve
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* May hinder direct work for cause due to bureaucratic processes
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* Members may have to compromise their position and its intensity for the greater purpose of the coalition
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## Implementations
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### Communities
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* Coalitions frequently form in multiparty political systems like parliamentary governments
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* Civic causes often have a coalition such as the Coalition for the Homeless
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### Tools
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Online toolkits for building a coalition can be found easily, outlining structures, systems of governance, and steps for building; the National Democratic Institute partnered with the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights to create a manual entitled *Coalitions: A Guide for Political Parties* with extensive information on best practices.
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## Further resources
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* Strength in Numbers: A Guide to Building Community Coalitions. (2003). Community Catalyst Report.
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* Childress, B. (2019). Coalition Building. Reference for Business.
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