Stick Your Neck Out

Stick Your Neck Out

by John Graham
Released June 2005
Publisher(s): Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 9781609943950

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Book description

As President of the Giraffe Heroes Project, which since 1982 has been recognizing people who "stick their necks out for the common good," John Graham has seen what hundreds of average citizens around the world have done to bring about constructive change. He's drawn on their experiences, his own as a veteran environmental activist, and that of a hand-picked group of seasoned activists to produce an accessible, eminently practical, inspiring guide on how to work effectively for change in any environment.

Stick Your Neck Out covers every aspect of working for change, from choosing an issue to mapping out a strategy, getting a team together, building alliances, working with the media, and more. Each chapter contains a series of practical tips as well as inspiring examples of real people--artists, truck drivers, doctors, waitresses, and others--who have made a difference on issues like poverty, racism, gang violence, environmental pollution, and many more. Everything in this book has been honed and practiced; nothing is untested theory.

This is a comprehensive guide to the skills, qualities, and strategies you need to make a difference on any issue. But it's also about becoming fully alive--about the meaning and passion you can add to your own life by getting involved. Active citizenship and personal growth are linked. The information in this book can change your world--and it can change your life.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. PREFACE
    1. WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK
    2. HARD AND SOFT
    3. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
    4. WHAT’S NOT IN THIS BOOK
    5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  5. INTRODUCTION: WHAT DO YOU CARE ABOUT?
    1. WHAT PROBLEM DO YOU TAKE ON?
    2. A GIRAFFE STORY: Lois Gibbs
  6. CHAPTER ONE: WHY DO IT?
    1. WHAT’S THE PATH TO A MEANINGFUL LIFE?
    2. GOING FOR IT
    3. A GIRAFFE STORY: Ernesto Villareal
    4. A GIRAFFE STORY: Andy and Vashti Hurst
  7. CHAPTER TWO: START HERE
    1. RESEARCH
    2. DECIDE THE FORM OF YOUR PARTICIPATION
    3. CREATE A SPECIFIC PROJECT
    4. CREATE A VISION FOR YOUR PROJECT’S SUCCESS
    5. ADD DETAILS TO YOUR PROJECT
    6. A GIRAFFE STORY: Sarah Swagart
    7. A GIRAFFE STORY: Michael Stewartt
  8. CHAPTER THREE: TRUST THEM? ARE YOU KIDDING?
    1. THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING TRUST
    2. HOW TO BUILD TRUST
    3. EFFORTS TO BUILD TRUS T ARE RISKY
    4. A GIRAFFE STORY: Steve Mariotti
    5. A GIRAFFE STORY: John Hayes
  9. CHAPTER FOUR: BUILDING A TEAM AND KEEPING IT TOGETHER
    1. HOW TO BUILD A TEAM FROM SCRATCH
    2. TEAM STRUCTURE
    3. TEAM MANAGEMENT
    4. CREATE AND COMMUNIC ATE A TEAM VISION OF SUCCESS
    5. A GIRAFFE STORY: Louise Stanley
    6. A GIRAFFE STORY: Global Volunteers
  10. CHAPTER FIVE: MAKING A PLAN
    1. STEPS FOR VISION ARY PL ANNING
    2. WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR PL AN SUCCEEDS
    3. A GIRAFFE STORY: Mimi Silbert
    4. A GIRAFFE STORY: Fred Mednick
  11. CHAPTER SIX: RISK TAKING AND COURAGE
    1. AN OSTRICH NATION
    2. TURNING IT AROUND—THE GIRAFFE HEROES PROJECT
    3. TURNING IT AROUND—WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE RISKS FOR THE COMMON GOOD
    4. TIPS FOR TAKING RISK S AS AN ACTIVE CITIZEN
    5. A GIRAFFE STORY: JoAnn Burkholder
    6. A GIRAFFE STORY: Casey Ruud
  12. CHAPTER SEVEN: FINDING COMMON GROUND: NEGOTIATING AND RESOLVING CONFLICTS
    1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR NEGOTIATING AND RESOLVING CONFLICTS
    2. TEN STEPS TO COMMON GROUND
    3. IT DOESN’T WORK EVERY TIME
    4. A GIRAFFE STORY: Azim Khamisa and Ples Felix
    5. A GIRAFFE STORY: Diane Bock
  13. CHAPTER EIGHT: PERSUASIVE COMMUNIC ATIONS: SPEECHES, FUND-RAISING, AND MORE
    1. PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATIONS—STYLE, ATTITUDE, HEART, AND VISION
    2. HOW TO GIVE A GREAT SPEECH
    3. TIPS FOR RAISING MONEY
    4. A GIRAFFE STORY: Claudia Johnson
    5. A GIRAFFE STORY: Sarri Gilman
  14. CHAPTER NINE: DEALING WITH THE MEDIA: THE SECRETS OF GOOD PR
    1. WHY SHOULD YOU TELL PEOPLE WHAT YOU’RE DOING?
    2. CREATING A MEDIA STRATEGY
    3. HOW TO GET THE MEDIA RESULTS YOU WANT
    4. A GIRAFFE STORY: Doris Haddock
    5. A GIRAFFE STORY: Karen Storek
  15. CHAPTER TEN: GETTING INS TITUTIONS TO DO WHAT YOU WANT
    1. DEVELOPING THE PUBLIC WILL
    2. WORKING WITH “THE SYSTEM”
    3. LOBBYING
    4. A GIRAFFE STORY: Bill Levitt
    5. A GIRAFFE STORY: Carl Ross
  16. CHAPTER ELEVEN: PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND LEGAL ACTION
    1. PUBLIC TESTIMONY
    2. LEGAL ACTION
    3. A GIRAFFE STORY: Jerry Bilinski
    4. A GIRAFFE STORY: Ray Proffitt
  17. EPILOGUE: A PERSONAL JOURNEY
    1. CONNECTEDNESS—A SPIRITUAL CONCEPT WITH POLITICAL POWER
    2. LIGHTENING UP
    3. BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR WORLD—AND FOR OURSELVES
  18. RESOURCES
  19. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  20. INDEX

Product information

  • Title: Stick Your Neck Out
  • Author(s): John Graham
  • Release date: June 2005
  • Publisher(s): Berrett-Koehler Publishers
  • ISBN: 9781609943950