Strengthen the skills you need to work with others to tackle injustice.

17,775 enrolled on this course

  • Duration

    8 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Learn what drives positive social change in your role as a changemaker

If we want to make lasting social and political change we must understand power dynamics, systems and influencing strategies that can shift the status quo. This free to access course will help you understand the context of the issues you’re passionate about and your existing sources of power and influence.

You’ll be guided by examples of successful international movements and community action, and connect with changemakers worldwide. Ultimately, you’ll finish this course with the skills you need to spot and act upon opportunities, and contribute to the change you want to see in your community and the world.

What topics will you cover?

Week 1 - What kind of change are we talking about, understanding change, changemakers and their stories.

Week 2 - Understanding the context of change, thinking about conflict, and focusing on the change you would like to see.

Week 3 - Understanding power and how it shapes change making, applying tools analysing power, and thinking about systems.

Week 4 - The power of collective action, working in partnership with others, and the qualities of a changemaker.

Week 5 - Spheres of influence, and mapping where power and influence lies.

Week 6 - Developing strong stories for change, understanding narratives, and developing messages.

Week 7 - Taking action to make change happen, strategy and tactics, developing your action plan, and the steps to implement your plan.

Week 8 - Tackling challenges and taking your next steps, reflecting on change, overcoming challenges, and staying inspired and focused.

When would you like to start?

  • Date to be announced

Add to Wishlist to be emailed when new dates are announced

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explain key ideas about systems, power and how change happens
  • Identify key openings and opportunities to bring about change
  • Apply and understand a broad range of ways to bring about change
  • Contribute, connect and collaborate with other change makers around the globe
  • Develop and increase confidence to organise and lead others to take action for social justice
  • Engage in a personal change action

Who is the course for?

This course is aimed at activists and change agents with a personal or professional interest in how change happens, and who want to be more effective at delivering change for good.

Who will you learn with?

Beverly Wakiaga is a Digital Communications Manager at Oxfam GB, passionate about finding unique and innovative ways to share ideas and knowledge on social media.

Carlos is working with Oxfam on climate justice in Latin America. He considers that collective leadership and sharing experiences are key processes to make changes.

Emily is part of the Oxfam team that finds new and engaging ways to share knowledge and learning to support the movement of people against poverty.

I am passionate about promoting safe spaces for women to influence and advocate for their rights. As a feminist I am also engaged in mobilising around gender justice issues and transformative changes.

I work at Oxfam supporting influencing, campaigns and advocacy worldwide. I am inspired by the activism of social movements that make change happen in Latin America and other parts of the world.

Hi, I'm the Communications Manager for Proforest Africa. Having worked as a journalist, I love to connect with people and listen to their stories. Why? Because we can use our stories to drive change.

I work for Oxfam and centre my work on ending the injustice of inequality, as well as an archive dedicated to preserving LGBT+ books, newspaper, and more. (They/he pronouns)

Who developed the course?

The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

  • Established

    1969
  • Location

    Milton Keynes, UK
  • World ranking

    Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

Oxfam

Oxfam is part of a global movement of people, working together to end the injustice of poverty. That means we tackle the inequality that keeps people poor.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

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Get a taste of this course

Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join:

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