How to Spread, Adapt, and Improve This Manual

This manual is not finished. It's not supposed to be.

This is a living document—designed to be tested in the field, improved by practitioners, adapted for different contexts, and translated into languages and cultures we can't anticipate.

Your job is not just to use it. Your job is to make it better.

This section explains:

  • How to contribute improvements
  • How to adapt it for your region/context
  • How to translate it
  • How to spread it
  • What we will and won't accept as contributions

The License: CC BY-SA 4.0

This manual is released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).

What this means:

✅ You CAN:

  • Copy, distribute, and share this manual freely
  • Translate it into any language
  • Adapt it for your local context (rural, urban, different countries)
  • Use it for training, workshops, and campaigns
  • Create derivative works (workbooks, training curricula, etc.)
  • Print and sell physical copies (as long as you follow the license)

✅ You MUST:

  • Attribute the original: "Based on The Change Paradox Field Manual, originally synthesized by Björn Kenneth Holmström"
  • Share your adaptations under the same license (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Indicate if you made changes

❌ You CANNOT:

  • Remove attribution or licensing information
  • Use restrictive licensing on derivative works
  • Claim you wrote the original

Read the full license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

How to Contribute (GitHub Method)

The source files for this manual live at:
https://github.com/BjornKennethHolmstrom/change-paradox-field-manual

For People Who Already Use GitHub

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Make your changes in a new branch
  3. Submit a Pull Request (PR) with:
    • A clear description of what you changed and why
    • Reference to which section(s) you modified
    • Any evidence or sources supporting your change (case studies, research, field reports)
  4. Discuss in the PR thread if there are questions or requested modifications
  5. Wait for review and merge

For People New to GitHub

Don't let the technology intimidate you. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Create a GitHub Account

  • Go to https://github.com
  • Sign up (it's free)
  • Verify your email

Step 2: Find the Manual Repository

  • Go to https://github.com/BjornKennethHolmstrom/change-paradox-field-manual
  • Click the "Fork" button (top right)
  • This creates your own copy of the manual

Step 3: Make Your Changes

  • Navigate to the section you want to edit (e.g., sections/07-policy-playbook.md)
  • Click the pencil icon (✏️) to edit
  • Make your changes in the text editor
  • Scroll down and write a commit message: "Added policy reframe for [topic]"
  • Click "Commit changes"

Step 4: Submit Your Contribution

  • Go back to the main page of your forked repo
  • Click "Pull requests" → "New pull request"
  • Write a clear title and description
  • Click "Create pull request"

That's it! You've just contributed to the manual.

Video tutorial: [We'll create a 5-minute screencast and link it here]

How to Contribute (Non-GitHub Method)

If GitHub feels like too much, you can still contribute:

Option 1: Google Form Submission

Fill out this form: [Link to Google Form]

The form asks:

  • What section are you contributing to?
  • What type of contribution? (Case study / Policy reframe / Correction / Suggestion)
  • Your contribution (paste text or upload a document)
  • Your name (for attribution)
  • Your email (so we can follow up)

We'll review submissions monthly and add them to the GitHub repo with attribution.

Option 2: Email

Send contributions to: fieldmanual@bjornkennethholmstrom.org

Include:

  • Subject line: "Field Manual Contribution: [Section Name]"
  • Clear description of what you're adding/changing
  • Your name for attribution

We'll review and incorporate contributions with credit.

What We Actively Want

1. Regional Case Studies

Format: Use the template in templates/case-study-template.md

Especially interested in:

  • Non-US contexts (Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia)
  • Rural organizing (we're currently US-urban heavy)
  • Indigenous-led movements
  • Global South campaigns
  • Red states / conservative-leaning areas

What to include:

  • Context (place, time, issue)
  • Mapping to the 7-step protocol (what worked, what didn't)
  • Key takeaways
  • Outcome (win/loss/ongoing)

2. Policy Reframes

Format: Use the template in templates/policy-reframe-template.md

We need more reframes for:

  • Municipal/local policies (not just state/federal)
  • Non-US contexts (your country's healthcare/housing/labor issues)
  • Policies we missed (childcare, elder care, disability justice, etc.)

What to include:

  • Standard Green pitch
  • Integral multi-stage reframe (Blue/Orange/Red)
  • Common objections and killer responses

3. Failure Autopsies

Format: Use the template in templates/failure-autopsy-template.md

Why failures matter: We learn more from losses than wins. If your campaign failed, document why. Where did you skip steps? What would you do differently?

What to include:

  • What you tried
  • Why it failed (map to the 7 steps)
  • What you'd do differently
  • Lessons for others

4. Translations

Languages we need:

  • Spanish (Latin American and European dialects)
  • French
  • Portuguese (Brazilian)
  • Arabic
  • Mandarin
  • Hindi
  • And any other language where organizing is happening

How to translate:

  1. Fork the repo
  2. Create a new folder: translations/[language-code]/
  3. Translate the markdown files
  4. Submit a PR
  5. You'll be credited as translator and linked to your preferred platform

Translation guidelines:

  • Don't just translate words—translate concepts for cultural context
  • Use the Regional Adaptation Template (see below) to identify what needs cultural adjustment
  • Keep formatting (headers, lists, tables) intact

5. Improved Examples, Clearer Language, Better Exercises

If you:

  • Found a section confusing
  • Tried an exercise that didn't work
  • Have a better example than what's in the manual
  • Can simplify dense language

Please submit improvements! We want this to be as clear and usable as possible.

What We Will Not Accept

To maintain coherence and quality, we will reject contributions that:

❌ Increase Complexity Without Adding Value

  • Academic jargon that doesn't improve clarity
  • Theoretical additions without practical application
  • Sections that make the manual harder to use

❌ Undermine the Core Framework

  • Suggestions that skip or reorder the 7-step sequence without strong evidence
  • Additions that contradict the integral approach (e.g., "just do Green messaging harder")
  • Claims that aren't backed by evidence or field experience

❌ Violate the "Do No Harm" Principle

  • Contributions that encourage unsafe organizing practices
  • Suggestions to open grief portals without proper containers
  • Tactics that would predictably lead to retraumatization

❌ Are Purely Self-Promotional

  • "Use my coaching services" plugs
  • Links to paid courses without clear value to the manual
  • Contributions that center the contributor more than the work

Note: If your contribution is rejected, we'll explain why in the PR discussion. You're welcome to revise and resubmit.

Regional Adaptation Template

Use this template when adapting the manual for your context.

Save as: adaptations/[region-name]-adaptation.md and submit as a PR.

Template

# Regional Adaptation: [Country/Region Name]

**Adapted by:** [Your Name]  
**Date:** [Date]  
**Version:** Based on v2.2 of the Field Manual

---

## Context Differences

### 1. Dominant Developmental Stage in This Region
- [ ] Mostly Blue (Traditional/Religious)
- [ ] Mostly Orange (Achievement/Pragmatic)
- [ ] Mixed Blue/Orange
- [ ] Significant Green presence
- [ ] Other (describe):

**What this means for organizing:**
[Explain how this changes messaging, tactics, policy framing]

---

### 2. Local "Trusted Swimmer" Archetypes

**In the US manual, trusted swimmers are:** Veterans, nurses, teachers, union members

**In [Your Region], trusted swimmers are:**
- [Profession/Role 1]
- [Profession/Role 2]
- [Profession/Role 3]

**Why these roles have credibility here:**
[Explain the cultural context]

---

### 3. Primary Extractive Forces

**In the US manual, the enemies are:** Private equity, insurance companies, fossil fuel companies

**In [Your Region], the primary extractive forces are:**
- [Force 1: e.g., Land developers, corrupt officials, multinational mining companies]
- [Force 2]
- [Force 3]

**How this changes the framing:**
[Explain how to name these enemies effectively]

---

### 4. Policies That Need Full Cultural Rewrite

**These policies from Section 7 don't translate directly:**

| US Policy | Why It Doesn't Work Here | Local Alternative |
|-----------|--------------------------|-------------------|
| Example: Federal Job Guarantee | We don't have a functioning federal government | Municipal employment programs through local councils |

---

### 5. Case Studies from This Region

**Add 1-3 case studies relevant to your region using the case study template.**

---

### 6. Anti-Patterns Specific to This Region

**Are there organizing mistakes common in your region that aren't in Section 9?**

Example: "In [Country], movements often collapse due to [specific local issue: ethnic tensions, government infiltration, religious sectarianism, etc.]"

[Describe the pattern and the fix]

---

### 7. Language and Framing Adjustments

**Words/phrases that don't work in this context:**

| US Term | Why It Fails Here | Better Local Term |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------|
| "Organizing" | Sounds like communism | "Community mobilization" or "Civic action" |

---

**Contact for questions about this adaptation:** [Your email or preferred contact]

How to Spread the Manual

1. Physical Distribution

Print-friendly version: [Link to PDF optimized for printing]

Printing tips:

  • Print double-sided to save paper
  • Staple or bind at a local print shop
  • Cost: ~$5-10 per copy depending on your location

Where to distribute:

  • Union halls
  • Community centers
  • Organizing trainings
  • College organizing clubs
  • Faith communities doing justice work

Donation model: If you print and sell copies, consider:

  • Charge cost or cost + small markup
  • Use profits to fund local organizing
  • Make digital version always free

2. Digital Distribution

Share the link: https://github.com/BjornKennethHolmstrom/change-paradox-field-manual

Share specific sections:

  • "Check out Section 5: Reclaiming the Warrior"
  • "This case study (Section 8.2) might be relevant to your work"

Post excerpts (with attribution):

  • Blog posts analyzing one section
  • Twitter threads on specific anti-patterns
  • Instagram graphics with key quotes (always link back to the full manual)

3. Training and Workshops

You are encouraged to:

  • Run workshops based on this manual
  • Use the Facilitator's Guides in each section
  • Create your own training curricula derived from it
  • Charge for your facilitation time (you're providing labor)

Just remember to:

  • Attribute the source
  • Share any derivative training materials under CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Send us feedback on what worked/didn't work

4. Translations and Adaptations

If you translate or adapt:

  • Host your version on your own site/repo
  • Link back to the original
  • Let us know so we can link to your version in the main repo

We'll maintain a directory:

translations/
├── es/ (Spanish)
├── fr/ (French)
├── pt-br/ (Brazilian Portuguese)
└── ...

5. Remix and Build

Derivative works we'd love to see:

  • Workbooks for specific sections
  • Training slide decks
  • Video explainers
  • Podcast series
  • Localized case study collections
  • Children's book versions of key concepts (seriously)

Just share them under CC BY-SA 4.0 and attribute the source.

Version History and Changelog

This is a living document. We'll maintain clear versioning:

Version 2.2 (November 2025) — Initial Public Release

  • All 10 sections complete
  • 15 policy reframes
  • 5 case studies
  • 9 anti-patterns
  • Contributors: Björn Kenneth Holmström, with analysis contributions from Claude (Anthropic), DeepSeek, Grok, and Gemini

Future versions will credit all contributors here.

To see the full changelog: Check CHANGELOG.md in the repo.

Contact and Community

Primary Contact

Björn Kenneth Holmström
Email: fieldmanual@bjornkennethholmstrom.org
Website: [bjornkennethholmstrom.org]
GitHub: github.com/BjornKennethHolmstrom

Community Spaces (To Be Established)

We're considering:

  • A Discord server for contributors and practitioners
  • Quarterly virtual meetups to discuss field reports
  • An annual in-person gathering for contributors

If you're interested in helping build these spaces, reach out.

The Spreadsheet Strategy

Finally, a meta-note on distribution:

This manual is designed to spread organically through trust networks, not through marketing campaigns.

The best way to spread it:

  1. Use it in your organizing work
  2. Win something because of it
  3. Tell the story of what worked
  4. Share the manual with people who ask "how did you do that?"

If 100 organizers use this and each wins one campaign, and each of those campaigns inspires 10 more organizers...

That's not exponential growth. That's demonstrated proof spreading through the most trusted channel: peer-to-peer storytelling from people who've actually won.

We're not trying to go viral. We're trying to build a knowledge commons that makes movements more effective.

If this manual helps you win, it's done its job.

If you improve it for the next person, you've done yours.

Final Note: This Is a Gift, Not a Product

This manual is not for sale (though you can sell physical copies you print).
There are no premium tiers, no paywalls, no consulting upsells.

It's a gift to the ecosystem.

The only ask: If it helps you, help the next person. Contribute what you learn. Share what works. Document what fails.

We are building the knowledge infrastructure for the movements that will transform the world.

That work belongs to all of us.

Let's build it together.

End of Manual

  • Main Repository: https://github.com/BjornKennethHolmstrom/change-paradox-field-manual
  • Contribution Guidelines: src/CONTRIBUTING.md in repo
  • Templates Folder: src/templates/ in repo
  • Case Study Template: src/templates/case-study-template.md
  • Policy Reframe Template: src/templates/policy-reframe-template.md
  • Failure Autopsy Template: src/templates/failure-autopsy-template.md
  • Regional Adaptation Template: src/templates/regional-adaptation-template.md
  • License (Full Text): src/LICENSE.md in repo or https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Version 2.2 — November 2025
Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Original Synthesizer: Björn Kenneth Holmström
Maintained by: The community at github.com/BjornKennethHolmstrom/change-paradox-field-manual

"The shore is burning. The water is rising. We built the ramp together. Now let's cross."