Hacking Tree: The Hack!
The hack is about choosing the right place at the right time and the right scale – so your narrative action lands with maximum impact.
There are three components:
- 4.1 Space: think strategically about your point of intervention: is it a public or private space? Physical or virtual? (e.g. point of production such as a factory; a monoculture plantation; a point of decision such as a government building or corporate office). See a full list here.
- 4.2 Scale: how large or small should your narrative action be so it reaches your audience – (e.g. a subtle graffiti tag or a monumental mural?).
- 4.3 Moment: what is the right political time? You can have a great meme, but it won’t gain momentum unless you release it at the right moment. Like surfing – get on the best wave at the right time.. (e.g. people will be more open to talk about the climate crisis if a natural disaster has just happened or if there is an international meeting on the climate).
See an example
Two hacks from the TOT Fellows demonstrate the space, scale and moment elements of the Hack
Ancestral Paths (Narrative Action: a map compilation of plants to create a pathway for people migrating from south to the north – reminding them they are bringing their territory with them)
- Space: Migrant refuges (where they disseminated booklet)
- Scale: Small (small booklet: something people could transport with them on their journey)
- Moment: When big caravans from central America to USA were taking off.
They Owe Us (Narrative Action: a media campaign and manifesto to boycott paying debt):
- Space: Activating the manifesto at points of destruction in three countries: in Puerto Rico: coastline where a hotel megaproject was planned; in Mexico: at an Agriculture megaproject; and USA: in gentrified neighbourhoods.
- Scale: small and repeated actions.
Moment: Creating the momentum themselves (no specific “hook” – but through activations they generated momentum to talk about debt and land ownership).
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