Do rallys work?

[workin'mumof2]

not sure where i should put this question as im more interested in if the homebirth rally will have some effect on the laws there trying to put in place?

but did other rallys held work? can you tell me which ones? what effects do they have if they dont work? (i hope im making some sence )

TIA

[~Temet Nosce~]

To be honest I don't think they achieve much.. or change much.. but they give people a chance to vent and have their say

[battlecrumpet]

Rallies can have a couple of different uses. One is to get people aware of an issue that they weren't aware of before - e.g. with the homebirth rally, say only 10% of people are aware of an issue, then there's a rally, it gets on the news so more people hear about the issue. i.e awareness raising.
But then there are other issues that are already pretty well-known, and people still hold rallies about them. Examples of this type of issue include climate change, and the huge rallies in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq a few years back.
The main aim of these types of rallies, I guess, would be to show politicians that lots of people care enough about the issue to give up their Saturday and go and march down the street about it. The implication is that those people (and others like them) would also care enough about the issue to change the way they vote because of that issue. There's nothing a politician is more frightened of than the prospect of losing their seat in parliament.
Other thing is....when a rally (or series of rallies, or other campaign events) does succeed in changing govt policy, there's no way in the world politicians are going to admit this. They will try to take all the credit for the good idea themselves, rather than give the credit where it's really due i.e. to the people who spent time organising and taking part in the rallies.
So in real life, it's kinda hard to tell whether any policy change was caused by a rally, or by some totally unrelated event.
So, I guess I look at it as probabilities rather than a definite effect. So, if I'm passionate about homebirth, I'd be thinking, if I go along to a homebirth rally, then laws supporting homebirth are more likely to be passed than if I don't go to this rally. Social changes are made of millions of people making little decisions like this.
Keep in mind though, that there's other things that you can do as well of or instead of going to a rally e.g. write a letter to your local MP about it.

[traseal]

you know i was thinking the same thing. I hope the rally does work

[NonnyMouse]

Rallies can have a couple of different uses. One is to get people aware of an issue that they weren't aware of before - e.g. with the homebirth rally, say only 10% of people are aware of an issue, then there's a rally, it gets on the news so more people hear about the issue. i.e awareness raising.
But then there are other issues that are already pretty well-known, and people still hold rallies about them. Examples of this type of issue include climate change, and the huge rallies in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq a few years back.
The main aim of these types of rallies, I guess, would be to show politicians that lots of people care enough about the issue to give up their Saturday and go and march down the street about it. The implication is that those people (and others like them) would also care enough about the issue to change the way they vote because of that issue. There's nothing a politician is more frightened of than the prospect of losing their seat in parliament.
Other thing is....when a rally (or series of rallies, or other campaign events) does succeed in changing govt policy, there's no way in the world politicians are going to admit this. They will try to take all the credit for the good idea themselves, rather than give the credit where it's really due i.e. to the people who spent time organising and taking part in the rallies.
So in real life, it's kinda hard to tell whether any policy change was caused by a rally, or by some totally unrelated event.
So, I guess I look at it as probabilities rather than a definite effect. So, if I'm passionate about homebirth, I'd be thinking, if I go along to a homebirth rally, then laws supporting homebirth are more likely to be passed than if I don't go to this rally. Social changes are made of millions of people making little decisions like this.
Keep in mind though, that there's other things that you can do as well of or instead of going to a rally e.g. write a letter to your local MP about it.

I'm feeling too lazy to type my thoughts... so.... I take what she said... and add ""

And I'm really peeved I can't be there cause my DD is over for only 2 weeks and we'll be out of Brisbane on holiday on the day of the rally. *pouts*

[canberramomma]

There are many examples where an outpouring of public opinion has changed government policy and rallies are one of those methods.

Usually a single action will not change anything, but if there is enough passion and extended/multiple rallies, then yes, there is a real possibility for being the catalyst for change.

[Looshkin]

Yep I absolutely think they can.
Women got the vote that way right?

If enough people use the old roman style majority opinion on something, the 'rulers' tend to take notice when the *have* too.
The roman mass voice would be the media now aswell imo though..

Look at France, they achieved astronomical amounts through public opinion, protest, signatures, other methods of the public getting together enough of a critical mass to make the voice loud and clear.

They now officially have a 4 working week to help people balance home and work lifes.

I think it works with companies too.

But, it is a collective effort and needs the numbers to work effectively.
Which is why I'm attending the home birth rally because each little win that is of benefit to a group of people is a win to me.

[Ana Gram]

If everyone thought what's the use of doing anything, nothing will change, nothing will.

[battlecrumpet]

One great example of how public protest / campaigning managed to change govt policy in a society a fair bit less democratic than ours: read "Bury The Chains".
This the story of how the slave trade was abolished in the British Empire.
Really inspiring, and gives you a great sense of the history of some of the tactics used in campaigning today (boycotts, petitions etc)
Author is Adam Hochschild.

[PunkyDiva]

http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/08gm.html

http://www.greenleft.org.au/2009/791/40750