Corporate harm and the further damage done by corporate strategies to evade responsibility can affect individuals, communities, and even whole societies. The counter-strategies that affected communities use often benefit from collaboration with local and national civil society organisations, national and international NGOs, trade unions, and activists (see shifting the power balance and deploying legal counter-strategies).
Collaboration can be especially helpful when companies actively undermine human rights defenders and communities by attempting to divide communities. Forming coalitions of organisations and activists can also prevent companies from distracting and obfuscating stakeholders, such as by symbolically engaging local communities to gain support for their activities.
RESOURCE: Frontline defenders’ Workbook on security
Communities can sometimes strengthen efforts to achieve justice by establishing movements or joining or forming coalitions with national and international civil society organisations and NGOs. Coalitions are useful for knowledge sharing. International collaboration can also help counter harmful corporate strategies by enabling you to share expertise on using international complaints mechanisms or how to get international media attention for your case.
RESOURCE: Corporate Crimes Hub investigatory toolbox to aid in online, corporate crime research
Where national and international civil society organisations and NGOs support community activism, the community’s aims and objectives must always remain in the lead. Many harmful corporate strategies seek to undermine communities, dismiss their concerns, and disregard their right to achieve their goals. Genuine counter-strategies should always do the opposite.
RESOURCE: IAP Community Action Guide on Community-Led Research
One of the biggest obstacles individuals and communities often face when confronting harmful corporate strategies is that they do not know where to find the information and resources they need to fight back. Recognising this challenge, several civil society organisations and NGOs now offer advice, information, training, and support to activists and communities and help them connect with others.
