Organising, Technology, and Developing Collective Practice
The use of digital tools for organising is widespread across the international Left, but often fails to realize its full potential. Capacity limits, a lack of strategy, and conflicting perspectives on platform ownership pose significant practical constraints.
Grounded in original qualitative survey research, this report examines how left organisations use digital tools for organising and why current approaches often fall short. Combining inductive analysis with organising theory, it identifies both structural constraints and strategic opportunities. Key themes such as accessibility, reach, and security are translated into detailed recommendations with concrete action steps tailored to organisers, developers, and other movement actors. Rather than prescribing a single path forward, the report clarifies practical options, trade-offs, and areas where coordination can strengthen capacity.
This is a practical, hands-on brochure for movements and parties on the Left as they refine their approaches to organising and technology and take the next steps in their work.
This report was produced by the Brussels Office of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, authored by Aaron Niederman, and led and edited by Ada Regelmann.
Aaron Niederman is an organiser and researcher from Chicago, USA, currently based in Berlin. They hold degrees in Engineering Science, Philosophy, and Global Affairs. They have experience working with digital organising tools in worker and pro-Palestine movements in the United States, and their research explores how technology, including AI, can support worker-led organising and just transition struggles.
Dr Ada-Charlotte Regelmann is a Project Manager at the RLS Brussel Office, working on democracy and feminism, as well as activities in the Nordic countries.