From 2008 to 2019, the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI) published reports under our previous name, the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE).
June 2015
By Rachel Rosner and Madeline Wander
Executive Summary by Manuel Pastor
What role do movement networks play in social movement building? What are the conditions for innovative, values-based leadership development to strengthen cross-movement innovation and collaborations?
Linking the Lab is the result of a multi-year project—called the “Network Leadership Innovation Lab” and created by Management Assistance Group (now called Change Elemental)—aimed at better understanding the role and effectiveness of network leadership in movement building.
PERE’s report presents the story of the Lab, the experiences of 16 bridge-building leaders, and the mechanics of the program’s unique leadership development approaches. The authors explore why movement networks matter, apply an evaluation framework, and offer insights into the processes, mechanics, and conditions that support leaders engaged in cross-movement learning, innovation, and action.
Linking in the Lab also provides key recommendations and lessons for the broader fields of movement building, leadership, organizational, and network development.
About the Network Leadership Innovation Lab
Management Assistance Group (MAG) brought together sixteen social justice leaders from eight organizations for the Network Leadership Innovation Lab to learn with and from each other about common challenges and promising practices of working at the nexus of movement networks and organizations.
The Lab program included dialogue, analysis, partnership, co-creation and active learning among funders, capacity-builders, and other thinkers and doers.
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