 Dear students, in this module, we are going to talk about the social movement organizations. Social movement organizations are organized groups that serve as the mobilizing structures for social movements. They help coordinate efforts, mobilize resources and maintain the momentum over time. So, every social movement depends on its success on different social movement organizations. So, social movement organizations often play a central role in shaping the strategies and tactics for a successful social movement. This can range from the peaceful protests, public education, launching different awareness campaigns and lobbying the efforts to some cases, like civil disobedience or direct action. The Greenpeace Organization, an international environmental group, is an example of social movement organization. It has been instrumental in raising the global awareness about the issues such as climate change, overfishing and deforestation, coordinating activities and campaigns across various countries. So, as you can see that this is the example of a global social movement. So, social movements are not always homogenous entities and can experience internal debates or deviants. Some of the group members or movements members may agree on one solution while others can be on the different solution. So, different factions within a social movement may have differing views on the movements, objectives, strategies or tactics. So, this diversity can both enrich a social movement with the varied ideas, but at the same time, it can pose a challenge to the success of that social movement. The role of a social movement extends beyond mere organization and coordination. They also work on framing the issues, for example, what kind of symbols and language should be used to motivate the people to become part of that social movement. So, social movements often need to navigate the institutional political systems which can either facilitate or obstruct their objectives. The ability to effectively engage with these systems is a crucial factor in the success of a social movement. An example from Pakistan is the Bonded Labor Liberation Front. It is an organization fighting against the bonded labor, particularly the child labor. The bonded labor front has been instrumental in rescuing bonded laborers, raising awareness and pushing for the legislative changes in Pakistan. Professionalization of these social movement organizations has been a notable trend in the recent past where movements rally on the full-time staff, sophisticated organizational structures and strategic planning. So, many of the social movements have become the non-governmental organizations rather registered non-governmental organizations to rally the people and to launch different campaigns against different social issues. While it enhances the efficiency and impact, critics argue that it may detach the movement from their grassroots base and overemphasize the fundraising. So, it becomes sometimes controversial for these social movements that once they were the social organizations for raising the awareness or agitating against the social injustice and social inequality and they were launching different campaigns against the different social issues. So, when they become the formal organizations, they come under the skepticism and criticism that they have changed their agenda from working for the social issues to more about the fundraising. The social movement organizations are vital components of social movements shaping their direction, structure and impact.