Taking action
Tips:
- Identify your issue – what issue are you passionate about?
- Set your goals – what are you trying to achieve? Are you trying to raise awareness? Or influence decision-makers? Change laws? Raise money?
- Become an expert – research your issue and know your facts. Are you campaigning to raise awareness for resource depletion? Or to eradicate poverty? What do you need to know and where can you find information?
- Find experts – who can offer you advice and help? Who is already campaigning on this issue? What about past campaigns?
- What obstacles do you face? – Who might oppose your campaign? Are you harming or putting anyone in danger with your campaign?
- Plan! – What needs to be done and by whom? Assign roles and tasks. Set yourself a deadline. Make sure your goals and tasks are achievable. Think about what the different people you are working with are good at. The more creative your action is, the more attention it will get. Think about the best channels to get your message across: social media, print media, face-to-face, etc.
Raising awareness and advocacy:
Raising awareness is vital to any cause as people need to know about the issues in order to support them. Advocacy seeks to influence the people in charge to make them change the way things are. It can take many different forms, such as campaigning, public speaking and publishing research.
Here are some suggestions to get you started:
- Write a poem
- Design t-shirts – Design your own t-shirts, badges, tote bags or stickers and wear them to raise awareness. Come up with a good slogan or a quirky image to get people's attention. You can use fabric paints or get them professionally printed.
- Create a logo or brand
- Make badges
- Write a play – writing and performing a play can be a great way to make sensitive and complicated issues accessible
- Sing or rap
- Social media - using Facebook and Twitter can be a powerful way to get your friends and others involved
- Write a blog
- Organise an event
- Write to decision makers and influential people
- Organise a debate – invite people (parents, community, etc.) to be an audience. Choose an issue you are passionate about and research it. Prepare arguments for and against. Keep in mind that the issue you are debating could be controversial or personal for some people so be sensitive to other people's opinions and feelings.
- Make a film
- Design posters
- Make a calendar – highlighting issues each month raises awareness and you could also sell your calendar to raise funds
- Hand out leaflets
- Make a comic book
- Create a magazine or newspaper on the issue
- Enter a writing competition - you could enter a writing competition that focuses on human rights or young reporters. Organisations such as Amnesty International, The Guardian newspaper or Liberty organise annual competitions
- Make a radio advert
- Conduct interviews
- Exhibit photos or artworks – a picture is worth a thousand words! Take your own photos or get permission to exhibit others' work. Think about where your exhibition will have the most impact (school, community centre, town hall)
- Hold a speech
- Organise a petition
- Organise a walk or run – make banners or wear costumes to draw attention. This activity could also be used to raise funds for a charity of your choice
- Design and send postcards – Decide who you want to target, design a postcard and get as many students as possible to send them