Planning a Local Action Campaign

Ten important steps in planning a local action campaign

Identify Issues and Goals(s)

Narrow the issues.: Beginning with overall concerns, narrow the issues as much as possible. What part of the issue matters the most at this time?
Set a specific, simple goal.: Otherwise, members will be overwhelmed or bored by vague, huge tasks.
Start with a small local objective.: If you can accomplish something on the local level, you’ll be better prepared to tackle larger issues.

Identify Your Target Audience

Find out which part of society has the power to make the changes you want. Your target could be a government agency, an industry, an elected official, or school authorities.
Get to know how your target audience works and what motivates its actions.

Recruit Supporters

Remember that: People join citizenship projects for many reasons. Communicate to the whole person, not just the intellect.

People are concerned about many issues.
People feel less isolated by joining a group.
People feel proud of being useful in a citizenship project.

Recognise Student Interests

Students can play key roles in a citizenship project because:

Young people bring bright ideas.
Young people bring energy and courage.
Students are often better informed than adults.
Young people are better at recognising and rejecting ‘double-talk’.
Adults often think of young people as more honest.

Analyse the Situation

Who and what are on your side?: Identify people and conditions that could be helpful to your effort.
What are you up against?: Identify obstacles to your effort, both people and/or situations. Is another organisation opposed to your goal or efforts.

Build a Coalition

What other groups want the same changes as your group?: Persuading other groups to join forces in a coalition will make you more powerful.
What other groups have power and influence over your target audience?: You may also be able to persuade influential groups to join your efforts, even if they might not be organised around your issue. Look at campaign contributors, business groups, consumer groups, or voter organisations.
Build a coalition carefully.: While coalition-building can multiply your political clout, remember that the bigger the organisation, the harder it is to manage.

Keep Members Happy

To keep project members active and committed, never take them for granted.

Create group identity.: Ask members do something to participate in your group, even if it’s just symbolic, such as filling out a membership card, answering a survey, paying a membership fee, or wearing a button with your slogan.
Reward your members.: Publish articles in a newsletter or your local paper; give out certificates of appreciation; make organisational T-shirts and buttons.
Celebrations.: Mark important victories or progress with a celebration. Make fun part of your citizenship work.

Choose Strategies and Tactics

Stop, look and think.

Very often, students are too eager to choose citizen action tactics and media efforts before thinking through the most effective ways of influencing their targets.

Involve members in planning.

Members have good ideas for citizen action plans. They will be more willing to carry out the plan if they took part in forming it.

Choose citizen actions appropriate for membership and budget.

Don’t ask members to do something they can’t do or afford.

In considering tactics, design an overall strategy.

Combine a number of tactics and communications. Most social change efforts require a series of events, not just one big effort. Choose tactics that will hit your target. Tactics range from quiet deeds that members can do at home to public actions. Successful citizenship tactics can include:

Letters-to-the-editor campaigns (newspapers, magazines.)
Letters to lawmakers at local, state and national levels.
Petition drives.
Endorsing or disclaiming political candidates.
Fund-raising to purchase conservation areas, alternative technology, etc.
Organising marches and rallies. (Check local laws.)
Boycotting environmental offenders, or certain taxes. (Check laws.)
Setting good examples: such as tree-planting, litter clean-ups, etc.
Teaching workshops to demonstrate alternatives technologies
Performing protest drama.
Theme parades, celebrations (such as Samba dancing clubs in Brazil leading parades about protecting the golden lion tamarins, and endangered species.)
Creating music. Songs about environmental or social issues can be recorded and played on radio or at public events with powerful effects.

Make sure your plans are lawful.

Many communities have laws about public gatherings, parades, demonstrations, and boycotts.

Use the time available.

Make sure that the actions students plan can achieve reasonable results within the time available.

Media Exposure

Use mass media to spread your message.: Radio, television, newspapers may help spread your message if you invite them to cover special events and send them news releases about your activities.
Use small media to spread your message.: Don’t ignore using leaflets, speeches to other groups, or telephone chains to deliver your message. Good campaigns often employ a combination of well-targeted media.

Evaluate Your Efforts

Evaluate action campaigns.: Formally ask yourselves whether the campaign worked. Why or why not? What’s the next step? How could your organising have been improved?
Evaluate the organisation.: Who is being left out? Is any part of the group taking more power than another? How can we improve decision-making and sharing responsibilities?