New communication platform shall strengthen the global voice for climate action
Working with transboundary issues like climate change, provides for a unique opportunity to discuss effective ways and means to advocate for both local and global climate action.
In early 2018, SustainableEnergy will take the first steps to form an inter-continental communication alliance, working together in a programmatic communication platform. Communication staff from a variety of countries engaged in advocacy or awareness raising will through the platform develop and produce communication interventions, that attempts to contribute to strengthen the global voice for climate action, push decision makers to accelerate their responses to climate change issues and influence national and international perceptions around the urgency to take climate action.
The following organisations and persons have signed up to be part of the communication alliance: Suswatch Kenya (Velma Oseko), TaTEDO Tanzania, Osienala, Kenya (Moses Oyier) Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development, Uganda, CREP, Kenya (Geoffrey Omondi) and Umande Trust, Kenya (Benazir Omoto).
First step: development of a shared communication strategy
The alliance will work towards the creation of shared communication products, campaigns and interventions. Members will primarily meet via skype and e-mailings. However, to establish a good team-spirit and to develop a shared communication strategy a joint meeting will take place in March 2018 in Nairobi. The overall objective of the strategy will be to contribute to influencing national and international perceptions around the urgency to take climate action and raise awareness on the needs for poverty oriented adaptation and mitigation measures. The strategy will furthermore explore fresh approaches to communicate the nexus between climate change, development and poverty alleviation.
An example of shared communication products could be testimonials from ordinary people about how they experience climate change and cope with the new reality. By distributing testimonials from different countries and regions we can disclose the climate change impacts and give varied insights in, how climate change adds and reinforces poverty, environmental degradation and poor governance thus adding to key constraints for development and growth. Picture from a video produced by Joana Nhassengo, Livaningo (Mozambique)
Cross border knowledge sharing puts different skills into play
The group of participating partners have different skills, when it comes to communication. Some are very skilled in awareness raising activities, while others are skilled in strategic communication or social medias. The programmatic communication platform will take advantage of this and build further on the communication experience among the participants. Working together around shared objectives and activities will increase our capacity in communication planning and implementation. This could for instance include how to use different media channels like Twitter and Facebook strategically in order to better reach local authorities, other civil society actors as well as the wider public.
For elaborations on the programmatic communication platform or interest in becoming part of the communication alliance, please contact Sigrid Soelberg Vestergaard, Head of Campaigns and Strategic Communication, SustainableEnergy.