Something to shout about - Adopt A Negotiator

One of the projects I worked on earlier in the year, Adopt A Negotiator, has been mentioned in the Guardian Environment Blog, along with some other interesting climate change campaign efforts.

Adopt a Negotiator is a project where "climate trackers" from 10 countries follow their country's Climate Negotiators on the Adopt a Negotiator blog with sparky and thought provoking insights into how the climate deal, that will be decided in Copenhagen in December is shaping up.

Next week will see the trackers focus on another intensive week of climate talks in Bonn, Germany, so follow the talks, trackers and negotiators on the Adopt a Negotiator blog.

Not In My Name gets 90K signups in two months

In reaction to the two British National Party (BNP)candidates election during the recent European the website http://notinmyname.tv/ was set up to show that not everyone in Britain support the views of the BNP.

The site is simple,clear but asks people to do more than add their name to a petition, it asks them to make a video/photo and upload it, to show their opposition to the BNP policies. It also has the added benefit of reflecting its support right back at the viewer, by showing the social proof of the faces and names of those who have already taken part.

In two months, over 90,000 people have added their video or photo, which would be a huge success for a campaign back by some of the bigger, more well-known agencies. Not In My Name, is a part of the Hope Not Hate Campaign, which in turn is part of the Searchlight Magazine.

It will be interesting to find how Hope Not Hate take use their growing email list to push for further actions and what form they take.

WWF UK open up their campaigning reasearch

Identity Campaigning is a discussion blog that has been set up by WWF UK, to publicly explore the ideas around how social values and identity can be engaged can be used for campaigning purposes.

They have a number of contributors, who are using examples from popular culture, books, academic research and think pieces to explore the issues discussed further.

I think that it is a brave move for WWF to make their internal learning process on "how campaigning works" public, and the discussion and debate around it creates. But, it is a move that all organisations who are involved in campaigning should be moving toward, to ensure that they motives, methods and techniques stay relevant to their audiences.

The articles are interesting, as are the comments they attract and this site will be one my new "go-to" places when I carve out some research and reflection time for myself, and I suggest that you do as well.


Current discussion topics are:

Do what needs doing vs start from where the people are

Psychoanalysis, identity and climate change

Greenwash, and emotion about animals are used to sell cars

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How many people does it take to make a awesome interactive campaign on poverty?

The answer is more than you ever have budget for.

So whilst 5 teams of people in cities around the world, are going without sleep, to make awesome happen for GCAP's, in my name project, that will launch on Sept 25. You my lucky reader get to sit back and enjoy as the differnt elements all start to come online.

Today we have got the in my name facebook fanpage publshed, which brings all the feeds from the flickr, tumblr, twitter and eventually www.inmyname.com

So spread the word, readers, and if you are intersted in blogging about what we are doing send an email to blog at inmyname.com so we can send you a special bloggers kit and news alert.

digital elections

I am in New York City at the moment, working a project, inmyname.com that will be launching on September 25th.

Between lots of phone calls, meetings and feeling like I am glued to my laptop, I have been watching the US election unfold, and what is clear is how online is actually leading the news cycling, rather than just commenting upon it.

As the news channels, struggle to fill their blanket coverage, they are looking to blogs to who are breaking the stories, that they once would have. This transference of power from the institutional to the individual changes the dynamic of the whole political spin machine, and party that can deal with this the best, will most likely be the successful one.

As the US election and the techniques used to get the next president into office are pushing new ground, it will be interesting how this will impact how use of digital communications will be used in other national elections, and also in how it legitimizes the use of the digital voice for change.

How do weapons get to landlocked countries in a crisis?

The folks at IANSA - The International Action Network on Small Arms - have found out about a ship that is trying to offload 77 tonnes of weapons and ammo at ports in Southern African countries. Where are the 77 tonnes heading for? Tension filled, landlocked Zimbabwe, that's where.

So far dockers in Durban, South Africa have refused to offload the cargo, and the ship has had to find another port to call into, to get it's cargo out of it's hull.

IANSA, has set up a petition, for you to sign, that will be sent onto the people who have the power to take the decision to stop the cargo from being offloaded at their ports, in the Southern African region.

If you want to give IANSA a hand in promoting their action and keep the arms on board, join their Facebook group , blog about about it and even add this special Google Map to track the progress of the ship, onto your website.




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