Civic Engagement Communications Plan
From Common Energy UVic
This Communications Plan divides up the primary groups that the Civic Engagement and Governance Working Group are creating strategies for. It will likely form the basis of the Working Groups chapter draft.
Civic Engagement and Governance Working Group
Communications Plan – DRAFT
Contents |
[edit] Background:
The following is taken from: www.commonenergy.org
The goal of Common Energy is to move the University of Victoria “beyond carbon neutral” by… so that it does more to solve the climate crisis than it does to cause it.
What would it look like for UVic to move beyond carbon neutral? It will happen once the university sparks a transformation in the region toward that brighter, greener, post-carbon future we need to start creating today.
[edit] Civic Engagement and Governance Working Group
Context:
1. Citizen involvement is essential for developing the best solutions to the climate crisis, and seeing those solutions implemented. 2. Establishing policy at UVic requires the involvement of many decision-making bodies. 3. Ultimately, transforming the region will require integrated and innovative planning from the household to the region, and beyond.
Question:
How can Common Energy work with the University, and engage citizens in university governance and regional planning?
Leads:
1. With whom are we trying to communicate, and what are the best ways to communicate with them, both individually and through networks? 2. What are the best ways for Common Energy to engage with university governance structures? 3. How do existing regional planning bodies operate, and who can the university and Common Energy engage them?
[edit] Civic Engagement and Governance Communications Plan
Based on the above context, this report attempts to draft a communications plan for the civic engagement and governance working group within the broader Common Energy (CE) project.
The objective of our working group is communicate with, educate, and engage with three distinct but related groups regarding the CE project:
1. UVic governance and policy-making bodies
2. Regional governments and community groups working on related initiatives
3. Students, staff, faculty and other groups (e.g. alumni) within the university structure
Each group will require its own sub-strategy with clearly defined messaging, objectives, tactics and measurements of success. The sections below will begin to draft the unique elements of each.
[edit] Section 1 – UVic governance and policy-making bodies
This can be broken down into two areas:
a) Creation of general awareness of the project at the top levels (e.g. BOG, Senate, President, department heads, etc.) and a formulation of a “pitch”, i.e. “why should they care” for each.
b) As each of the other working groups (e.g. energy, transportation) create their own plans and policy objectives, assist each in the development of strategies to present to the BOG or other relevant body, in order to facilitate the greatest chance of success in achieving significant changes in UVic policy.
Could include conflict resolution strategies.
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Conflict Resoultion Strategies: NONVIOLENT ACTION, CONTEXT FOR COMMON ENERGY Nonviolent action is a way to wage and win a conflict – it is a way of creating discomfort amongst populations, providing solutions, and forcing reorganization of individuals and societies. This is key in mobilizing Canadians to become interested in engaging in civic movements that address governance. Many transitions to democratic regimes internationally have occurred as a result of nonviolent action, plus there is a correlation between nonviolent transition and sustainability of democratic rule. The principles of nonviolent strategy can be transferred from a means to overthrow governments to ways to mobilize people to act for issues that affect them. The more people involved, the greater the capacity for sustainable change. For a realistic statement of available methods for nonviolent action, scroll to the end of this document or visit: http://www.aeinstein.org/organizations/org/198_methods.pdf Below summarizes some of the recent literature about people power and nonviolent action for a broad overview. For further resources (both background and cutting-edge) see: • Arendt, Hannah. On Violence. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich, 1970. • Sharp, Gene. The Politics of Nonviolent Action (3 Vols.) Boston: Porter Sargent, 1973. Boston: Porter Sargent, 1973. • The Albert Einstein Institution www.aeinstein.org • TRANSCEND: A Peace and Development Network for Conflict Transformation by Peaceful Means http://www.transcend.org/ • Ackerman, Peter, and Jack DuVall. “The Right to Rise Up: People Power and the Virtues of Civic Disruption.” The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs 30, no. 2 (2006): 33-42. “Power is not inherent in the physical tools used in a conflict; it is produced in the strategic transaction between the parties to a conflict. Thus civic resistance requires building a movement that instigates a conflict.” (35) “In a nonviolent struggle, the engine of strategy has three cylinders, and the first is unity. The movement should encompass a wide spectrum of political groups and social communities and operate with a consensus about its goals and methods. Without unity, a movement cannot claim to represent the aspirations of the people, and its calls for action won’t enlist full participation.” (37) “The second cylinder of the strategic engine is planning. No successful nonviolent movement is spontaneous.” (38) "The third cylinder is discipline. This increases the willingness for ordinary people (the ones that are not part of the activist group) to be involved. If there is an understanding of the means and the goals, people are less hesitant to become involved in movements challenging the status quo." (38-39) • Ackerman, Peter, and Jack DuVall. “People Power Primed: Civilian Resistance and Democratization.” Harvard International Review (Summer 2005): 42-47. "Mohandas Gandhi was the first in the 20th century to discern what ordinary civilians could do – or refrain from doing – to change their country’s course. Even the most powerful cannot rule without the cooperation of the ruled,” he said. If enough people withdraw that cooperation, they will shrink the government’s legitimacy and raise the costs of enforcing its will. The instrument for bringing this about is a self-organized movement, which political scientist Sidney Tarrow describes as having “the power to trigger sequences of collective action” based on common goals.” (43) |
[edit] Section 2 - Regional governments and community groups working on related initiatives
The CE project at UVic has an opportunity to significantly influence, and be influenced by, other GHG reduction initiatives occurring throughout the region in which it operates.
There is a lot going on at the municipal and regional government level around UVic. In some cases, the local governing bodies are ahead of UVic (e.g. Oak Bay) by creating their own GHG reduction strategies and targets, in other cases, the opposite is true. However, in all cases there is a lot of room for UVic to play a leadership role and provide guidance to the governments around it (note this could also be taken to different levels including leading other universities in BC and to the provincial and federal governments).
Tactic ideas:
- perform an inventory of where the CRD, member municipalities and non-profit/community groups are in terms of climate change mitigation policy and programs
- create a list of key contacts in each area
- contact the key players and strategize ways to work together
- make presentations at council and CRD meetings to inform and educate elected officials and key policy makers about the CE project
- A link to the CRD Climate Change initiative: http://www.crd.bc.ca/es/ClimateChange.htm
[edit] Section 3 - Students, staff, faculty and other groups (e.g. alumni) within the university structure
There are two sub-sections:
a) Increase public (UVic) awareness of climate change issues
- Research shows that awareness is the first step towards changes in behaviour. However, awareness of an issue such as the detrimental effects of climate change, does not necessarily lead to changes in behaviour. Our group needs to research and strategize around best practises in public education campaigns.
- This section could include ideas such as “taking the personal pledge…”, competition between faculties, buildings, teams, etc. and programs such as “bike to campus” week, etc.
b) Create avenues for civic engagement in local governance structures (UVic and regional)
- We’ll need figure out how to “light a fire” under people on campus to get involved in local government decision-making.
- We’ll need to figure out why describing engaging in common energy can “light a fire” under people to get involved in local government decision-making. (Katie might be discussing this in her work)
- We’ll also need to provide tools on HOW to get involved. The “tool kit” could include providing people with dates of council meetings, how to get on the speaker’s list, where to send letters to local media and elected officials, how to organize a demonstration, how to form a neighbourhood organization, how to get involved with other groups already working on the issues (e.g. Sierra Club or City Green).
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Avenues for Civic Engagment The Art of Hosting provides an innovative way to enage in dialouge, communication and collaboration through facilitation techniques. This method encompass Open Space Technology, World Cafe, Circle, and Appeciative Inquiry |
