Using information, knowledge sharing, and communication for more effective campaigning

In the second peer-2-peer session on June 6th, Philip Rohrer (CIDSE) and Andreas Vogt (CONCORD/GCAP) shared their perspectives on ways that the Internet and other tools are being used to campaign and mobilize people on development issues. Read the stories ...

Effective campaigning with the Internet

Brussels, 6 June. We started the secoind day with two campaigning presentations on: “G8: Make Aid Work” coordinated by CIDSE and the Global Campaign Against Poverty (GCAP).

Participants heard of the scope and the tools used in the campaigns. The two presenters provided the audience with information about the target groups, the methods used, successes and problems occuring. Small group discussions elaborated success stories and problems.

CONCORD's Agnès Philippart summarized the following DOs and DONT's:

• Do not start a campaign without having ensured the necessary resources for it.
• Don’t start by planning 100 things to do
• Don’t relax after the very first success.
• Don’t try to do everything on your own.
• Rely on good planning
• Convene organizing committee
• Start small, expand step by step.
• Carefully organize your work.
• Use “bigshots” and public figures in order to access both media and general public.
• For successful campaigning you need clear message, brand and logo - catchy and attractive.
• Be sure you are coherent.
• Rely on the feedback - firstly among your staff, then the constituency, the network, later expand it to other sectors and media.
• Try to create good working groups.

Story by Dimitar Sotirov

Campaigning challenges in development

Brussels, 6 June. Reporting from the peer to peer session on campaigning, IICD's Hilde Eugelink writes that not every NGO is an effective campaigner. Participants identified some specific challenges as:

• It is hard to involve the media and keep them interested in the issue. Often, there is no follow-up of the initiation of the campaign.


• As usual, funding is a big barrier for many organisations to embark on campaigning. Even e-campaigning always implies to purchase some material and requires staff to implement the actions.

• Sometimes, it appears difficult to mobilize the members and individuals.

• Many agree that a major difficulty is to sustain interest in the issue. This could be solved by linking the subject of the campaign to other actions and embedding it into strategies of other development actors.

"Campaigning is often thought of as something which is very costly.
Examples like the global call to act against poverty show however that if you work together with a lot of small NGOs you can set up quite a number of activities that have a big impact without being very costly. Of course it takes a lot more time and planning, but the results can be the same or even better," says Hilde Eugelink (Coordinator of Communications at IICD).


Story by Hilde Eugelink and Birthe Paul

YouTube and advertising for more effective advocacy

Brussels, 6 June. During the peer to peer workshop on 'information, knowledge sharing and communication for more effective advocacy', we gained insights into new tools of lobbying and campaigning.

Christine Coudour from the European Voice shed light on how development NGOs could use advertisement in the newspaper to lobby for their purpose: "Advocacy advertising is another campaigning tool to be used in combination with other actions such as press conference, events, directs contacts. European Voice is an ideal print title to reach the target audience of key EU stakeholders and decision-makers who rely on the independence of the editorial. There are special discounts for development NGOs and extra services such support with the designing and positioning."

Cécile Crosset from Plan Belgique pointed out how her organisation lobbied for children's rights by using a "slam", a mix of poetry and song: "In the context of our annual Action Week, we created a slam about the 4 fundamental rights of the child (participation, protection, survival and development). This was broadcast on radio stations.

The spot is also available as a video clip on YouTube. We had a lot of feedback, especially from people who were moved by it and who wished to use it on their blogs. By copying the code from youtube, it's easy to republish it. See the video:



Story by Birthe Paul

"Globbying" as tool for effective campaigning

Brussels, 6 June. In the dynamic table discussions of the workshop on effective campaigning, the discussion on the meaning of "campaigning" arose. According to Michel Wesseling from the ISS, campaigning is to "make politicians take different decisions". Although campaigning is not only about media, it is an important tool to mobilize people and increase the pressure on decision-makers.

Flowing from the discussions, a concept of "globbying" appeared. Anna Pollari from Kehys in Finland explains what it means (unfortunately you will have to turn your computer 90 degrees clockwise to see Anna like you normally would..).

Click To Play