Activist Guide
Posters
Download poster versions of each of the 19 chapters in 8 languages: English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Swahili, African French, Sotho, Zulu, and Arabic.
What is climate change and why should we care about it?
Weather refers to conditions in a specific place and time. So, when someone asks what the weather is like where you are, they want to know if it’s hot, cold, windy, or rainy at that time. On the other hand, a place’s climate is based on weather patterns over time.
What is climate justice and why does it matter?
Climate justice is the term we use to refer to the social, ethical, and political implications of climate change, as opposed to only the physical and environmental impact. Climate justice begins with recognising that different groups of people are affected differently by climate change.
What is intersectionality and why is it important in climate justice work?
Intersectionality comes from the root word “intersect”, which means to join, meet, or cross. An intersection is the point where two or more things meet (or simply a place where things come together). The term “intersectionality” was coined in 1989 by Kimberlé Crenshaw to help us better understand layered inequalities in the world.
What is environmental education and why is it important in the movement?
Environmental education is a process that allows groups of people to gain knowledge about the environment (and the intersection of environmental and social issues).
Important things to consider when creating educational resources
What are things to think about when developing educational materials? What are some of the ways to make education materials attractive and make sure your content meets the learning objectives?
How to hold an educational workshop
Conducting an educational workshop involves facilitating or guiding a group of people through the process or an active dialogue to help them increase their knowledge or work on solving a particular set of problems to reach a particular goal together. Here are the processes and steps to help you plan and have an effective workshop.
What is climate advocacy and how can we become climate justice advocates in our daily lives?
At the basic level, advocacy means using our voices to ask for change we seek. So, climate advocacy is to use our voices for the cause of climate justice, which we now understand is a combination of social, environmental, and climate change justice.
How to use social media for advocacy
Have you ever come across a social media post that shifted your perspective? Or sparked an idea? Or sent you down a rabbit hole learning about a topic you did not know much about before? For many of us, I’m sure the answer is “yes”.
How to write a good op-ed
An op-ed is an article published on a media platform that is written by a member of the public rather than a journalist. It is called an op-ed because in traditional newspapers, it was usually placed opposite the editorial page. Op-eds are a space for opinion and an opportunity for issues or perspectives that might not make the mainstream news where it would be seen by a wide audience.
What is policy and why is it important to engage with it to drive a climate just agenda?
A policy is a document that sets out the intentions, aims, and goals or actions a group wants to commit to, in other words what should be done. In general, policies can set out an agenda on a specific subject. For example, in the context of climate change mitigation there would be a policy regarding a specific CO2 emission reduction target for a country, and it would say specifically who must do it, such as the government, businesses, or individuals.
What is climate action and what are various types of actions we can engage in?
When we start to investigate our role in the climate justice movement we begin to question the tools available to us to make meaningful change. One of these tools is climate action. But what is climate action? There are various understandings of this term and different ideas about how to go about implementing climate actions.
Art and activism: How to incorporate creativity into climate action
In activism, artivism has the power to evoke empathy among all types of people because it transcends barriers. Empathy allows us to be in someone else’s shoes for a moment and take a look at the world through their lens. Empathy inspires action.
How to start an eco-club
My name is Yola Mgogwana, I am 14 years old and the name of my eco club is Green Environment. I started my club two years ago, inspired by my advocacy and longing for more green spaces in Khayelitsha in South Africa. I work with children between the ages of 9 and 11. Let me walk you through how to start an eco club.
How to build a successful movement
In a world that is heating up, with profitdriven expansion wreaking havoc on communities and the environment, a strong movement is a necessity.
Why we must organise
Creating large-scale social and systemic change requires many people to work together. Consistent and co-ordinated organising ensures that large groups of people are effectively brought together in processes that fundamentally shift the way society re/constructs and envisions its future.
What is decolonisation and how does it apply to the climate movement?
Decolonisation refers simply to the end of colonial rule, for others it is about the return of stolen land, and for others it is a process that affects every part of society, requiring rethinking how things are done in education, health, agriculture, and language, among other things.
What is the difference between climate mitigation and climate adaptation, and how can we aim to achieve both?
Climate mitigation and climate adaptation are two primary strategies that have been agreed upon by various institutions as the main approaches to dealing with climate change at both local and global levels.
What is “loss and damage”, and why should it be included in climate justice activism?
As the results of the climate crisis become clearer with each passing day, the demands for climate justice become louder as its need becomes more apparent. The destruction caused by climate change worsens inequalities between the global north and the global south. One mechanism that is being developed to address this is loss and damage (L&D).