WESSA Strategic Review Report_2022

Advocate

Our approach to advocacy and activism involves clear, visible, audible and accessible messaging based on objective, scientifically derived information that explores the roots of environmental issues not just the symptoms and defines relevant agency. It makes use of media, social networks and the law to amplify its effect and relies on diverse interactions of civil society individuals and groups to create movements when necessary and become as representative of as broad a society as possible. It is sustained, nuanced and strategic, not relying on violence or crowd renting. It does not eschew simple, practical activities like petitions, pickets and clean-ups but keeps the bigger picture of causality and the nature of change required in mind along with a sense of the main actors in such processes. To achieve our Theory of Change we will: • Be a respected and trusted people’s voice for the environment. • Be a source of reliable information. • Develop action projects and support action based on our advocacy work • Provide the tools to empower people to protect themselves • Provide reputable representation of the global South in the drive for social and environmental justice. • To support citizens in their understanding and response to our environmental rights. • To attract members/supporters to be amplifiers and ambassadors. • Seek financial support for advocacy work via our education programmes and from civil society via carefully designed and targeted campaigns. • Develop clear position statements within our priority focus areas, supported by reliable evidence provided by experts we are already familiar with, academic partners and supporters. • Monitoring our activities to demonstrate outcomes or impacts and inform adaptive management.

Advocacy will be an overarching objective and guiding principle in our work. By identifying the audience, we would aim to target and take each of our stakeholders on a journey of change from Educate to Advocate to Action as per our Theory of Change.

Why Advocacy?

• The low gains made by the environmental movement over the last 50 years clearly indicate that to be effective strategy and focus are needed. • Preaching “sustainable living” is not enough. • There is a global leadership crisis. • There is increasing division between different sectors of society and misinformation. • Corporate ‘Greenwashing’ is rampant. • There is a sense of helplessness among public and no really meaningful common understanding of the term “advocacy.” • What will be the role and priorities of environmental NGOs in 2022 and beyond? In South Africa – this is built on the back of our excellent constitution and the right to a healthy environment; Section 24. (though these tenets are not widely appreciated or fully applied) Further to this, we also need to think in global terms, or at least regional (Southern African) when considering that most of our major issues are part of the picture of global grand challenges and will not be resolved through national objectives alone. Another consideration is the increasing divide in global north vs south and the fact that the South (more vulnerable communities) will pay most of the social costs for the climate crisis (warming) and are expected will have to compromise on development as a result. Through our strategic plan, WESSA’s role in this is as follows: Our Advocacy Model The organization wants to grow WESSA’s status as a leading, trusted voice on environmental issues. WESSA needs be a thought leader, champion, expert and a leading voice for a healthy biosphere where human resource-use is sustainably-managed. We want to be involved in critical areas where we can deliver measurable outcomes backed up with a fundraising strategy. Our advocacy work will be firm but restrained and properly aligned to information rather than emotional opinion. Education and awareness raising, development of decision support tools, coordinated collective action, and demonstrating and implementing place-based solutions will achieve this. WESSA offers ways of resolving complex problems, not just critique.

Advocacy will be an overarching thread in our work.

axter

We will be targeting specific audiences and we would like to take them on a journey with us.

Audiences

The Public

Succesful mobilization of citizen voices Public education, leadership development, advocacy building, and community

Influencers

Collaborative action among partners

Influencer education, demonstration programmes, media advocacy and coalition building

Decision Makers

Influencing improved policy

Policymaker education, public forums, champion development and the lobbying of model legislation

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