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Let's be friendsDownload our brand new Action Guide for 2009-2010 to find out how you can make the biggest impact on the Ditch Dirty Development campaign this year.
Read on for more ideas and resources.
General election - Ask the RBS question
In the next few months, we will vote for a new Government. Whoever wins the election, the biggest impact this government will have on global climate change will be what it decides to do about RBS. Politicians don’t yet know the answer to this question. So it’s crucial that we raise it at every opportunity, until they realise that we do care about climate change - until they work out that RBS’s current misuse of public money has a massive impact on global emissions by driving fossil fuel extraction and production.
Let’s make the most of this election. You can help by finding your candidates, and asking them the RBS question. You could organise your own candidate ‘hustings’ panel debate, help one of our partner organisations organise a big hustings, or simply go along to one of these events. You should also get your group to email the local election candidates.
Lobby your MP
Hilary Benn at the meeting in Leeds
To win this campaign we need to build support among Members of Parliament - they can exert pressure on the Treasury to stop RBS investing in dirty, harmful projects. The best way to do this is for you to go and visit your own MP who represents you. Read our guide on how to lobby your MP. You don’t need to be an expert - you just need to be a concerned constituent. In fact, MPs love to hear from young people. Lobbying your MP is one of the most important things you can do to help the campaign.
Get action cards signed
You should have received a few hundred action cards with your freshers’ pack in September 2009. These are an excellent way of showing the government how many people care about climate change and want the Treasury to stop RBS fueling it. It is crucial that we get as many of these signed as we possibly can - we need to talk to thousands of people and build mass support for our campaign if we are going to win. If you want more action cards, just ring the office on 01865 245678 and ask Adam to send you some.
Please return your signed action cards to the P&P office as soon as you can. We’ll be arranging hand-ins directly to Alistair Darling and the Treasury at key strategic points this Autumn. The address to send them to is on the card itself.
Take action on campus
Students at Manchester careers fair award RBS Greenwash award
RBS need students and academic institutions as customers. Building support on campus is crucial to the campaign. You can get a motion passed at your student union general meeting to:
- stop the union banking with RBS-NatWest
- stop RBS-NatWest from advertising on campus
- or to get your university pension fund to sell shares in RBS-NatWest
See our example motions which you can use as a template, and ring Adam at the office on 01865 245678 to chat about how to get the motion through.
RBS depend on graduates coming to work for them. They may well be coming to a careers event at your university. See if you can persuade your fellow students that they don’t want to work for such an irresponsible bank.
Take action at an RBS branch
On top of it
Image © Toby Bright
Getting local press coverage is a great way to build support for the campaign. Visible and creative stunts outside your local RBS or Natwest branch are a really good way to achieve this. You can get students to sign a Valentines card for the manager, asking them to ‘love their climate’, or how about giving them a hand with cleaning up their act on climate change (think feather dusters, mops and rubber gloves)?
For more ideas, and support for getting local press coverage, contact Adam at the office on 01865 245678.
Order materials
We have a load of useful materials to help you with your Ditch Dirty Development campaigning. Order some using our online form or get in touch with Adam at the office
Become a Campaign Advocate
If you are keen to get more involved, you can become one of the Campaign Advocates for the campaign. Campaign Advocates are responsible for the campaign nationally, and activities include getting other groups involved, organising national campaign stunts, and helping set the direction of the campaign.
