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- Always consider the aim of the action, and who you’re targeting;
- Make sure everybody involved knows where they stand with the law;
- Think creatively.
Edinburgh University P&P use a really creative action to put their Ditch Dirty Development message across at DFIDs offices in Scotland.
Image © Ben Miller
Actions, encompassing everything from speaker meetings and letter-writing to occupying buildings, are what P&P groups are about. Here we focus on planning really exciting, dynamic and effective actions that will achieve your campaign aims.
Planning and preparation
With a little thought, a good idea can be made into a great action. The key thing is that you need to plan it carefully. Answer a few key questions:
- What is the key message that you want to get across?
- Who do you want to hear that message?
- Is this a one-off action, or just one in a series of events?
- When is the best time to do this action?
- How many people can you realistically expect to turn out?
Types of action
Varying your actions will make them more fun and increase their impact. The more creative you are the better! Look through a few ideas to get you started.
Stalls
The stall is a venerable campaigning tool and so we’ve given some extra advice on making yours as effective as possible. It can get your message to hundreds of people in a short time, and help to raise your profile. And if it goes well, talking to the public can be inspiring!
The law
Ignorance of the law is no defence, so it’s worth finding out the legal implications of any action, even if you think it will be harmless. For example, a large march down your local high street will probably require police permission, which often needs a couple of weeks’ notice.
Assuming you’re not planning an illegal action, a police presence can be great to keep cars away and smooth relations with irate landowners, shoppers or whoever.
