The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for school streets. Closing streets to traffic at school times and reallocating space to walking and cycling can help maintain physical distance amongst parents and children and improve air quality.
Continue reading “Improving air quality around schools to protect children”Letting Go of the Fire
I wrote a eulogy for my father last year. It was the easiest thing I have ever written – celebrating the things I loved about him and the ways I had learnt from him. One was how to build a good fire. Continue reading “Letting Go of the Fire”
Understanding Change: Air Pollution
Some days Twitter feels useful, others it only acts a relief valve for the anger that I am feeling about a particular issue: lately, mostly, air pollution. Continue reading “Understanding Change: Air Pollution”
Women in Sustainability Interview
My interview for the ‘Women in Sustainability‘ series and the early influence of the Greenham Common women’s peace camp.
Understanding Change: Plastics
“What do we mean by social change? How can it be achieved?
Writing an essay on this nebulous subject when studying for a PG Cert in Media, Campaigning & Social Change last year was one of the most frustrating yet satisfying, parts of my course. Continue reading “Understanding Change: Plastics”
The Activist Companies
I spoke to Christopher Davies, International Director of Corporate Responsibility and Campaigns at The Body Shop International and Chris Gale, European Social Mission Strategy and Policy Manager, Ben & Jerry’s, two companies with a long history of social activism, to learn how business can leverage their capabilities and influence to mobilise supporters towards action in support of social change. Continue reading “The Activist Companies”
George Lakey’s Thoughts on Creating Change
Sharing a few learnings from a talk by George Lakey this week organised by Michaela O’Brien course leader of the MA in Media, Campaigning and Social Change at the University of Westminster.
Continue reading “George Lakey’s Thoughts on Creating Change”
Campaigning in Context
“The decision to protest is not taken in a social vacuum”
(Klandermans & Van Stekelenburg, 2013)
Humour in Protest
“If we can make a critic laugh, that is the first step towards subverting their homophobia.” (Peter Tatchell, 2016)
Turn to Face the Change
Campaigners responded in a beautiful and creative way when the authorities stopped demonstrations at the UN climate discussions following the 2015 Paris terror attacks. Thousands of climate activists had expected to march in Paris to put pressure on governments to end reliance on fossil fuels. Following the decision to ban on protests in public spaces campaigners had to think quickly, respectfully and imaginatively to make their “voices heard”. Instead of marching thousands of shoes were placed on the Place de la République in a ‘silent march’. Continue reading “Turn to Face the Change”
Fossil Fuel Divestment: What Makes a Successful Movement?
It is good to end the year with some positive news; the announcement that the value of assets committed to some form of divestment from fossil fuel companies has reached $5 trillion. Continue reading “Fossil Fuel Divestment: What Makes a Successful Movement?”
Corporate Competition & ‘Field Level’ Change
In a recent blog I examined the approach of Stop Funding Hate, a campaign calling for companies to withdraw their advertising from newspapers – the Daily Mail, the Daily Express and The Sun – that often carry incendiary, divisive anti-migrant headlines.
It is a corporate responsibility approach to change according to Krznaric (2007) seeking to alter the behaviour of organisations through threatening reputation “with name and shame campaigns” (Krznaric, 2007: 59). Continue reading “Corporate Competition & ‘Field Level’ Change”
Stop Funding Hate: Corporates Need to Walk the Talk
In a recent discussion in class* it was noted that the objective of the Stop Funding Hate campaign was to change the headlines and tone down the anti-migrant and xenophobic rhetoric in the Daily Mail, Daily Express and The Sun.
I would question whether this is the aim of the campaign, even if this is the change they want to see.
Continue reading “Stop Funding Hate: Corporates Need to Walk the Talk”
When Campaigners and Business Meet
“Space is a social product… it is not simply ‘there’, a neutral container waiting to be filled, but it is a dynamic, humanly constructed means of control and hence of domination, of power.” Henri Lefebvre
