If you feel strongly about an issue you have two choices; sit at home thinking about it or decide to do something. To do something you will probably want to connect up with like-minded people who share your concern and are prepared to get together and make a difference.

Getting started

Start early!  Don’t wait for the official public consultation process. The sooner you become involved the more possibility you will have of influencing a decision. If the group decides to start a campaign consider the following:

1. To ensure sustained and effective action you will need a strong foundation . Spend time planning the campaign. People naturally want to dive straight in to action, but don’t underestimate how important it is to give real time to thinking through and considering what exactly is going to be involved in this campaign.
2. Ask yourselves the questions –“Why are we forming this campaign?”, “What exactly do we want to achieve/change?”  “Are we  agreed on a common purpose?” You’ll be surprised at how many problems you might avoid  later on and how much time you will save by getting a clear agreed purpose from  the outset.
3. You will need to think about the team that’s going to work on the campaign. Explore what skills people have within the group. Depending on the issue, you may need to hire in some technical or other expertise. The campaign is also an opportunity for people within the group to develop additional skills themselves.
4. Consider how the group is going to work together. It is important from the start to agree some ground rules , a code of behaviour. Agreeing ground rules before you begin and writing them down can avoid tensions in the group later on.
5. Think about the money you will need, what you’ll need it for and where its going to come from. Don’t underestimate the skills available internally within the group but if you  need to buy in other skills and expertise you will have to think about raising funds. Of course fund-raising activities are also a useful opportunity for building awareness for your campaign.
6. Work out a set of values to develop and maintain the integrity and credibility of the campaign e.g.  truth,  respect, keeping the law.
7. Be proactive from the start. Be ‘for’ rather than ‘against’. Propose better alternatives, stressing the benefits for the common good. Look for win-win solutions.

Developing a campaign

• You need to find out how the formal system works, who is responsible for what and the type of process you will have to engage with (eg public consultation process ).Local councillors, T.Ds , the County Council, relevant public bodies can all help with this.
• Talk to people who have previously been involved with a similar situation. Learning from their experience can not only provide useful information and guidelines, but can help you avoid some of the inevitable pitfalls.
• Information is power.  Good research is essential. Get the facts. A credible campaign has to be based on hard facts - not on rumour,  unsubstantiated claims, assumptions etc

Getting your message across

• Build a profile. You need to get known by the public and the ‘powers that be’.
• Plan a strategy for how you’re going to get your message across. Time and energy are always limited so its important to decide where to focus for maximum effect.
• Keep the message simple. Focus on the key issue.
• Be sincere and committed but don’t alienate people by being over zealous
• Decide who is your target audience. Is it polititions, the public, the local authority, statutory bodies, the corporate sector, academics, journalists ?
• In general you want to identify people or groups who are favourable to your aims/ objectives, especially those who have a high degree of influence.

Sustaining a campaign

• A campaign built on a weak foundation is likely to blow away on the first windy day.  For a campaign to endure it needs a clear vision, shared values and agreed guidelines that keep people working coherently together even when the going gets tough. A strong foundation will also help to avoid ‘egos’ from becoming more important  than the common goal !
• It is really important to take time for regular re-assessment and honest appraisal of how the campaign is doing.
• Look especially at achievements  and take heart! It is all too easy for people to become disillusioned when it starts to sink in  that campaigning is not for the faint-hearted !
   Courage, determination and perseverance are key qualities.
• Remember to thank people for what they do. When people feel valued it makes for a happier and more effective group.
• You also need to look at failures and what’s not working,  seeing   these as opportunities to learn. This process of being prepared to make mistakes and learn from them is often not valued by people.
• Above all, don’t forget your sense of humour!  There’s nothing like a bit of fun and a good laugh to keep things in  perspective.

Recommended  Links:

http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/. This is the website of The Campaign for Better Transport in the UK, whose work is to campaign for green transport that improves peoples lives. It has very useful  ideas and tips, stories of campaigns and on-line guides to campaigning on all sorts of transport  related issues. Of course much of it would be equally valid for other types of  campaign.

http://www.campaigncreator.org/. This is a pilot project run by Bristol City Council in collaboration with Friends of the Earth as a guide to positive community campaigning. It is not about political, national or international issues but has good basic ideas and guidelines for running any campaign.

People/organisations who can help:

Planning Matters - offers information, support and expertise to people who need assistance when dealing with the planning system in Ireland. http://www.planningmatters.ie/

Eurolaw Environmental Consultants - a small company that provides community/environmental groups and companies with information and guidance on Community Environmental Law to ensure effective public participation in the decision making process  http://www.eurolaw.ie/ 
Contact:  David Malone
Tel. 05786 23567  mob.087 7754114
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The  Irish Environmental Forum – offers support and advice to groups/individuals throughout Ireland with local environmental problems.
Contact: Pat Geoghegan
Tel. 087-2241182
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it