‘’I’ve found that taking part in the Carousel is helping with the funk, recharging my enthusiasm’’.
Campaigning is hard.
There are usually more setbacks than wins. Sometimes it can be hard to keep going and sometimes it can be hard to find new and effective ways of cutting through. Although I’ve worked on different campaigns over the years, I really wanted to jump on SMK’s Campaign Carousel™. I’ve found that taking part in the Carousel is helping with the funk, recharging my enthusiasm. And I’m learning a lot of new things about how thinking about the fundamental evidence-based approach to underpinning campaigns is developing, as well as getting inspiration for different tactics and activities.
I was one of those kids who would take every opportunity to speak out about things I didn’t think were right. I’ve carried that over into my professional life and spare time as a campaigner. If you want things to change, it’s not enough to talk about it – you have to get involved. Ordinary people coming together to ignite change can be incredibly powerful.
I’m especially interested in what we can do to engage busy people with a lot on their minds, to take small but important actions locally, to make a difference in their communities. It’s also important to consider how we, as campaigners, listen to and hear local people and enable them to drive and make change. I love that the Carousel offers a session on community organising and one on influencing locally too.
I haven’t finished riding the Carousel yet but I’m already excited about some of the practical tools we’re looking at. The Social Change Grid offers the potential to map campaigning activity and explore opportunities to expand campaigning, and to hone and grow impact.
The Campaign Carousel™ is a great opportunity to learn from some incredibly talented tutors but also from fellow participants active in all sorts of different bits of making social change happen.