Campaigning | NCVO Campaigns Conference 2010: A New Politics

Posts Tagged ‘campaigning’

#Newpol: wrap-up of a great day

January 27th, 2010 by Jadis Tillery

Wow. We made it. We managed to get through two panel discussions, 12 workshops, an inspirational keynote speech and drinks in the Lords’ in one piece.

We want to say a big ‘thank you!’ to everyone who came along to yesterday’s event and helped make it happen. Our Twitterfall has even caused a bit of a stir over at Civil Society magazine!

If you couldn’t make it – and even if you did – we really recommend taking some time to check out all the great content that was captured from around the conference and published on this site. There’s loads of images, audio interviews and comment and analysis from our live reporters so take a look.

Here’s our highlights to get you started:

Steve Lawson from the Amplified team posted some great content live from the event and his analysis of how Social Media is leading to Social Action is good starter. Steve also gives a good overview of some of the key trends he saw emerging from the event in this post.

Off-site, Ian Noon from the National Deaf Children’s Society has already posted his thoughts from the day and highlights an inspiring quotation from the keynote speaker, Peter Tatchell:

“it’s good to take risks, be provocative and stir up trouble once in a while“

Maybe he was referring to our now famous Twitterfall!

For a visual rendition of the day, make sure you take a look at the Flickr stream of photos from the day with the tag #newpol – and don’t forget to add that tag when you upload your pics. Ben Ellis’s Posterous blog also has a nice slideshow of his photos from the day too.

The Amplified team also recorded a series of Audioboo interviews with speakers. Here’s Stella Creasy, Labour PPC for Walthamstow & the Scout Association’s Head of Campaigns talking passionately about the power social media offers campaigners (all the audioboo’s from the day can be found here).

Speaking of Peter Tatchell: without shadow of a doubt he was the most inspirational speaker of the day.

Founding member of OutRage!, regular contributing blogger on the Guardian and member of the Green Party , Peter Tatchell is one of the country’s most well known campaigners. He’s actively campaigned for more than 42 years and has proven fearless in the face of the world’s most notorious human rights abusers (as his two attempted citizen’s arrest of Robert Mugabe attest too). Peter was also named campaigner of the Year 2009 by The Observer.

We’ll have video footage of his speech up on the site very soon indeed. In the meantime, you can read a timely profile of the great man, published in this week’s Third Sector and listen to him chat to Steve about the best and worst of the web for campaigners

Tags: #amp10, campaigning, ncvo, new politics, newpol, social media
Posted in campaigning, Government, ncvo, politics, Public Sector, socia media | No Comments »

From Social Media to Social Action.

January 26th, 2010 by Steve Lawson

Image by @benjaminellis

When ‘awareness’ isn’t enough.
(Text by Steve Lawson)

We spend a huge amount of time raising awareness about issues. We’re really good at it. It’s a very British thing to do. We write letters to local newspapers, we write to our MP, we talk to other people about them doing something.

The web makes it so much easier to raise awareness. We can join facebook groups, we can ‘retweet’ quotes and links – we don’t even need to click the link to do it. Actions like the campaign against Jan Moir and her odious writing in the Mail suggest that people can mobilize if they are incensed enough, but did the Mail’s circulation drop? Did anyone continue to hold the Mail to account for the odious writing they publish every other day of the year? Some may have, the vast majority didn’t. They felt justified that Moir was vilified, and were happy that justice was served via twitter.

Were we wrong to retweet the Jam Moir story? Or Trafigura? Of course not – both were instances of genuine outrage at things that more people should know about (though in the case of the Mail there’s perhaps a lesson about the oxygen of publicity). Raising awareness is not a bad thing in an of itself. And it is what the web does best. But the link between that diffuse outrage across a social network – connected only by a hashtag or membership of a facebook group – and action, physical protest, changes in behaviours, habits, conversations with people who don’t already agree with us, boycotts, fund-raising… that’s the tricky bit.

And it’s why, when thinking about the use of social media in a campaign, literacy is WAY more important than policy - have ‘rules’ for twitter usage may end up being counter-productive for your organisation. Understanding the way that your fellow Twitter-users engage with the things they find on there is vital to making your campaign materials usable, shareable, clickable, and to them leading to a higher proportion of actions. Same for facebook groups. I’ve just been listening to an Jackie Schneider of Merton Parents For Better Food In Schools talking about Local activism, and she referenced the power of the ‘easy win’ – of people dipping their toe into the campaigning world seeing the fruits of their labours early on as motivation to keep going. It’s a brilliant and simple observation, and one that’s well learned online. Have a listen to her talking about it:

This is also where information aggregators come in so useful, and where Louder.org.uk can be used to great effect to link Social Media presences and content to actions, both online and off. As a way of integrating email campaigns with contacting MPs, signing petitions and disseminating information about protests and other actions, Louder is designed to make the transition from awareness to action as easy as possible.

Tags: #amp10, amplified, campaigning, ncvo, new politics, newpol, politics, social media
Posted in ncvo, politics, socia media | 5 Comments »

Images from #newpol

January 26th, 2010 by Hannah Nicklin

A slideshow of images taken by @benjaminellis of the day’s proceedings, updated as they’re added.

See more via the flickr tag.

Want to comment on any of the conversations going on? Got some big ideas of your own? Join in on the comments thread of this post.

Tags: #amp10, amplified, campaigning, ncvo, new politics, newpol, politics, social media
Posted in ncvo, politics, socia media | No Comments »

Audioboos from #newpol

January 26th, 2010 by Hannah Nicklin

See below for a playlist of the Audioboo podcasts recorded on the ground at the London NCVO New Politics conference, talking to both speakers, and the charities and NGOs themselves for a reaction to the conversations and content coming out of today.

Want to comment on any of the conversations going on? Got some big ideas of your own? Join in on the comments thread of this post.

Tags: #amp10, amplified, campaigning, ncvo, new politics, newpol, politics, social media
Posted in ncvo, politics, socia media | No Comments »

Big Ideas For Changes In Campaigning.

January 26th, 2010 by Steve Lawson

So much of what’s being expressed today at this conference will be outlining where we are in terms of the relationship between campaigners and the political structures in the UK, and where we’re likely to be in the near future. People who make futurological predictions about what’s going to change tend to be fairly fatalistic about the potential for change – it’s built into the kind of observational science that they indulge in.

So this post is intended to be a place where we will pull together your suggestions for transformative change in the way that campaigning organisations are formed, managed and maintain their radical edge, but still manage to access the kind of funding they need to keep going. Please do post them in the comments, cross post good things you’ve found elsewhere and discuss the potential.

It would be great for this to be the place for some big thinking, big ideas, hopes and dreams for how we can make sure that campaigning organisations don’t get sucked into a government funding vortex that removes any power they have to be the thorn in the flesh of the political establishment where required.

Over to you – please post your ideas and comments below:

Tags: #amp10, campaigning, newpol, transformative change
Posted in campaigning, socia media | 3 Comments »

Does it matter what politicians do with social media?

January 12th, 2010 by Liam Barrington Bush

There’s been a fair amount of discussion about the impact new technologies will have on the upcoming UK general election. There is widespread belief that social media sites, mobile phones and online video will impact the ways people vote in May (or June) of this year, but as to how these gadgets will influence people’s voting patterns, is still up for debate.

Some people have pointed (cringingly) to Gordon Brown’s YouTube address, the increasing number of MPs and government departments with Twitter profiles, and the online blogging platforms of the major parties, as evidence of an increasingly tech-savvy political class that will wage it’s election battles on virtual platforms, rather than in constituencies and on television debates.

But the problem with this is that most of government (with some important exceptions) just don’t get social media! If it’s seen as a free broadcast channel, it is unlikely to have any additional impact, beyond that of the traditional press, and may further disconnect them from the people they represent, if used solely to disseminate messages. The groundbreaking nature of these technologies is in their ability to connect people and facilitate conversations, two traits which have traditionally run against the grain of mainstream politics.

Technology will have some impact on this coming election, but not (primarily) because politicians are starting to get on-board.

Technology will impact the election most significantly because of what is being said by those using it outside of the political institutions. The fundamental shift that social media is starting to enable, relates to what blogger and academic Hannah Nicklin describes as a ‘wikipolitic’; the process through which public opinions develop a collective expression via various online platforms, and are then manifested in action – by people themselves or the politicians who are mandated to represent them. Fundamental to this, is the breakdown of the interface between people and political institutions (initially through online technology) and gradually, the connection of people – including politicians – to each other in the development of the policies that impact our lives. (Read Hannah’s blog for more on ‘wikipolitics’).

My thoughts on David Cameron (or Gordon Brown, or Nick Clegg, for that matter), can now float into cyberspace and immediately connect with the thoughts of those who agree with or oppose them – on a truly mass scale. For that matter, if I was to capture a video on my mobile of one of the above leaders contradicting a key campaign message, or come across an email that included potentially offensive language about a particular people or constituency, I could share them with the world within minutes … or say, if I – or you – had an especially relevant take on one party-or-another’s election manifesto, we could become the tipping point of the 2010 general election!

…Or… Or… Or…The list could go on…

So when we talk about the impact technology will have on the upcoming election, I recommend turning our social microscopes away from the press-released YouTube videos of Parliament and Downing Street, and towards the places where people are discussing the issues that will affect them. To the Twitter feeds, blogs and viral videos that are increasingly providing the narrative of life in Britain in 2010 and what we want the people we vote for to do with the power we have given them.

Of course, ‘wikipolitics’ and ‘e-campaigning’ only matter, insofar as they can enable greater communication and discussion of political ideas; we can’t let new technology sweep away the importance of sound policy. Many factors will influence this – like every other – election; I’m interested in how we, as people, can play a more central role than we are often credited in playing, as we decide who will lead this country into this next phase of history…

Liam is Learning and Development Officer (Campaigning) at NCVO, he is chairing the Social Media workshop at the Campaigns Conference

Tags: campaigning, general election, ncvo, social media
Posted in campaigning, general election, mobile, ncvo, politics, socia media | 7 Comments »

Is anybody listening?

January 11th, 2010 by James Thirtle

If your campaign isn’t Emotionally Intelligent, then no.

With the general election campaign gearing up we are seeing a vast increase in political communication. But how much of it is effective? Given its aim is presumably to make us vote for our party or change allegiance to another, how often does it succeed? In fact, how many of the words filling the airwaves, adverts, newspapers and blogs are even received, let alone acted upon? The most common reaction to political communication at present seems to be a tired shrug, or an irritated closing of the ears.

We have all become adroit at shutting out messages we don’t wish to hear. Campaigns aimed at changing lifestyle behaviour or shifting opinions get lost in the background noise of society. In fact, the ability to shut out this noise so you can form your own thoughts and opinions is a necessary skill for anyone living in the communication age.

Campaigners of all stripes face a significant and yet horribly simple problem – how to communicate, how to be heard, how to reach people. If you fail in this your campaign fails at the first hurdle. We all have filters to keep information out. If we still lived in a tribal culture of around one hundred individuals then our instinct would be to listen carefully to all of the information that flowed our way. But our virtual tribe – the number of people who wish to communicate with us – now reaches the tens of thousands. Filters are necessary.

The filtering process we use is sophisticated in outcome yet simple to describe: we listen to what feels right. Above all we trust our feelings to decide which information is relevant, honest and in our interests. The unconscious processes involved in creating this momentary feeling are incredibly complex, taking account of our experiences, values and the perceived intent behind the communication. Put simply, if crudely, we all possess an incredibly sophisticated bullshit detector. Campaigners, politicians, anyone who wishes to influence the decision making of the public, ignore this at their peril.

As we become more media savvy we are learning to see through the sound bites, media campaigns and interview techniques used by those who want us to think differently. The welcome fact is that deception is becoming less effective, spin and manipulation is being filtered out, and sincerity may be the only way to get a message across. Campaigns must be understood in this context if they are to be effective. The quality of an individual that makes them trustworthy, able to communicate with us, and able to form a deep relationships, is called emotional intelligence. This same quality must be found in campaigns and communications if they are to be successful.

An emotionally intelligent campaign acknowledges the way individuals filter information and make decisions. This is largely not an analytic, intellectual, process – it is a subconscious, intuitive, process. Effective communication must feel right to the person who receives it. Firstly it must strike them as being sincere, secondly it must feel relevant; that it relates to their world and their values. We instinctively respond positively to those people around us we feel are open hearted and demonstrate integrity. We judge communication and campaigns in the same way.

Here’s a simple thought experiment: two friends approach you wanting to borrow money. The first speaks eloquently, giving facts and figures that express clearly why he should borrow your money, yet throughout you suspect these are not his own words and someone else has helped write his argument. The second speaks from the heart, his request is simple, direct and, although not always eloquent, you recognise his own thoughts and feelings being expressed. Which friend would you lend your money to? So which politician will you vote for?

James Thirtle, www.insightemotionalintelligence.com, is a Consultant and Trainer specialising in applying Emotional Intelligence to campaigning and communication.

Tags: campaigning, Emotional Intelligence, politics
Posted in campaigning, Emotional Intelligence, general election, politics | No Comments »

Going local

January 8th, 2010 by Eleanor Bullimore

With the General Election looming, localism is high on the agenda for all the political parties. The consensus appears to be that more decisions should be made locally with local people playing an active role in that process. Whilst this has sparked an interesting debate as to whether there is a real commitment here to hand over power to local bodies and people, we cannot deny that the last few years have seen increases in legislation, consultations and funding for projects that seek to give power not only to local government, but also to individuals.

The voluntary and community sector obviously has a key role to play in helping deliver this new agenda. But there are also implications for how charities and voluntary organisations work – particularly when it comes to campaigning. For one thing, campaigners will need to start working through the complex maze that is local government and new relationships will need to be built between local decision makers and organisations.

But will national charities be expected to engage at a local level? Could this mean that charities will have to invest more in local campaigning?

The trend towards localism is shifting the balance of power, but it is also shaping the expectations of local people. Individuals are being given an increasingly meaningful role in shaping their neighbourhoods and communities, as well as the services that they use. Community involvement is key to the Government’s plans to improve public services. Increased involvement not only improves services, but it also improves people’s perceptions of those services, helping to create better, sustainable relationships for the future.

National charities have a lot to learn from this approach. As a sector, we cannot afford to talk on behalf of the people we support. Instead, we should be creating platforms to give people the chance to talk for themselves. If we want our campaigns to retain any degree of legitimacy, this must be done on a meaningful level, and not just by wheeling out the usual suspects at conferences or for television interviews.

And where better to start this trend than at a local level? Many campaigning organisations have already recognised the power of local people and have started to harness it in the form of local campaigns networks. At Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD), for instance, disabled people are supported to create campaign groups to campaign on issues that effect them in their local communities every day. This is empowering people to make change happen for themselves and enabling real change to happen in areas that previously could not be reached.

We should not underestimate the importance of local issues, nor the impact that local people can have. With a shift of power from national to local government, national organisations may well be pushed to engage more with local people. But this should be seen as an opportunity, rather than a cost. By investing in local campaigning and local people, national organisations will be investing in a sustainable future for themselves.

Eleanor is a Local Campaigns Co-ordinator for Leonard Cheshire Disability, she is speaking in the ‘Going Local’ workshop at the Campaigns Conference

Tags: campaigning, general election, localism
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »