Activism Guide 5
n
i
a
g
o
t
How
.
t
r
o
p
p
u
s
c
i
l
b
u
p
5
Stalls
Exhibitions
Running a stall is a basic but effective way of getting issues
out into your community, and giving people the chance to
get involved. It’s the bread and butter of many of our local
campaign groups.
These are a good way to present information without needing
group members to be there all the time. However, this doesn’t
mean it needs less preparation than other promotion activities;
in fact, getting an exhibition ready can require even more
planning, preparation of materials and design skills.
Stalls are a good way of talking face-to-face with members
of the public, and of introducing new people to development
issues. You can use stalls for distributing action cards or
signing a petition, as well as merely giving out information.
Whatever you are campaigning about, it is important to
consider how you will offer people the chance to get more
involved. While most people will be content to hear the basic
outline of the campaign and perhaps take a simple, one-off
action, a few will be more interested, perhaps in getting active
locally. A stall is probably the easiest campaigning activity
to plan, requiring the minimum of resources (usually just
campaigns materials from Oxfam, plus a table and helpers).
Think about:
• The venue: a town centre, or a stall at a local event or festival.
• Consider whether the people who come are likely to support the
campaign, particularly if you are going to have to pay for a venue
• Find out whether you need to obtain permission to site your stall
at your chosen location – the council or landowner usually. A stall
outside an Oxfam shop can be a good option, especially if the
shop staff are keen campaigners.
• Whilst you need to attract ‘punters’, too busy a location can be
problematic. Make sure you don’t create an obstruction, and if
the police move you on, obey their instructions.
• Think hard about the display you’ll use to attract people to the
stall. You only have a very few seconds to get the attention of
passers-by.
• Be prepared to answer more general questions about the issues
or Oxfam’s work – not everyone will be interested in hearing
details of the campaign, but they might well be interested in
related matters. Don’t be afraid to refer people to the website if
you don’t know the answer.
• You need at least two people on a stall at any one time. If you
have enough support, dividing the day into two-hour shifts limits
the time commitment people need to give.
•If you plan to sell things from the stall, the council may have
stricter regulations you’ll need to comply with.
Oxfam can provide detail on our current campaigns, and
there is a lot of information available about our international
programme at www.oxfam.org.uk. Otherwise, your staff
contact can help you find the best place to start. There are
sometimes pre-prepared display materials which can be lent
out, but mostly you would need to prepare your own displays.
Public meetings
Public meetings provide an open-access forum to air your
campaign’s messages. As well as reaching the people who
attend, public meetings offer a great way of generating media
attention. They are also an opportunity to gather supporters in
a single place to create a sense of momentum and common
cause. Some public meetings can be charged with excitement
and emotion, spurring your supporters and volunteers to
greater efforts, and winning doubters over to your side.
Venue and speakers
Choose a venue which is big enough, has disabled access,
and is central and well known. Decide how many speakers
you want, what they should talk about, and for how long. Make
sure they have been told well in advance what is required of
them, your campaign’s goals, and what the other speakers are
going to say.
Publicity
Mail/email all your members and contacts well in advance with
the date, time, venue, and names of speakers. Make sure you
advertise the meeting to the public, alliances, and other local
organisations well in advance in order to ensure a good turn
out. The listings section in your local newspaper is a good option.
Chairing
The Chair of the meeting is in charge of the way it will be run.
Choose someone with experience and authority. The Chair’s
job is to ensure the meeting starts and finishes on time, to
make sure the speakers keep to time, and to invite questions
from the floor.
Insurance
How I gained public support in my
community
In the run up to the Copenhagen summit 2009 activists
took local campaigning to another level. Here’s an email
from Freya Tringham, an activist who went out to the
Copenhagen Climate Conference during her local
campaign:
Oxfam has public liability insurance that covers all group
activities. You may be asked for a copy of this by event
organisers or by the council. Your staff contact will be able
to provide you with the latest version. You may also have to
complete a risk assessment for events; ask the organiser for
a template if they don’t provide you with one, this will make it
easier to complete.
“Campaigning has been going really well! I’ve been
round all the guide/brownie/youth groups etc, doing
climate change quizzes and making posters. At the
end of next week I’m going to put up all of the posters
on this fence where people advertise (I’ve got about
50) with a big sign saying something along the lines
of: ‘Your children are worried about climate change,
shouldn’t you be too?’ plus lots of bits and pieces about
Copenhagen and what people can do.
Working with young people
“I found out Hampton has it’s own eco group (which
consists of three retired ladies and the vicar!) and we
joined forces to put on a screening of The Age of Stupid
a couple of weeks ago. We had about 60 people and
lots of discussion. I’ve also done lots of leafleting and
had a stand at the Christmas Parade, car boot sales
and fireworks night.
Making a presentation or speech
If your event is likely to attract families and people under the
age of 18, or if you would like to work with local schools or
youth groups, please contact your local Oxfam office. We have
specialist Youth and Schools Campaigners who can advise
on suitable activities and data protection for that age group.
Please do not work with young people without informing us as
there are strict child protection guidelines.
Just present in a way that makes you feel comfortable. Be
passionate about your subject – if you’re passionate your
audience will get fired up. Every speaker develops his or her
own style, but here are some tips to help you communicate
with your audience more effectively:
“Last week I had a meeting with my MP Vince Cable,
which wasn’t exactly lobbying as he pretty much agreed
with everything I was saying but he agreed again to
raise the issue of raiding existing aid budgets and
pretending it’s new money with Simon Hughes. He’s
also writing an opinion piece in the local paper.
• Introduce yourself and say what you intend to talk about.
“I had a collection at the train station where I managed to
convince the station manager that climate change isn’t
a government conspiracy. I’ve also been running a mini
advertising campaign. I borrowed the Tck Tck Tck idea
from Oxfam. So on one pavement slab it says Tck, then
you walk a bit and it says Tck again, and this carries on all
the way to the station where I wrote ‘BOOM’ in big letters,
and then: ‘Copenhagen 2009: If we don’t act now it’ll be
too late’, with some posters up around the station too. That
definitely got people talking as I did it in the middle of the
night and no-one seems to know who it was.
• Relax – take deep breaths or even yawn before going on
stage.
“Next week I’ve got a class of 30 7-11 year-olds for an
entire morning, as my local primary school has eco
ambassadors – 2 kids from each class who have taken
environmental pledges. So I’m holding a mock UN
conference with some pretty special props i.e. a snorkel
for the Maldives. Then I’m also planning a quiz, some
more poster-making and lots of discussion (hopefully!).”
• Take a few moments to look at all the audience before you
start speaking.
• In smaller groups, make eye-contact with everybody. In large
groups, slowly scan the room. Also smile.
• Do something to grab your audience’s attention at the start.
Experienced speakers will often use jokes, anecdotes,
analogies or questions.
• Avoid jargon, clichés, technical language and confusing
figures or statistics.
• The pause can be very powerful. Pausing helps to highlight
a point and gain attention. Pause regularly throughout your
presentation.
• Emphasise key words or phrases with your voice.
• Avoid repeating words (eg, “OK”, “you know”, “isn’t it”)
constantly.
• If you can, try not to use notes. If you have to use them, keep
to a few short prompts, rather than writing down every word.
• Be prepared for questions and be honest. Don’t try to bluff if
you don’t know the answer – you can’t know everything.