I attended a workshop this morning about trying to get climate change issues into NGOs who don't purely focus on environmental issues. The workshop was targeted more for those working within the NGOs and focused on both what problems they have faced, and also ways around those problems. I have compiled a list of their suggestions below:
Problems:
-People didn't respond to direct messaging, they don't change lifestyle or acknowledge how they are influencing the environment.
-Some organisations that are apolitical and find events or causes that have a political stance scary. Specifically for COP, some organisations are not even sure if they should be at COP as observers
-Getting environmental issues into already existing strategies and programmes is hard.
-Hard showing link to other issues
-There are challenges with capacity to integrate the ideas. With everyone focused on what they are doing within the organization, trying to find ways of integrating it into what they are already doing can be challenging eg time, capacity, money, interest.
-Hard to phrase Global responsibility in a way that the organization wants to include it in its mandate.
-Excuse of not being an nature or environmental organization.
-The organisation doesn't feel like they have the expertise to talk about the issue or get involved in it.
-The people involved, or the people the organisation targets, does not care about the environment or it is not a major issue in their mind.
Solutions:
-Meeting people, making connections.
-Making links between organization culture and how that is tied to climate change issues
-If they don't feel like they have the needed expertise then they can team up with an organisation that does eg Scouts and Greenpeace.
-Find groups in your region that you can team up with to do joint programmes with.
-Rather than preaching, create the space for conversations.
-A good example is carbon conversations. This gets groups of people together to discuss challenges involves with reducing their carbon impact.
-Practice what we teach and think strategically. We have to watch what our carbon footprint looks like and those of our family and community.
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