Using the Greenpeace Experience!

The environmental watchdog Greenpeace has an international reputation for its campaigning and direct actions. Now the Australian arm of Greenpeace is making available on the Internet the experience and knowledge of its seasoned campaigners for anyone who wants to organise a community group.

It’s a resource for beginners as well as long time organisers in the Not for Profit world. The site is easy to navigate and offers everything you need to know for setting up and managing your own social and environmental campaigns, with contributions from a range of social change activists.

The site is at www.greenpeace.org.au/getactive and it leaves nothing to chance. It provides information on everything needed to get started, volunteers, fundraising, planning non violent direct actions, problem solving, lobbying politicians and corporations, writing submissions, as well as working with the media, avoiding burnout and some great links to experts around the world.

Producer, Terri Calder and Web Manager Danielle Hickie created the ‘getactive’ site. They say it’s the first web site of its kind to combine all the tools needed for local groups to operate effectively. Almost five thousand people have visited the site since it started four months ago.

Greenpeace Campaign Manager, Benedict Southworth says there are thousands of community campaigns in Australia, and many people who want to be active and campaign on important environmental and social justice issues. The web site will directly help people to ‘get active’ on their own issues.

And it’s based on the Australian experience!