JUNE 2019 PACIFIC CLIMATE WARRIORS PARTICIPATORY COMMUNICATION STRATEGY Prepared by: Jeni Lee Participatory Development Communication : Assignment 2 Communication for Social Change University of Queensland PARTICIPATORY // JUNE 2019 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 0 2 CONTENTS 3. About Pacific Climate Warriors 3. Objectives 4. Stakeholders 5. Stakeholder analysis 7. Champions: Pacific Climate Warriors 8. 350 Pacific 9. Context: Climate Change 10. Context: Australian Fossil Fuel Industry 12. Context: Australian anti-coal movement 13. Background: Overview of previous campaigns 14. Newcastle Flotilla 16. #PrayForOurPacific 17. Australian tour 18. Exisiting Communication Strategy 19. Exisiting Website 20. Existing films 22. Storytelling for Social Change 23. Social Media 26. Analysis of communication functions: telling 29. Analysis of communication functions: sharing 33. The development cycle. 34. PCS Objectives 35. Participatory Communication Strategy Design Phase 1: diagnostic 37. Participatory Communication Strategy Design Phase 2: planning 39. Participatory Communication Strategy Design Phase 3: action 41. Participatory Communication Strategy Design Phase 4: change 44. Budget considerations 42. Conclusion PARTICIPATORY // JUNE 2019 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 0 3 ABOUT PACIFIC CLIMATE WARRIORS The Pacific Climate Warriors campaign globally for a transition to 100% renewable energy, bringing an end to the use of fossil fuels. This is what will be required to limit global warning to 1.5°C. As Australia is the number one exporter of coal, they target the voting public of Australia to put pressure on the Australian government to make radical changes, to 'kick the big polluters out of the climate talks' and support countries in the Pacific 'already facing irreversible loss and damage from climate change'. Their key message is: We are not drowning. We are fighting. OBJECTIVES This Participatory Communication Strategy aims to bring clarity to the current Pacific Climate Warriors communication campaign, empower Pacific island communities by providing a platform for their stories to be heard, provide further advocacy tools, enhance connection with stakeholders, and communicate a clear call to action. PARTICIPATORY // JUNE 2020 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 0 4 STAKEHOLDERS: Key & Primary Stakeholders 1. Pacific Climate Warriors & 350 Pacific 2. Fossil Fuel Industry 3. Australian mining workers 4. Australian Voting public Secondary Stakeholders 5. Global public (Supportive and non supportive) 6. Australian Youth 7. Australian Government 8. Affiliated Climate Justice groups (includes School strikers, Stop Adani, Greens, Greenpeace) 9. Global Climate Justice Movement 9. PDC team (intervention) External Stakeholders 10. Australian Media 11. Global Media PARTICIPATORY // JUNE 2020 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 0 5 STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS: Key Stakeholders: Power and Influence Pacific Island communities are on the frontlines of climate change and already suffer devastating effects. Pacific Island communities are advocating for change that will benefit their communities, but ultimately also to benefit future generations globally. This is reflective of Paolo Frieres' belief: 'The great humanistic and historical task of the oppressed is to liberate themselves and their oppressors as well' (Freire, 1970, p.18). Countries Involved: American Samoa Cook Islands Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru Niue Palau Samoa Solomon Islands Tokelau Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu PARTICIPATORY // JUNE 2020 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 0 6 STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS: Key Stakeholders: Power and Influence Implementing this participatory Communication Strategy with the ultimate Goal to achieve 100% renewable energy Mining Industry Australian Government Aust. voting public Australian media Global media Global Public Global climate justice movement Australian youth Pacific Island Pacific Climate communities Australian Warriors Power Mining workers Interest PARTICIPATORY // JUNE 2020 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 0 7 CHAMPIONS: A wealth of local knowledge, energy, insight, resources, talent and problem solving capabilities are held by members of the Pacific Climate Warriors living in the Pacific, as well as Pacific Climate Warriors living outside of the Pacific Islands. This group includes young activists, artists, students and academics. They are already actively campaigning on social media, creating communication tools and media assets. Strengthening the capacity of these local champions will be key to escalating the campaign. Photo: The Pacific Climate Warriors SPARTICIPATORY // JUNE 2020 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 0 8 350 PACIFIC, AUSTRALIA "350 Pacific is a youth-led grassroots network working with communities to fight climate change from the Pacific Islands" (350 Pacific n.d). The people involved in 350 Pacific and the Pacific Climate Warriors are the same. They currently operate under two different names and have two interconnected websites. The Pacific Climate Warriors were born out of 350 Pacific (Harm, M, personal communication, June 4, 2019). 350 Pacific works across 15 Pacific Island nations, highlighting the vulnerabilities of Pacific island countries to climate change. The organisation was born out of 350.org, a global organisation that was started in 2008 by Bill McKibben (350 Pacific n.d). The number 350 represents climate safety. Research shows the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere needs to be reduced from 400 parts per million to 350 ppm to reduce global warming to a safe level (350 Pacific. n.d.). PARTICIPATORY // JUNE 2020 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 0 9 CONTEXT:CLIMATE CHANGE Every morning, we wake up and the ocean is there, surrounding our island. But now the ocean, driven by climate change is creeping ever closer. Unless something changes, many of our Pacific Islands face losing everything to sea level rise. Pacific Climate Warriors Pacific island nations are some of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Many Islands are already suffering huge losses due to global greenhouse emissions. These impacts are compounded by the small size of the islands, remote locations and in many cases very low elevations. Impacts include: - Beach erosion due to rising seas and changing weather patterns. - Increased number and severity of storms. - Coral bleaching impacting diversity of sea life and food security. - Rising ocean levels causing floods during king tides. - Rising saltwater tables impacting deep rooted food crops (eg. coconut and taro) and entering fresh water supplies. - Drier climate conditions reducing limited water resources (Pacific Climate Warriors, n.d). PARTICIPATORY // JUNE 2020 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY CONTEXT:AUSTRALIAN 1 0 FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY Australia is a “carbon bomb” country – the biggest exporter of coal and liquid natural gas on Earth. While many of our closest neighbours are directly threatened by climate change, the federal government acts as a powerful advocate for the coal industry, ignoring the existential threats our Pacific neighbours face. Pacific Climate Warriors We are currently experiencing global average temperatures that are 1 degree celcius hotter than ever before. 80% of fossil fuel reserves need to stay in the ground for us to stay below 2°C* of warming. Australia has a major role to play in meeting this target, but the Australian government and mining industry have plans to significantly increase exports of coal and gas (350 Pacific, n.d.) It is often portrayed in the Australian press that there will be significant job losses if proposed coal mines in the Galilee basin don't go ahead. The number of jobs that would be affected by stopping the mines is not as large as the mining companies claim however and federal and state government subsidies for the mining industry are huge (350 Pacific, n.d). PARTICIPATORY // JUNE 2020 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 1 1 CONTEXT:AUSTRALIAN FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY Targeting the mining worker demographic could prove beneficial in this communication campaign. One suggestion is to advocate for training programs and ways to assist workers to transition from the mining industry to sustainable industries. Another possibility is for Climate Warriors to share stories with mining families and search for common ground. Transitioning from coal to renewables needs to be managed and prepared for, but the potential is there. Climate Works report, that Australia could go to zero net emissions by 2050, without compromising prosperity and with new economic opportunities if the world goes low carbon' (cited in the Conversation, 2104). Climate Works Australia, 2014 PARTICIPATORY // JUNE 2020 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AUSTRALIAN ANTI-COAL 1 2 MOVEMENT The Pacific Climate Warriors are part of a well resourced Australian anti- coal movement as well as the global Climate Justice movement. The Australian anti-coal movement aims to 'build a nation-wide coal campaign that functions like an orchestra, with a large number of different voices combining together into a powerful symphony' and thus is formed of 'multiple projects that contribute to one another and overlap' (Burton et.al 2011, p.1). The Australian anti-coal strategy is to, ‘disrupt and delay key projects and infrastructure while gradually eroding public and political support for the industry' (Burton et.al, 2011, p.3). The Pacific Climate Warriors play their part in this web of organisations that have come together under a common goal. Each organisation brings their own angle and expertise to the movement. The Pacific Climate Warriors focus on stortelling and sharing personal