Paris Watch - Youth Training
Past Event
2024-07-08
1/4 Climate Advocacy Journey
1/4 Climate Advocacy Journey
It's been three months since the 5th Climate Advocacy Training for Youth (CATY) Programme began. In the 4th to 6th sessions, the Climate Advocacy Skills series, the participants have received comprehensive and rigorous training in research skills, traditional media, and social media usage, to learn how to effectively tell their climate advocacy stories using data and evidence.
Community-rooted research and impactful advocacy
The first session of the Climate Advocacy Skills series was "Utilizing Data and Research for Effective Advocacy Campaigns". To launch a community climate advocacy initiative, one must first gain an in-depth understanding of the issues of concern. Kim Ching Chan from the Liber Research Community shared the soft and hard skills of community-based research in his session "Independent Research 101: Evidence-Based Research for Advocacy". In addition to practical skills like data organisation and presentation, he also emphasised the importance of mindset and awareness. Kim Ching also provided valuable feedback on the participants' own community climate advocacy plans.
We also invited Kristy from the Shek Lei Communities to share the "Beginning and End of Shek Lei Hang Village" advocacy campaign. Kristy shared how to use advocacy actions to ensure the stories of one's own community can be passed on. She not only had a thorough understanding of the historical background and the development of the Shek Lei redevelopment issue, but also redefined "successful advocacy" as: connecting people, retaining the vibrancy of Shek Lei Hang Village, and documenting history.
Mainstream and traditional: Media advocacy application
Building on the previous lesson, after finding good data, the next step is to identify effective communication channels to effectively convey our advocacy messages to the public and target audience. In this "Media and Communication" session, we invited Ms Lai Hiu Wah (Kylie), Senior Programme Officer of the CarbonCare InnoLab, and Ms Siaw Hew Wah (Siaw), independent journalist and founder of Hillmankind, to introduce the use of social media and traditional news media respectively.
In this era of thriving social media, Kylie helped us understand its influence and importance, while emphasising the need to think about the content and accuracy of the messages conveyed on social media platforms. Siew then shared how, as a journalist, she uses data, research, and interviews to make her articles more persuasive and engaging. She also shared her own news features, such as the interview with the island nation of Tuvalu and the illegal handling of electronic waste in the New Territories, for the participants to learn from. Finally, each group also drafted a media pitch for their own community climate advocacy plan, with Siew providing feedback.
Captivating Climate Advocacy: Mastering the Art of Impactful Storytelling
From the previous two sessions, participants learned how to use "Words", "Data", and "Visuals" for advocacy. In the final instalment of the Climate Advocacy Skills series, we focused on how to tell your climate story. We were thrilled to welcome two dynamic speakers who shared their expertise in crafting and promoting powerful climate narratives.
First, Priscilla Lin, the inspiring co-founder of The Shared Meal and Solmunity, guided us through the art of directly expressing one's climate views to the public and key stakeholders. Drawing from her own impactful advocacy work, Priscilla revealed the transformative power of personal storytelling in driving climate action.
Next, Iverson Har, the Senior Associate from Jervois One, shed light on an innovative advocacy approach. As a seasoned journalist and researcher, Iverson unpacked the "Golden Rules of Communication" - a framework to strategically plan and promote community-driven climate initiatives. His insights empowered our participants to amplify their climate voices.
The session was a testament to the diverse expertise within our community. We are deeply grateful to all our speakers - researchers, media professionals, and passionate advocates - for generously sharing their knowledge and inspiring the next generation of climate leaders.
At CATY, we recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all recipe for successful climate advocacy. However, by cultivating a network of change-makers from varied backgrounds, we aim to harness the latent power within Hong Kong society and catalyse impactful climate action. This is just the beginning of our journey to create a greener, more sustainable future.