Economic Justice – Climate Change

Oxfam are piloting a brand new style of campaigning in this new Lifestyles Project and we are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to make it happen.

Community Leader Role

As a Community Leader you will be hosting conversation spaces with the general public once a month, where users will be encouraged to sit and chat with you about their lifestyles. The following areas will define lifestyle: food, fashion, waste, travel, energy at home. These are the areas in which we believe we can influence how people can live more ethically, reducing their carbon emissions, and promoting the interests of people living in poverty whilst improving their own lives. 

For long-term change we need to influence the attitudes of the public so that they see ethical choices and lifestyles as the normal way to live. In order to do this we must engage with the audience in a way that captures their attention and makes them feel as though they are making positive choices for themselves, which also benefit the rest of the world – people and planet.

Our aim is to normalise ethical choices and lifestyles on a large scale and reach a new audience of people who have not yet engaged with Oxfam or ethical issues. We need to give them a space to converse with us about their lives in order to try and encourage attitudinal shift on ethical choices and behaviour.

Through your leadership, you will let the user initiate the conversation and ultimately try to guide them towards an ethical discussion, promoting ethical options that benefit them and people living in poverty at the same time.

Message

We need to convey the message: “A better life for you is a better life for all of us.”

Personal Profile

The person holding the conversation should have the following properties:

1.      Need to be approachable, friendly and outgoing.

2.      Willing to prioritise the user’s interest before directing the conversation towards ethical issues and Oxfam.

3.      Focussed on the interests of the individual/ user first to build trust.

4.      Interested by them and by having a two-way conversation.

5.      Familiar with common questions around (ethical) lifestyles and able to talk to people in a conversational way, avoiding giving directives.

6.      If the conversation does not contribute much to ethical issues, don’t stress. We’ll get there.

7.      Able and ready to organise monthly events.

8.      Able and ready to maximise networks, contacts and word of mouth to spread to word and encourage people to talk about their lives and ultimately flaunt their ethical credentials. 

9.      If possible, persons involved should be reasonably well-known and respected by/ in their community.

Commitment

The Community Leaders will work in small teams of two or three and will be responsible for organising a half-day conversational event once a month over a 9-month pilot period. This could manifest itself in an actual event or something similar to a lifestyle agony aunt/ uncle feature in a local newspaper. We will provide two days of training which will include ideas for the Community Leaders to develop appropriately to their community. Volunteers can select their own small teams or be placed with others who have shown interest in their local area. Individual project plans will be drawn up with Oxfam Scotland’ Climate Campaigner who will manage and provide support to the volunteers throughout the project.

Locations and Practicalities

Lifestyles action will take place in three area ‘zones’ in Scotland:

Edinburgh & Kirkcaldy

Glasgow & Paisley

Perth

Community Leaders will spend one day (approx. 4 hours) each month in their zone. Days and times are flexible and will be finalised as part of the individual project plans. You will also be provided with a manual of all you need to know about ethical lifestyles and Oxfam’s thoughts on each of the topics as well as a folder of lots of other resources.

Contacts  

If you would like more information about the campaign or think you are just the person to become a Community Leader and take part in this exciting project and gain some hugely valuable experience please get in touch with Sarah Watson at sawatson@oxfam.org.uk or 0141 285 8875 (direct).