I have been a member of Greenpeace since 1997, but it was only this year that I decided I would try and play a more active part in the organisation.
I noticed in a recent mailshot a call for volunteers to lobby MPs and that led to me to attend a training session for activists in October.
The Training Day was held in London for groups as far apart as Brighton (my home town) and Norwich.
We started off with a fun exercise where we had to find out facts about other people in the room and it was a great way to break the ice. Then after the introduction and excellent film about the history of Greenpeace, we split into different sessions, each focussing on particular skills.
Choice of sessions
There was a choice of 4 or 5 groups for each session period, each of which lasted about an hour. Leaders led each group and explained the basics, as well as allowing time for a detailed Q&A.
Sessions ranged from how to produce good video footage, to blogging, lobbying your MP, producing effective press releases and non-violent direct action sessions, which included useful knowledge such as knot-tying!
Part of a larger community
By the end of the day, I had certainly learned a whole number of new skills, as well as feeling that I was part of a larger community – no longer just someone who receives emails and newsletters.
New activists are always welcome, so please do contact your local group if you’d like to be more involved.
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