I was first attracted to Greenpeace because they actually did stuff. Strong beliefs and inactivity can make strange bedfellows, often resulting in apathy, cynicism or hopelessness, but last year I feel I made a difference. I was able to play a small part in making a small change. Making that change involved a lot of hard work, plenty of fun and the chance to celebrate some successes along the way. This is the brief story of Northants Greenpeace in 2010…….
Edukation Edukation Edukation
Thanks to resources provided by Greenpeace UK and its volunteers, we were given training on street campaigns which did seem to involve using role plays as a poor excuse for a lot of dressing up and talking in strange voices. I was also lucky enough to be trained in political lobbying and then, presumably because I passed the O level, I was able to advance to the next stage which was training to train political lobbyists. Beyond the invaluable training, these sessions proved that Greenpeace activists really are non-violent as our attempts to role play angry MPs or irate constituents failed miserably.
Out On the Streets Again
We ran street campaigns against the renewal of the Cold War era Trident nuclear weapons system and against Nestlé’s use of unsustainable palm oil in its products, specifically Kit Kats. A couple of us visited BP garages as part of the Go Beyond Oil campaign, getting a variety of responses and learning that some of them are franchised and have staff with no link to the nasty oil giant. The things which stick in my mind are the people we met and, being a traditional Englishman, the types of weather we ‘enjoyed’. We encountered the best and worst of both.
There was one day when I peeked out from the slit of my parka hood to see Northampton’s main shopping street totally devoid of human life (just a couple of estate agents). People had obviously opened their curtains that morning and decided, ‘sod that, I’m not going shopping, let alone street campaigning’. Seemingly only a couple of weeks later, I was in t-shirts and shorts, and sweating inside a full head gorilla mask (to show that Kit Kat could be a Killer for orang-utans).
On the street, the people split very roughly into three categories. The majority pass by in a hurry to shop or be elsewhere, more often than not avoiding eye contact. Then there are the thankfully smaller number who want to shout abuse or argue the finer points of a particular campaign for hours on end before announcing that God will sort it all out. Finally, there are those kindred spirits or inquisitive types who stop to learn, lend their support or offer words of encouragement. Some of these people then load themselves with guilt (“I really should be doing more”) but, in truth, we’re just pleased to see them.
Sometimes a comment stops you in your tracks because it comes from the land of the surreal as if the speaker has stepped straight out of a Monty Python sketch. I was speaking to a guy who was in town, visiting from a neighbouring county, and we were discussing nuclear weapons. After failing to find any common ground, he left with this parting shot which, for once in my life, left me totally speechless. “Anyway, nuclear weapons don’t worry me because I don’t live round here.”
Out in the Community Again
We set up our trusty trestle tables and gazebo – or simply gave out literature - at a variety of events around the county, including Northampton’s first Vegan Fair, the Umbrella Fair (an ‘umbrella’ event for various green groups, not a celebration of precipitation protection), the Daventry Community Fair (complete with performing dogs who showed no interest in our campaigns) and the Bardic Picnic. Throughout these appearances and our street campaigning, our trusty tabards helped keep pieces of paper and coins safe and kept us from pride in our appearance…..
Social Mayhem
Between campaigns and the monthly planning meetings, we held a music night, a couple of film and cake nights (with Gill’s famously delicious vegan cakes) and a birthday celebration where we all ended up dancing on our chairs. Finally, a fantastic Christmas Dinner was the perfect way to round off and celebrate a year in which Greenpeace had enjoyed considerable success in which we had played our small part.
Success!
In May, in response to much pressure including the Airplot campaign, the new government confirmed that it would not only scrap the third runway at Heathrow, but also refuse additional runways at Gatwick and Stansted.
In the same month, Nestlé agreed to stop using palm oil and other ingredients from suppliers that destroy the rainforest home of the last remaining orangutans in products like Kit Kat.
In July, after receiving nearly 10,000 emails, HSBC sold its shares in Sinar Mas, one of the worst companies responsible for ripping up the Indonesian rainforest for palm oil and pulp plantations.
A young woman who recently joined the charity where I work commented that it was good to see that there were still people who believed that they could make a difference. Greenpeace is certainly making a difference and we are pleased to play our small part.
So into 2011, when we’re looking forward to more hard work, loads more laughs, more successes, the birth of a new mini-activist (“if you can’t recruit them, breed them!”) and, of course, sun, rain, snow, sleet and people who “aren’t from round here”. Bring it on! Now where is the nearest Tesco?
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