The Climate Rangers pursued the ambitious goal of bringing the climate crisis to the forefront of political discourse in Indonesia. Through a multifaceted approach blending advocacy and campaigning, they achieved notable success in persuading presidential candidates and mobilizing communities. This included short films, social media campaigning, educational sessions from primary schools to universities, and public discussions with open invitations to presidential candidate campaign teams. Building a coalition has been an important part of the Ranger’s success, as communities and NGOs often work in silos and are not collectively organized. They were the only coalition of organizations that voiced and demanded clear commitment for the climate.
By embodying the tips and lessons below, young campaigners can potentially boost community mobilization and meaningful change on critical issues including climate action.
Strategic campaign phases
1. Purpose formulation is crucial from the start: Climate Rangers meticulously defined their objectives and strategic outcomes, laying the groundwork for their campaign.
2. Collaborative partnerships enhance impact: by collaborating with like-minded organizations, Climate Rangers amplified their impact, producing policy papers, community development plans, and implementing renewable energy projects. To find out who to collaborate with, a Power Map can help.
3. Creative activism gets attention: street protests, imaginative campaigns, and public discussions, including pseudo-presidential candidates, galvanized attention and support.
4. Reach out to those who are affected to grow the movement: while primarily targeting Jakarta, Climate Rangers recognized the importance of including rural communities affected by the climate crisis, leveraging their knowledge and perspectives.
Factors influencing campaign success
1. Strong mobilization: Climate Rangers’ robust mobilization efforts garnered attention and support from presidential campaign teams.
2. Digital innovation: leveraging digital platforms effectively expanded Climate Rangers’ reach and influence.
3. Creative actions: imaginative campaigns and events, such as sporting events with masks, captured public interest and generated momentum.
4. Engagement with political teams: direct engagement with political campaign teams, including public discussions, enhanced Climate Rangers’ credibility and influence.
Key success factors for movement building
- Strong core team: a cohesive and focused core team provided direction and stability amidst a fluid community. Build teams with values of trust and friendship to mobilize people and create a sense of belonging, so that everyone can take ownership and organize themselves on their own and further build community with others.
- Community growth: organic growth through personal networks facilitated broader community involvement and sustainability. Engage your own friends and ask others to engage their friends and their friends and so on. Use digital to engage your own communities, but also spend time with them and build relationships.
Tips for organizing a community/movement:
1. Openness to innovation: embrace diverse ideas and methods from community members to foster creativity and ownership.
2. Resilience to disappointment: understand that varying levels of participation are natural, and setbacks are opportunities for growth.
3. Accessible narrative: communicate the movement’s message in a clear and relatable manner for broader engagement.
4. Embrace failure as learning: view setbacks as stepping stones and learn from them for future endeavors.
5. Catalyze inspiration: recognize that successful movements inspire others, indicating broader societal impact.
6. Youth involvement: empower and involve younger team members for fresh perspectives and sustainable leadership.