Climate Campaign Advocacy Director

World Friends for Africa Burkina Faso

Climate Advocacy Campaign 2022

1) What are the policy objectives of the campaign ? 

The policy objectives of the campaign is to highlight the stark reality of the climate crisis,nationally and internationally, with extreme climate change related impacts and catastrophic impacts on local communities. We are launching this massive advocacy campaign to raising public awareness about these challenges. Another campaign’s goal is to demonstrate that collective actions, nationally and internationally, will make a tremendous change against this climate change.

 Burkina Faso, our country of intervention, is a poor landlocked country hit hard by this recurring phenomenon of droughts and floods, bush fires, gas emission, shifting in rain patterns, rising temperatures. Climate change is a global issue impacting more the poorest world’s economy, agriculture, livestock, water, health, energy, housing and the environment. and calls for urging actions for climate justice. We must engage young people representing the majority of the populations, for more resilient actions and also the gender issue because more vulnerable by a significant fall in their sources of activities and incomes.

2) Which stakeholders are directly targeted by the campaign (please specify)? Is your organisation able to reach the mentioned targets? 

As part of this campaign, we are targeting a multi-stakeholder and decision-makers approach including the civil society, government representatives, businesses, scientists...Our advocacy campaign team is composed of the administration, the marketers and the volunteers to help spur the action. The volunteers represent an important part of the team. They will derive from the public, the university and other local organizations.

We can easily reach these targets. We are looking forward to involving our national public university with students in this campaign. We are currently in contact with policymakers, partner NGOs and we have an effective communication strategy involving our national media partners to disseminate this campaign locally and at the national level.

3) In the national or local context, what are the policy opportunities that would facilitate the implementation of such an advocacy campaign (1 page)? 

The government of Burkina Faso has early recognized the importance of developing and influencing local stakeholders for Climate engagement. Consequently,The government implemented a new National Adaptation Programme of Action on Climate Change (NAPA) influencing local stakeholders commitment to the climate issue.

Burkina Faso also ratified the UNFCCC and strives to achieve the climate variability as an instrument to sustainable development.

Another policy opportunity is the country's strategic opportunities programme (COSOP) which covers the period 2019-2024, aligned with the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy for the period 2018-2027, intended to guarantee fair access to a healthy balanced diet and contribute to poverty reduction, social peace and sustainable rural development.

As a whole, there is a policy opportunity for facilitating this climate advocacy campaign. With the rapid development of a freedom of press environment in Burkina Faso and with the effective communication plan developed in the past, involving national media stakeholders, private and public; and our effective collaboration in similar projects, has developed a professional collaboration which is cost-effective for the implementation of this new advocacy campaign.

4) If I were to start this campaign today, the strategy to achieve my objectives would include the following steps for its implementation.

With local communities, we can brainstorm to define current environmental issues they have noticed over years impacting negatively their lives and activities, and what they could suggest as solutions, as they used to tackle them.

We would use a projector display their findings and crosscheck with scientific facts (pictures, videos,...)

This session would involve the village chief, key advisers and civil society, youth, women organizations, farmers, local policymakers (Mayors, Councillor..)...

This session would be multiplied in rural and urban areas to make greater impacts.

We shall modify the advocacy methods as necessary in rural or urban areas, 

We would engage the Climate professionals from the University and Agricultural Extensionist to deliver their findings by example and demonstrations to the community in order to raise awareness on the Climate issue and the need for a comprehensive plan among key political decision-makers.

We develop different advocacy methods used (e.g. the media used, the network of contacts, communications vehicles, government relations).We can use ICT to broadcast to the press and online media, radio, television, Internet, websites, blogs... 

The media – radio, newspapers television, social media - press and online media are very important. They have a major role to play in public advocacy initiatives, especially campaign-based approaches.

 The media can bring a mass audience, potentially increasing profile and credibility, 

Monitoring and evaluation

Throughout the implementation phase, we monitor the process, the results and the policy context. Mechanisms are needed to track activities such as meetings and communications and to monitor results and modify the advocacy methods as necessary, and expand the network through community. 

We would afterwards, evaluate not only at the end of the planned timeframe but on a regular basis to adjustments to the strategy and plan of action.

Finally, we would set up a focus group to forward the mission of local Climate early warning device, whistle blowers with key stakeholders i.e community engagement, outreach and public engagement, leveraging the collaborative momentum created.

5) What activities do you plan to implement ? 

 Our current advocacy activities:

lobbying

 public education

capacity building

 Networking

Policy & research

Popular mobilisation

Engagement of key stakeholders

6) What are the expected results? 

- Environmentally friendly business activities

-Compliance with environmental laws and regulations

-Compliance with international standard

-Governance Environment Effectiveness and efficiency

-Human resources (management/Capacity building)

-Gas emission reduction (CO2) harmful substances /Chemicals

-effective use of resources (less waste) e.g water waste

-Biodiversity protection of species (endaspecies

7) Detailed budget for the campaign (in CFA francs and Euros) 

BUDGET /   ACTIVITY  / DESCRIPTION.        Campaign1: University  

Campaign 2: Rural community Women group

Awareness camp  /  Training Workshops   Exposure/Visits / Travel /Accommodation /Per diem/                                             

8) Do you think you have sufficient human resources, the necessary conditions and a favourable political context to deliver the deliverables by Dec2022? specify. 

Yes, we have quality human resources and the conditions are favourable for deliverables to be submitted on time.

We have a large network of partner organizations in Burkina Faso promoting community development locally. We have a group of volunteers with the possibility of extending to the national public partner university..

As a conclusion, we have important resources, with the necessary skills, knowledge and technology to perform this mission.

World Friends for Africa-Burkina Faso /VOLONTAIRES POUR LE CHANGEMENT