At the beginning of the year, we supported local groups of citizen advocates in structuring meetings to define practical goals for the coming year and commit to steps they’ll take to achieve those goals. More than a dozen groups reported details of their meetings, with pracitcal actions aimed at advancing their advocacy goals. Areas of focus included tree planting, food security, transitioning away from fossil fuels, climate awareness, policy advocacy and other activities.
One of the more ambitious plans came from Gloria Bulus in Nigeria’s Kaduna group, which set four goals — tree planting, climate change awareness, community engagement and policy advocacy.
Their tree planting campaign aims to add 10 million trees in the next four years to combat deforestation and improve air quality. They’ll start with a modest goal of planting 10,000 trees this year with several actions:
- Collaborate with local schools, community groups, and government agencies to organize tree planting events.
- Distribute tree saplings to households and educate residents on the benefits of afforestation.
- Monitor and maintain planted trees to ensure survival and growth.
To raise public awareness about climate change and sustainable practices, they plan to launch social media campaigns, product educational materials, conduct workshops and partner with local media outlets to feature climate change stories and interviews with experts.
With their community engagement goal, they plan to…
- Conduct surveys and focus group discussions to identify community needs and challenges.
- Collaborate with community leaders to co-create action plans tailored to local contexts.
- Provide resources and support for communities to implement their action plans.
On policy advocacy, they’ll focus on climate-friendly policies at local and state levels. Their work will include meetings and workshops with local legislators to discuss climate action and policy needs, drafting policy briefs and position papers to present to lawmakers, and mobilizing community members to participate in advocacy efforts, including petitions and public hearings.
We look forward to hearing from Gloria later this year on progress with their ambitious agenda.
Over in Soroti, Uganda, local policy advocates will work on restoration of degraded landscapes through promotion of an agroforestry food grain system. Ann Grace Akiteng tells us her group will work with tree farmers and participate in the Indiginous Tree Day 2025 (April 15) targeting 30 different species of indigenous trees to be planted. Her group will also partner with Agrihard suppliers to work with women and youth to collect and supply forest and agriculture waste as an alternative to fossil fuel.
In Assam, India, the world’s biggest democracy, Rituraj Phukan said his team will focus on organizing, advocacy and grassroots climate action. Organizing—holding regular meetings to share insights, plan together, and advance team goals—is essential for groups of stakeholders to turn their values and aspirations into consistent advocacy. To facilitate their goals, the Assam group will hold online and offline meetings, collaborate with other organizations and conduct a membership drive to bring in more volunteers.
In Kigali, Rwanda, Mahame Andrew reports that his group will focus on volunteer advocacy work in four areas:
- The chapter will engage with local organizations on community tree planting projects in public spaces, schools and long streets.
- They plan to launch a waste reduction and recycling program that will reduce plastic waste.
- They will promote the use of solar energy for households and businesses.
- And, they will organize workshops on climate change and locally applicable sustainable practices.
In Makurdi, Nigeria, Tine Agenor reports the group will focus on boosting membership and building capacity for more effective climate action. Among the ways they will achieve these goals are to offer training opportunities to volunteers, take actions to raise public awareness, hold advocacy meetings with ministries and agencies, and take steps to increase membership.
We will continue to add notes on Team Goals and Plans for 2025, as they are refined and activated.