Reading and listening to Severn Suzuki's speech and thinking about the questions in our new English Persuasive Language resource got me thinking about how we persuade people to change their behaviour.
Severns speech is very emotive and impressive from a 12 year old but it left me just feeling a bit guilty and inadequate. Yes I know about all these problems (yes in 1992 not everyone did and also it was at the Rio Earth Summit so aimed at big decision makers) but HEr speech didn't really give me a sense of what I should do the change things. It gave me the impression that the whole system is against me and that as an individual I wouldn't make much difference. The problems come across as overwhelming (as indeed they are but feeling this doesn't help action).
I think that emphasising what people can do, the sum of small steps by everyone is a more powerful message. Yes people must be aware of the problems to want to act but once they are then we need a more empowering message.
I hope that this is what we are doing with our School sustainability programs, giving teachers and students the knowledge of what they can do as well as the hands on experience of how easy and enjoyable it can be too. If students and the wider community feel the personal benefits of their work (friendships, support, health etc) in their organic gardens, collaborative learning in the classroom, recycling and energy saving campaigns etc. and understand the cumulative positive environmental effect of doing this then hopefully that knowledge and action will spread out.
We'll see. What do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment