CARIMAC/OECS produce first-ever toolkit for environmental advocacy in the Caribbean

CARIMAC and the Environmental Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have produced a brand new toolkit to help OECS environmental officers and other advocates become more active and effective in their relationship with the media and use of various communication tools. This 110-page guide is designed for environmental officers with planning functions but it will prove useful to persons involved in general advocacy communication.
The inspiration for the toolkit came from the need to address environmental peculiarities in OECS islands which are linked to leveraging sustainable development in the islands. “The contents of the kit are based on the need for the people of the region to understand and appreciate the importance to their own lives of a clean and healthy environment, and to encourage them to act responsibly in the protection of their environment and the sustainable development of their communities,” reads the toolkit’s Introduction.
The toolkit is divided into eight chapters covering:
Chapter 2: the parameters for advocacy communication; media advocacy and campaign development
Chapter 3: the intricacies of planning a communication strategy
Chapter 4: six case studies of communication plans from islands within the OECS
Chapter 5: hints on how to use media efficiently in the communication plan
Chapter 6: strategies for addressing communication issues with colleagues
Chapter 7: opportunities for using the techniques, suggestions and guidelines outlined in the toolkit
Chapter 8: evaluation criteria for the toolkit. This chapter is also available on CD.
A set of appendices which include a directory of OECS media contacts is also provided.
Toolkit for Communication Planning is a joint publication of CARIMAC and the OECS and is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency through its Environment and Capacity Development Project (ENCAPD).