001 - Raise Awareness

Geographic Knowledge and Understanding

The success of international civil society organisations in attempting to raise awareness about, and find solutions for, environmental and social risks associated with global interactions.

Concepts

International civil society organisations have the power to raise awareness about, and find solutions for, environmental and social risks associated with global interactions.

Aims

  • To have knowledge and understanding of the success of international civil society organizations in attempting to raise awareness about, and find solutions for, environmental and social risks associated with global interactions.

  • To have knowledge and understanding of Greenpeace as an environmental civil society organization action.

  • To have knowledge and understanding of Clean Clothes Campaign as a social civil society organization action.

Key Terminology

            • Green credentials

            • Resilience

            • Managed Retreat to Globalisation

            • Adaptation to Globalisation

            • Mitigation to Globalisation

Define the key term above by using the 'Useful Link' below:


Useful Link

Activity One - Detailed Example - Environment - GreenPeace

We have used GreenPeace a number of times as a civil society group and therefore it makes sense to use it again to investigate the syllabus point above. In this case we need to focus on what GreenPeace has done to raise the awareness of certain issues with the public and have they actually made a difference. This is going to be strongly linked to the increased use of social media and availability of mobile devices, along with increasing global interest in climate change issues. For each of GreenPeace's campaigns below you need to make notes on the following points:


                  • The issue

                  • How the issue was raised

                  • What solutions were suggested

                  • Evaluation - successes and failures

Activity Two - Detailed Example - Social - Clean Clothes Campaign

We are now going to look at how the Civil Society Group, Clean Clothes Campaign have tried to improve the working conditions for people in the garment industry. They were originally set up in 1989 to education and mobilise consumers and lobby governments to create a change to factory conditions. They are also seeking to raise women's rights and reduce poverty. They started locally to develop a range of networks and brought the issues of poor working conditions to the global arena. But how much do you think about the person who made your clothes? Make notes on the following points to create a detailed example:


                  • The issue

                  • How the issue was raised

                  • What solutions were suggested

                  • Evaluation - successes and failures

Clean Clothes Campaign and H&M

Activity Three - Detailed Example - Social - ActionAid

ActionAid is an international civil society organisation that works with 45 countries to reduce global poverty. They protested against the British supermarket Tesco and the unfair wages that they were given to the female fruit pickers in South Africa. While this is a slighted dated example from 2005 it ticks the gender equality box and therefore a SDG. Make notes on the following points to create a detailed example:


                  • The issue

                  • How the issue was raised

                  • What solutions were suggested

                  • Evaluation - successes and failures

Exam Style Question

"The more money available the louder the voice." Discuss this statement in terms of the actions of civil society organisations. [16 marks]

This lesson was development in collaboration with Richard Allaway from geographyalltheway. For more resources please visit www.geographyalltheway.com