The Regional Pacific NDC Hub recently conducted a feedback meeting with participants from the #SwipeUp4Change social media advocacy workshop, which was held from 12th to 15th March, 2024. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) represent a nation's climate goals, and increasing youth awareness of NDCs is crucial for addressing climate change. The workshop aimed at leveraging social media to amplify climate action and emphasized the importance of Pacific NDCs. This initiative responded to the youth demand for communication training, as highlighted during the Pacific Resilience Meeting (PRM) in 2023. It brought together social media content creators and climate advocates from across the Pacific Region to inspire youths to create digestible content and raise awareness about climate change and Pacific NDCs.
Participants in the workshop gained an understanding of effective climate communication strategies and learned how to engage and mobilize audiences on various social media platforms. The workshop also succeeded in increasing awareness of NDCs and highlighting the importance of climate action among a wider audience. Furthermore, the event facilitated the establishment of a Pacific youth network aimed at supporting continuous engagement with social media content creators and climate advocates to promote Pacific content related to climate change and Pacific NDCs.
Some of the highlights from the fruitful discussion and talanoa included participants sharing the biggest challenges they face, such as limited resources, reaching wider audiences, and creating impactful yet engaging content. There is a strong consensus on the need for more accessible tools, information, and training on creative content, along with support networks to help overcome these challenges. Mr. Henry Steele, a content creator and professional dancer, discussed innovative ways to integrate climate advocacy into his content, including choreographed pieces that use storytelling through dance and music to highlight traditional practices and environmental issues and solutions. We explored effective strategies to authentically incorporate local community and regional issues into content creation, emphasizing the power of storytelling and community engagement. These insights provided shared opportunities for ongoing engagement and collaboration.
Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting initiative!
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