Gradually the group is coming to consensus as to what D&P needs to focus on in the next five years:
- Approaching foundations that could possible support us
- Working with solidarity visitors using social media to create better awareness
- Create tools for parishioners and clergy
- Place accent on diversification of financial resources (this came up several times)
- Work to make our message clear and easy to understand, make ourselves known; adapting our message to different audiences
- To have a clear and concrete identity
- Making alliances with social justice groups
- Enter more into social media
- Mobilizing and recruiting members
- Have a dynamic approach to reaching youth
Posts
I think that we need to also decide how we will use social media. I think that it is important to equipe members to be able to use a variety of forms of media, but we see how wonderful it is to have national support to organize something like this. I think that if we are to grow in this area it is important to include education and encourage members.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with this comment. Members are doing a great job with social media right now - Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Ning - what we really need is more support from the organization to help these sites flourish!
ReplyDeletePaul
The list is looking good! My comment concerns solidarity visits. They give participants such an awareness of issues, a passion for continuing the work of D&P, and profoudly build relationships with our partners. The new media should also be used for ALL SOLIDARITY VISITS. At least one person on EACH trip - either a participating member, the organizing animator, a D&P staff person, etc. - should come equiped with a video camera. If technology is available through the partners, blogging could take place during the trip, but definitely a goal should be to put together a short documentary/report of the exposure tour, that could be put on YOUTUBE. I don't mean a boring play by play report of 'we went here, did that'; rather a formulated 10 minute report to help members at home understand what that partner is doing and how D&P is contributing. A who/what/where/when/why short news story format would do, with of course, a video thank you from the partners as the finale!
ReplyDeleteAbout equiping members to use social media... Perhaps a start could be to challenge all members to make the D&P website their homepage, and check it out once per week, including having a look at what is new on YOUTUBE....what a great way to get to know our partners. Perhaps each DC should be challenged to incorporate one hour of training on social media into their fall and share lent workshops. Each provincial and regional gatherings should definitely have a workshop at each meeting. Perhaps each DC exec should have one delegate to be the social media contact for that DC...a great way to invite youth to your DC into a role that is meaninful to them.
ReplyDeleteAnother comment...this time about 'dynamic approach to reaching youth'... Here is an action that is both practical and I believe would be effective. For those of you in Ontario, you have Catholic schools and every Catholic school has Chaplains. Some take their students to the developing world for exposure or work trips. Find out if high schools in your dioceses have such trips. Perhaps you could offer to be a chaperone - or not! Many of the trips teach the students, through experience and immersion, what the issues are in the Global South. Many students return with a huge love for their brothers and sisters in the south, and a desire to make a difference, though they are often overwhelmed and don't know how or where to start. Because these trips are usually for senior students, their Chaplain loses touch with them as soon as they graduate. Here's where you come in...D&P is a way they can make a difference. My suggestion is to offer to meet with them after their trip, and explain the work of D&P. If a presentation could be developed for this purpose, I am certain it would be successful in recruiting effective and energetic members to your DC....YES - YOUTH ON YOUR DC EXEC - IMAGINE! Now the presentation can't be dry, can't focus on how many meetings they have to attend, etc. but should show what D&P is doing. It would be good if you could focus on partners D&P is working with in the country the students visited. I firmly believe every student who attends the good exposure tours through their schools, are potential D&P members, and/or DC members, or even exec members.
ReplyDeleteI have experienced that reality here in Thunder Bay. The key is your meeting them, inviting them, MENTORING them, and then giving them meaningful roles. Eg. MP visits in our diocese were done by 3 youth (1 university and 2 high school), no adults. But they are actively involved in D&P and they know the issues just as well as our adults.
Debbie
Great points, Debbie. We were fortunate to have Paul McGuire do a presentation on D&P and social media at the Ottawa English DC AGM last week. We were also fortunate to have Kaitlyn on our DC last year; we just hope we can keep her!
ReplyDeleteThese are all great points. We have a youth for the first time on our DC, after extensive work in our high schools over the last two years.
ReplyDeleteFrank St Catharines