Themes » Awareness Raising » Selecting a cause

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama (Former President of the United States of America)

Once you have made an overview of the local issues in your community, then you can choose the problem you want to address. But how do you select a cause, if there are many causes to choose from? And how do you know what you would really want to change in your community?

  • Select the cause that YOU find most important. There are different reasons why you can find a cause or issue important; because you or someone close to you experienced it personally, because it touches you emotionally, because you think no one else will do something about it… If you select a cause that you find important, then it will also motivate you more to really try and make a change!

  • Select the cause that people around you identified as important. Sometimes it might be difficult to decide on these important things on your own, or you might be afraid to prioritize issues of other people. Don’t worry, you can select a cause to work on by consulting friends or experts. If you are selecting a cause with your organization, you can discuss all the issues first, and then vote on the most pressing issue.

  • You can also decide on a cause which is already high on the political agenda, for example gender equality. This might make it easier to find allies and people to support your cause!



You practice!

1. Write your name in the center of a blank page and draw 4 circles around your name (the first circle is only around your name, the second is a bit bigger and the ones after that are bigger as well).

2. Write or draw the things you care about or are involved with around your name. The most important things go in the small field close to you. The least important go in the furthest field.

Some examples: friends, environment, arts, freedom, equality, animals, education, family, health, sports etc.

3. Go through the words in the closest circle. Try to answer these questions: - How can these things be changed for the better? - Where can you have the most impact with a campaign?