How To Work With Values In Campaigning

If you’d like to be part of the campaign action-learning process, please email Casper ter Kuile - caspertk@gmail.com.

What if we were told that some of our campaign tactics actually undermine the values that we depend on for creating positive social change?

What if we were missing a trick by not building on people’s inherent values of kindness, equality and freedom when we campaign?

In working with national and international issues, many of us have often appealed to financial costs and benefits – or to people’s desire for status or security – to help spur lasting social and environmental change. Yet cross-cultural psychological research on human values reveals that this may be doing untold damage to the causes we care about, by reinforcing the very values that underpin unhelpful attitudes, policies, behaviours and institutions.

We need a new approach: recognising the importance of values and frames; taking into account how the things we call for or do can help strengthen or weaken them; and making sure that, in doing so, we are all pulling together across different sectors. The need for trade-offs and compromises will remain – but we should make them in light of the bigger picture: an understanding of the values that will be essential to securing lasting change.

Common Cause is working with campaigners across the sector and across the country to build a more powerful, connected movement of citizens for sustainability and justice. If you’d like to be part of this conversation – welcome!

• Have a look at the Common Cause handbook

• Read up on the case studies

• Join our events – trainings, get-togethers, workshops

From February, we’re also working on an action-learning process for 20 campaigners to explore in-depth how they can bring in a values-approach into their everyday work. What implications would this have on how you have meetings with your team? How you fundraise? How you work with your activists?

We’ll work together over a period of 5 months, meeting 3-4 times, and sharing our learning every month. We’ll work hard – so this isn't a commitment made lightly. If you’re interested in finding out more, email me at caspertk@gmail.com.

So let’s start talking across our silos, to learn from one another. Nobody amongst us has the answer to everything - so if we want to make changes on a big scale, we’ll need to be willing to share.

Look forward to speaking with you soon,

Casper ter Kuile