{"id":503,"date":"2018-06-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-06-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/uncategorized\/503\/greenpeace-africa-launches-online-campaign-platform-to-strengthen-environmental-activism-in-africa\/"},"modified":"2019-11-06T08:22:34","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T08:22:34","slug":"greenpeace-africa-launches-online-campaign-platform-to-strengthen-environmental-activism-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/press\/503\/greenpeace-africa-launches-online-campaign-platform-to-strengthen-environmental-activism-in-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenpeace Africa launches online campaign platform to strengthen environmental activism in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"
Johannesburg, 5 June 2018 \u2013 Today, World Environment Day, Greenpeace Africa has launched VUMA. EARTH \u2013 an online campaign platform for ordinary citizens to run environmental petitions. The platform seeks to grow an environmental movement and give a voice to millions of Africans across the continent . The tool provides a space for Africans to start campaigns that address environmental issues affecting their local communities. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important for African people to stand up against the abuse of the environment because it is our heritage at stake. VUMA.EARTH is a tool to help facilitate this,\u201d said Angelo C Louw, Greenpeace Africa Digital Mobilisation Officer. <\/p>\n

VUMA.EARTH is a full-on campaign management tool that allows users to set up petitions, easily communicate with supporters and set up offline events. A particularly useful function of the platform, within the rural African context, is the ability to capture signatures offline for later use.To garner momentum for this platform, Greenpeace Africa is calling on supporters to get friends and networks to support any of the environmental causes on the platform which they believe in.<\/p>\n

By choosing a cause you care about, signing and sharing on social media and tagging friends, you will \u00a0demonstrate how simple it is to take action during this World Environment Day. Using the platform will also demonstrate \u00a0the potential of ordinary citizens\u2019 networks to affect change. Many people think it is hard to get involved in protecting the environment because they feel that they can only do that by showing up at protests and clean-ups. \u00a0While it would be amazing for people to commit to environmentalism at that level, taking a stand for the environment is as simple as signing and sharing an online petition.<\/p>\n

The call-to-action is simple:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. CHOOSE a cause you care about<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. SIGN and SHARE it on social media<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. TAG your friends \u201c added Louw<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Social media has made it very difficult for decision-makers to sweep urgent environmental matters under the carpet. VUMA.EARTH offers a platform to mobilise African people to stand up fo the environment.<\/p>\n

        Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

        VUMA.EARTH<\/a> was named to resonate across the African continent, as VUMA means \u201cto spread like wildfire\u201d in Swahili and \u201cto be in agreement\u201d in Southern African Nguni languages.
        \n        World Environment Day<\/a> takes place on 5 June. The theme this year is \u201cBeat Plastic Pollution\u201d. It is followed by World Ocean Day<\/a> on 8 June, which has the same theme. <\/p>\n

        There is currently a campaign urging local food retailers in Kenya and South Africa to abandon single-use plastic items running on the platform, called #BreakFreeFromPlastic<\/a>. It has been very successful in creating awareness of plastic pollution, and solutions, here in Africa.<\/p>\n

        Media Contacts:<\/strong><\/p>\n