Ngo Campaigns

For my speech I chose the WWF campaign “Saving the Arctic”. WWF is an international non-governmental organization which works in many countries around the world. The WWF campaign that I am going to discuss is concerned with the major ecological changes In the Arctic. These changes affect the life and survival of Arctic animals, endangering their natural habitat. I chose to discuss particularly this campaign because I think many people neglect the responsibilities of their actions and abuse the nature without considering how they threaten the environment and relationally the lives of many animals whose voice cannot be heart. Moreover, I think people have to realize their power to decrease the detrimental effects of global warming on the nature, in my case on Arctic. The climate of Arctic and the live of the animals there is important to be protected because what occurs there affects the whole planet. In order to decrease the global warming effects, WWF’s campaign urges people to consider their actions which impact negatively the environment and offers ways of doing so as reducing carbon emissions. People are also invited to involve in civic engagements as signing petitions. It is important for the people running the campaign that their messages reach the public and arouse the importance of protecting the natural environment. In order to actuate the public they rely heavily on advertisements, movies and inspiring texts. What really made me think twice were the creative advertisements conveying clear and influential message. The advertisements illustrate the suffering of polar bears which becomes a powerful persuasive tool. The work of researchers shows that the appeals of guilt in the advertisements consist of arousal of the emotion and a way to calm it (O’Keefe, 2002). In the advertisements of WWF we can see the both components. Firstly, the advertisements evoke the sense of guilt because people understand the indirect message that they are the originator of the animals’ suffering. Secondly, contain the following explicit messages after the emotions are already aroused calm people that they can change the situation and help these vulnerable animals. However, basing my opinion on comments I have read of people interested in the aims the campaign, there is a major problem. The problem is that some people do not take any activity because they do not believe that they are able to really change the situation. I suggest that those running the campaign should organize meetings and public the invitations online. Attending these meetings people will have chance to communicate with others interested in the campaign who share the same beliefs. This will evoke a sense of togetherness and urge people to act because they will feel supported and able to stop the abusing of nature.

Reference:
O’Keefe, D.J.(2002) Guilt as a mechanism of persuasion. In J.P.Dillard & M.Pfau (Eds.), The persuasion handbook: Developments in theory and practice (pp.329-344). Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage.