The Democracy Works Foundation (DWF) team is pleased to announce hosting The Climate Change Champions Communications & Negotiations Workshop from 1^st to 3^rd November 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is part of the Foundation’s commitment to supporting good climate change governance and enhancing participation from Civil Society Organisations in climate change-related municipal and private sector decision-making processes.

The workshop is the second cross-provincial knowledge co-creation initiative, following The National Climate Change workshop series that took place from the 24^th to the 26^th of May 2022. The latest three days of engagement will broadly cover two interrelated themes: Strategic communication & Negotiations and The Role of Partnerships between Local Government and Civil Society in the “Just Transition”.

Based on feedback since the first engagement, DWF has crafted the programme with the following outcomes in mind:

1. Refresh learnings on climate change, climate change literacy and ecological justice
2. Gain a deeper understanding of engagements since the first workshop
3. Develop Media & Communication as well as Negotiations & Advocacy strategies directed at local government, private sector, media and communities
4. Understand the overarching policy directive of the “Just Transition”, in which climate change responses and development initiatives are inextricably related.
5. Identify opportunities to plug strategies in government decision-making processes
6. Co-design follow-up and support processes with the mentoring and coaching team
7. Explore and establish networks around common interests

A team of experts has been established to deliver an interactive and participatory programme. We have partnered with RIA Digital Media, a South African digital, media & film company which supports public figures, campaigns, and institutions through advisory services. The RIA team will guide participants in developing tailor-made communications and negotiation strategies. Rehad Desai, an independent, award-winning filmmaker who recently completed “Temperature Rising”, will host the Climate Change Champions Movie Evening for an invite-only preview of his unreleased documentary followed by a Question and Answer Session.

Sysman Motloung and Dr Frank G. Lekaba are seasoned coaches with extensive experience supporting civil society actors and organisations in their advocacy journeys. With this team, participants will have an opportunity to co-design the mentoring and coaching process requested throughout the feedback sessions. Michael Gerard, climate finance, investment strategy and sustainable development expert, will share insights into the “Just Transition” policy directive. His engagement will help deepen the understanding of the roles of civil society and local government in ensuring that development and climate change responses go hand in hand.

We also look forward to hearing from our project partners about what they have done since the last workshop and co-design strategies that can assist them with the invaluable work they already provide in their communities.

To align further our value of sustainability and digitisation, we will be limiting the printing of documents during the workshop.

About The Fostering Inclusive Growth Through Climate Change Champions Project

The Fostering Inclusive Growth Through Climate Change Champions, known as the  “Climate for Growth project”, aims to empower communities to effectively identify and respond to how climate change impacts development priorities within communities and integrate the community’s development priorities into local government planning and resource allocation. The project is co-funded by the European Union and runs from March 2021 until February 2024 in the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces of South Africa.

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