Hosting a Planet A Action Hour is a great way to bring people together who you know – or suspect – care deeply about climate change.
Think about people you’ve had conversations with, or who have engaged with content you’ve shared on social media. Make a list of people you’d like to approach, then contact them individually to ask if they would:
You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by people’s responses! We know the vast majority of people in Australia want better climate action, but many don’t know how what to do about it – so an invitation from someone they trust is a great way to get involved.
Sample message to invite others: Hi <name>, hope you are well. Have you heard about the new ABC program ‘Fight for Planet A’? It’s about climate change, and I’m hoping to get a few people together after watching the first episode to debrief and take action together. I’ve got some resources from the Australian Conservation Foundation that can guide us in making a difference on these issues. Would you be interested in watching the show, then coming along to my ‘Planet A Action Hour’?
You might like to set a time and date before asking people, or work out a time once you know who’s coming – it’s up to you!
If you’re hosting online, make sure you use a platform that everyone has access to. Zoom is great but has a 45-minute limit on free accounts, you could also use Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp video-call functions.
Please observe all restrictions on gathering with others relevant to where you live. If you are permitted and decide to host a gathering in-person, you might like to provide some snacks and drinks for your guests!
The rest of this toolkit contains a step-by-step session plan for your event, which in summary is as follows:
Step 1: Welcome and context (~10 minutes). This gives people an overview of what to expect in the Action Hour, and a chance for people to meet each other.
Step 2: Hear each others' views (~15 minutes). This gives people time to talk about their views on climate solutions, and what they took away from Fight for Planet A.
Step 3: Take action together (~30 minutes). This is when you’ll spend time together taking action: first writing to your local MPs, second writing to a superannuation fund or big bank.
Step 4: Conclusion (~5 minutes). This is when you wrap up, ask your guests if they'll host their own Planet A Action Hour, and take a group photo!
If you’d like more information or support, please join a host support session. See upcoming dates above in the section called 'Support from the team at ACF'.