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Activista: Be part of the Experience

James Fisher's picture Posted by James Fisher Student Campaign Network Assistant
 

Our brand new event The Creative Activism Experience (6-8th June) is special in lots of ways. We’re campaigning differently - with street theatre, grime writing (reverse graffiti), up-cycling clothes and culture jamming. We’re using our creativity to change the world.

But that’s not the only reason it’s special.

We’ve invited youth activists Elly Ahimidiwe Imbyandumi from Tanzania and Joy Mghoi Mwakisambi from Kenya to join us. So, young people from the UK and Africa will have the chance to share their achievements and ambitions for changing the world.

Activistas in KenyaActivistas in Kenya

This is what Activista is all about. We’re a truly global youth network. 25 countries and 1 cause: ending poverty and injustice. That’s because we know that the challenges we face in fighting global hunger and tackling tax evaders are challenges that we face together - from Bolivia to Uganda, from Bangladesh to the UK.

Activistas everywhere are taking on the powerful, and demanding justice. We’re changing the world through rallies, gigs, MP lobbies, street theatre and flashmobs.

Durham Biofuels DebateDurham Activistas get local MEP onside in debate on biofuels

This event isn’t just about learning from the experts. It’s about getting stronger by taking action together. There’s a lot we can learn from each other.

And The Creative Activism Experience is an experience you won’t forget.

You’ll discover skills you never knew you had, swap facts and make friends. You’ll see things you never imagined, do things you won’t believe, and start something that will go on and on.

You’ll be part of a special group of people across the globe. And who knows? You might change the world.

Get your ticket for The Creative Activism Experience.

Credit: ActionAid

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3 reasons why your Uni RAG group should fundraise for ActionAid

If you’re at university, then chances are that most weeks you come across people dressed as penguins clutching buckets, organising pyjama pub crawls or asking you to sponsor them to sit in a bath full of beans.

A megaraid for ActionAidSome lovely students take to London's streets to collect donations for ActionAid

Every year RAG (no, not the stinky dishcloth kind - it stands for Raising and Giving apparently) societies raise millions for charity, and roundabout now is when they decide who to fundraise for.

So, if you’re in a RAG group – please pick us! And if you’re not in a RAG but at university, please nominate us - pretty pleeease!

Here’s why:

1) We’re local AND global

There are loads of amazing charities out there. So do you go for the big international charity tackling massive issues like poverty and justice, affecting a huge amount of people? Or the teeny tiny local charity making a big impact on a local community?

Well with ActionAid you can do both!

We work in over 40 countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, having a huge impact on the lives of over 15 million people every year. But the way we do this is much more like a teeny local charity; we’re all about community. Instead of forcing decisions on people in developing countries and telling them what’s best, we listen to communities about how we can help.

2) You decide exactly where your money goes

Through ActionAid's Priority Projects, you get to choose a specific community to support, and you’ll see exactly what difference your money makes.

  • Raise £100 and you could take 10 children out of forced labour and into education in Pakistan.
  • Raise £500 and you could give 10 families seeds to grow food for life in Lesotho.
  • Raise £900 and you could provide a school library in Sierra Leone with all the text books it needs.
  • Raise £5000 and you could provide an entire village with food for a month after a natural disaster.


3) You’ll get love and attention

We’ll help you out with raiding permits, training opportunities, freebies, fundraising ideas and you’ll get treated like the legends that you are. Plus we have a dedicated RAG officer who’s at your mercy for any requests!

Convinced?
If you think ActionAid is mighty fine and you want some of the money your RAG group raises to go towards our work, then drop us a line!

Just tell us what University you’re at, and we’ll tell you exactly how to nominate ActionAid.

Email our lovely RAG officer camilla.lewis@actionaid.org
 

Kristian Buus/ActionAid

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The Creative Activism Experience: Full programme is here!

Lisa Telfer's picture Posted by Lisa TelferYouth Events Officer
 

Check out the full programme for our brand new 3-day summer event - The Creative Activism Experience!

Featuring the amazing 'Street Stunts' workshop with the newly BAFTA winning geniuses from BBC Three's 'The Revolution will be Televised'!

Only two days left to get your £20 early bird tickets here - GO!

Creative Activism Experience

>> Download the Creative Activism Experience programme

(If you can't make the Creative Activism Experience, you can still join us at The Big IF from 2-5pm on the 8th June!)

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VIDEO: See what happened when Enter Shikari raised £10,000 for ActionAid!

Lisa Telfer's picture Posted by Lisa TelferYouth Events Officer
 

Here’s what happened when the unstoppable Enter Shikari raised £10,000 for ActionAid UK's work on emergencies at their Hatfield show last month, hosted by the lovely Huw Stephens!

The gig was part of ActionAid's Ready for Anything appeal where the UK government doubled everything that ActionAid supporters raised between Feb and May 2013. The appeal has been a HUGE success bringing in a whopping £1,361,149.31, meaning a total of £2,722,298.62 has been raised for ActionAid's work on emergencies!

Huw Stephens and Enter Shikari for Bollocks to PovertyThe unstoppables: Enter Shiakri's Rou Reynolds (left) and Rob Rolfe join Huw Stephens (centre) from BBC Radio 1

A massive thank you to Enter Shikari and everyone at Mythophonic management that helped to make the gig happen. It was an incredible night made unforgettable by the amazing live performances and genuine support for ActionAid.

ActionAid

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Activism in Tanzania: “I choose a better society with justice and equality”

Elly Ahimidiwe Imbyandumi is a young activist from Tanzania currently travelling around Europe to promote our campaign to end the use of food for fuel. You can join Elly and other activists from the UK and Africa at The Creative Activism Experience, 6-8th June in London. Here he explains why he became an activist...

Elly Ahimidiwe Imbyandumi I am from the Northern part of Tanzania in a region called Kilimanjaro. I was born in a small town called Moshi, and am from a farming family of eight children.

I have been involved in activism since 2005 when I was at school. I was engaged in issues affecting young people such as unemployment, political participation and the right to free health and education. In the last few years I have focused on land rights and food insecurity in Tanzania.

I am an activist because I believe that each person is born to make a difference and fight injustice affecting people without a voice.

I first met young Activistas (from ActionAid’s global youth network) at a training event in Tanzania in 2011. When I saw how young people were making a difference I didn't hesitate to join and began to share my knowledge online and learn from others. At the time we had no Activista network in Tanzania, so I met with other young people and we made a plan. We now have 25 members even though we have not officially launched yet.

Elly Ahimidiwe Imbyandumi meets EU Commissioner on Climate

My message to young people campaigning in the UK is to use your time and energy to tackle the policies that lead to injustice in our countries. We should remember that everyday a family goes hungry in Africa, often losing loved ones. While the rest of the world is using food to fuel their cars, this same food could be used to save people. If we do not take action now then history will judge us.

Even though we live in different parts of the world we share the same human qualities and the same rights to life. Food is a basic need for everyone. We also face similar problems of poverty which require our energy and passion to overcome and make the world a better place to live for every human being. 

I am coming to the UK at the end of May and I am excited to meet my fellow young brothers and sisters in the UK who believe the same thing.

I want to share my experience with the problem of land grabbing in Tanzania but most of all I want to join with other young people in bringing about the changes we want by making noise around the world so our leaders and policymakers hear our cry and take action.

You can join Elly and other activists from UK and Africa at The Creative Activism Experience, 6-8th June, London.

>> Book your £20 early bird ticket now!

 

 

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Take part in The Creative Activism Experience feat. BBC comedians!

Lisa Telfer's picture Posted by Lisa TelferYouth Events Officer
 

Listen up because we have BIG news...

Have you had enough of sitting around listening to boring lectures? This summer we are launching a brand new three-day event called The Creative Activism Experience! This opportunity will allow you to take part in three days of action, inspiration and ideas to change the world.

Creative Activism Experience

This is your chance to take ACTION against global poverty and injustice through art, media, craft and theatre.

WARNING: By attending this event you are likely to take a massive amount of ACTION against global poverty. So leave your notepad at home!

Get your £20 earlybird ticket now and find out more! (Includes all food and two nights’ accommodation) £30 full price

Hurry - only 50 places available!

 

 

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