Hopenhagen campaign stirs SA

The campaign includes a website and a host of cross-channel social networking features, which has involved Ogilvy agencies from across the worldwide network working together. By visiting the website, signing the petition and posting a message of hope, South Africans can become citizens of Hopenhagen and fuel the movement. The UN will present the petition and all messages to the conference delegates.

In addition to people signing the online petition and posting a message about what gives them hope, the campaign also encourages 'citizens' to share their message and recruit further support online by using a host of interactive features, including banners which can be downloaded and installed onto social-networking profiles, blogs and websites.

A Facebook page provides a forum for support and discussion, whilst a Twitter account allows you to keep up-to-date on the latest developments. A YouTube channel also has the latest video information on climate change. One of the ways to get behind the movement that can also be shared with friends is by getting a Hopenhagen Passport on Facebook.

Giving ordinary people the opportunity to speak out

One can invite friends and earn points for actions they take that are positive for the environment. Individuals can complete actions to collect stamps in order to stand the chance to become an Ambassador of Hopenhagen and the opportunity to hand over the petition at the conference.

"Hopenhagen provides ordinary people with the opportunity to have their say and to put pressure on our leaders to take global climate change seriously. The environmental crisis affects all of us. In South Africa and Africa it isn't just about the environment, climate change threatens key economic activities like agriculture and critically impacts on our natural surroundings that are a very important export for us from a tourism and economic perspective. It is critical to our future and ordinary people need to make their voices heard," says Rob Hill, Ogilvy South Africa group managing partner.

"We need South African's to act to ensure change happens. Hopenhagen is a people's movement and a means to rally support and demand positive results from COP15. By activating Hopenhagen in our communities the movement will develop into something that leaders have to take note of," concludes Hill.

Check hopenhagen.org/; hopenhagen.org/badges for badges and Twitter
twitter.com/hopenhagen.