If you decided to tackle this issue, you probably already have some experience or knowledge linked to it. Do not overlook that kind of contribution, as this is precisely where to start to get a deeper understanding.
Once you have understood your starting point, get to work to collect all possible new information about the issue. Get in touch with people affected by the problem you’re facing, read recent articles from authoritative sources, take online quizzes, and watch educational videos. And be careful – don’t ever let your guard down as today fake news is everywhere!
Although this step might not sound exciting, you will be surprised to discover that your passions and interests may be part of this process. Do you enjoy watching films? Look for a documentary or independent movie that tackles this issue. Do you like trap music? Maybe, some singers have written lyrics on it.
- Do you have some direct or indirect experience with this issue to share with your fellows?
- Have you already planned to participate in at least one event in presence or online about the topic you chose?
- Have you analyzed the issue from different perspectives?
- Have you asked for the opinion of an expert?
- Are you planning to visit the nearest library to collect printed material?
- Have you asked a dedicated association or NGO for some information to share with your group?
1
It is important to get in touch with the people affected by the issue you are tackling. Create a questionnaire and do interviews to collect information about the issue, or meet them on some informal occasions (a dinner, a workshop where having fun together, etc.) and just have a chat with them.
2
You may already have some knowledge or personal experience linked to the issue. Share it with your companions.
3
Keep in contact with the people you collected information or witnesses from. They could enjoy participating in one of your activities you will perform in the next steps.
During the 2020 lockdown due to the pandemic, a group of changemakers organized different thematic sessions about the issue they were investigating by creating online games to make the other members know what they had learned in a fun way.
Instruments
If you are not sure about the trustworthiness of the information you collected, always refer to the official website of national or international associations, NGOs, and organizations. Here are a few examples:
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment
https://ec.europa.eu/info/index_en
https://www.unicef.org
https://www.who.int
http://www.fao.org/home/en
Does your group need a place to store and share all the information collected? Give a try at these online services:
Google Classroom – https://classroom.google.com
Dropbox – https://www.dropbox.com
Google Drive – https://drive.google.com
Padlet – https://padlet.com
Worksheet
We have prepared for you these schemes to help you achieve your goal:
What do you need to move on?
At the end of this step, all the group members will have fully comprehended the issue you are facing. Be careful, “fully” does not mean you need to know everything. To make sure you may go to the next step, try the old method of explaining to a friend or family member who knows nothing about the topic the gist of the issue using no more than 30 words.
Has your friend or relative grasped the main aspects of the issue thanks to your explanation? Great! Go to step 4 and get ready to start working on your goal.
