Mobilizing on Social Media for South Sudan
The World Food Programme is in desperate need of more than $470 million over the next six months to address the growing food crisis in South Sudan.
As a social media mogul and grassroots campaign professional, I have spent years mobilizing social media to impact and effect change through public policy at the state and federal government level. Social media is a strong tool for advocating and effecting change because it hands a microphone to everyday people who can directly communicate with political leaders.
That level of reach is necessary to move the US government provide aid to the World Food Programme to end hunger and food insecurity in South Sudan. The country has been devastated by political conflict and flooding that have contributed to nearly 11 million in the South Sudan on the brink of famine. Through online efforts, together we can mobilize to push the US government to provide the WFP with the resources to effectively address the growing crisis in South Sudan.
Utilize WFP Content and Hashtags
Strong online campaigns are effective through collective efforts. By utilizing WFP sponsored content and hashtags, individual users can join the conversation and help mobilize others through increased reach. Researchers Judith Martin and Thomas Nakayama in their book Intercultural Communication in Contexts (2018) found that in online communication “language differences can lead to possible misunderstanding of specific words and phrases…thus inhibiting intercultural communication.” Thus, by sharing sponsored WFP content, such as supported images and videos, make sharing not only easy but effective at reaching the target audience. Shared hashtags promote the campaign and link all users utilizing the hashtag together. For this campaign, WFP is utilizing the #EndHunger and #SavingSouthSudan and WFP sponsored content can be found at www.wfp.org/SavingSouthSudan
Tag Political Leaders in Posts
The fastest way to reach politicians while posting on social media is by tagging the congress member’s official account. Congressional aides run most social media accounts and track engagement and mentions. Tagging their official accounts are easy ways for coordinated campaigns to promote their messaging to a broad audience while catching the attention of political leaders. In their research, Martin and Nakayama find that low-context cultures, like that in the United States, “communicator[s] might be very comfortable being direct about their feelings and opinions.” Politicians in the US are accustomed to and expect direct communication from constituents regarding their wants and needs. The WFP is targeting both sides of the aisle in support of additional funding to end hunger in South Sudan. To find your congress member and their official social media accounts, visit www.govtrack.us/congress/members
Sign and Share Petitions
Online petitions are a great source of engagement and mobilization of movements. Sharing petitions bring others into the fold and continue to promote your cause. Members of Congress track the level of engagement with petitions and communications to decipher the level of importance and the amount of momentum behind certain issues. The WFP has created funding petition that calls for immediate approval of aid money from the US government to effectively address the hunger crisis in South Sudan. Please sign and share this petition located at www.wfp.org/SavingSouthSudan/FundingNow
Share Offline Work Online
Finally, it’s important to post about and share the offline work on social media. Sharing pictures of meetings with members of Congress, rallies, or fundraising operations add depth to the campaign and provide a sense of community organization surrounding the issue. Martin and Nakayama found that “online communication is both similar to and different from online relationships, and communication technologies like the Internet and social media both facilitate and inhibit the development of intercultural relationships.” This knowledge calls for our work to incorporate both the online and offline spheres. The conversation is stronger when it moves beyond the online sphere and into our offline work. It is important to continue to tag legislatures and utilize approved hashtags in these efforts to double down on social media strategies. All of our efforts to end food insecurity in South Sudan will not and cannot be exclusively online but sharing this offline work on social media will continue to build our movement.
Incorporating strong social media strategies are pivotal for grassroots campaigns and allow the conversation to grow and bring more voices into the movement. The call for increased aid to the WFP is large but is desperately needed to address the near famine-like conditions in South Sudan. Collective targeting of congressional leaders can help move the conversation in Washington that will sufficiently fund the vital work of the WFP. Following these simple steps can move individuals from bystanders to organizers and every voice is needed in this effort. For more information on how to get started today, visit www.wfp.org/SavingSouthSudan
