Jubilee Scotland has created a handbook to help you campaign for global debt justice in the most effective way possible. As well as giving you information about Jubilee Scotland and the problems of unpayable poor country debt, the handbook has lots of suggestion of activites you can do to let people know what you're up to, raise awareness of the need for global debt justice, and put on some really great fundraising events. If you want a handbook, you can download it or order one (as well as all of our other campaigning resources).

The handbook is just the starting point,and we're going be constantly updating this site with more stories, suggestions and in-depth guides to putting your ideas into action. Please remember to tell us your own ideas or suggestions and contact the office if you need any advice or want to let us know what you're up to!

- Become a Jubilee Group

- Local Twinning

- Using the Media

- Coming Soon

Becoming a Jubilee Group
This is one of the simplest things you can do to give a big boost to your campaigning

Why:

Jubilee Scotland is made up of groups around the country, coming together to campaign for global debt justice. Working in a group means you can get a lot done, as well as having more fun while you're doing it (a very important part of effective campaigning!). Any group can be part of Jubilee Scotland - congregations, schools, mosques, choirs, sports teams, drama groups.....the list is endless!

How:

You may already be a part of a school or congregation that does lots of work for global debt justice, in which case your work is pretty much done! Just make sure everyone is happy to be officially affiliated to Jubilee Scotland, and let the office know so we can send you your certificate.

If your group is new to campaigning then there are loads of ways to introduce the idea to them. You could hold a film screening (we can recommend lots of good films to do with unfair debt), or somebody from the Jubilee Scotland office can come to visit your group and give a talk. But why not get inventive and try to introduce the idea in a way which is relevant to your group -  if it's a drama group, why not act out a roleplay between the world bank and the governor of a poor country? Or for a reading group suggest a book about the problems of debt in the global south?

Becoming a Jubilee group doesn't mean you have be constantly campaigning, and it doesn't mean that you can't do other things. All it means is that you are publicly showing your committment to the Jubilee movement, and saying that you care about global debt justice. If your group is unsure that they can commit to being a Jubilee group, why not share some of the stories you can find in the handbook to inspire them, and show that anyone can be part of Jubilee!

Convinced? Write us a letter, send us an email, give us a call, even pop into the office - just let us know! You can even download the sample press release, change the details to make it relevant to your group, and send it to the local paper (using our simple guide).

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Local Twinning
Two heads are always better than one, so join with another local group to really make a difference.

Why​?

The Jubilee movement isn't just about linking up people in the west with people in the global south, it's also about making links across Scotland. By joining forces with another local group to campaign for global debt justice you'll not only meet new people, but your campaigning will be so much more effective - having another group on board doesn't just mean more people to help you organise things, it also gives you access to a really wide range of potential supporters.

How?

Think about twinning with another faith group, for example your local mosque, a campaigning group or a group that just meets for fun, like a drama group. There may already be links you can use; if you're in school, there will probably already be a relationship with the local college or university for example.

The first step is to talk to people! If your friends are members of any local groups then see how they'd feel about their group joining with yours, and try and find the key people to talk to in your communities - religious leaders, headteachers, chair of the council and chat to them. The Jubilee Scotland office will be able to help you find out if there are already any groups taking action on debt in your area and put you in contact with them.

Top tips for approaching groups:

- Do your research. Find out if the group has done anything to do with campaigning before, and if they have any links with unpayable poor country debt (for example, if it's a school they may be twinned with a country which has received debt relief). If you're planning on approaching a faith group, the Jubilee Debt Campaign website has lots of info about how the movement is relevant to different religions.

- Go to them! Visit the group at their regular meetings. Give a notice at the end of a religious service, in a school assembly,  before a reading group discussion, whatever fits in best with the group you're approaching. Obviously you need to check this is ok with the group first, and don't be put off if they say no -  they may have a different way of doing things than your group and want to discuss it first. Just make sure they have all the relevant information, and follow up with them again in a week or so.

- Take it slow! Don't bombard them with information, your initial contact should just let them know the basics; that you are campaigning for global debt justice and you would like to work with them. You may need to tell them more about the problems of debt if they aren't already a jubilee group, but keep it simple.

- Plan something together! Talking's great, but the real fun starts when you're actually working together. It could be something as simple as holding a stall together at an upcoming event, or writing a joint letter to your local MSP, or you might want to plan something more dramatic, like an event or stunt to mark your new partnership. Whatever you fancy, make sure you do something to celebrate!

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Using the Media

Make sure what you're doing is getting noticed.

Why:

Getting into the local media is great - it shows your community what you're up to, it might get your group more members, it strengthens the Jubilee movement nationally, and it makes you look good! Getting into the local paper can also sometimes be pretty simple - all you need is a contact and a press release.
How:

Getting a contact - You may well already know somebody who works for the local paper or radio station, but if you don't there really is nothing simpler. All you need to do is ring up their offices (the number will be on the paper itself or easily found on the web or in a local directory), explain what it is you're going to be doing, and ask who the best person to contact about that would be. When you're on the phone it can also be useful to find out when the paper goes to press.

Sending a press release - There are 2 kinds of press release:
1) Before the event - use this if you want a journalist and/or photographer to come down to the event itself. You'll need to use the line 'Media Release:Your event title' in the email subject box, and send it a week before so they can plan to come down.

2) After the event - use this to let people know an event has happened, and make sure you include a photo. The downloadable press release is an example of this kind of press release, and can be adapted to talk about anything your group has done. Press releases like this have a very good chance of getting in local papers so make sure it's been proof-read as the journalist may not even bother to edit it if it's well-read.

Read this handy guide to writing a press release courtesy of the Jubilee Debt Campaign for lots of tips.

Following up Make sure you ring your contact after you've sent the release - this will stop it getting lost in a sea of other emails! If they've agreed to come down to cover the story, give them a quick call that morning to (politely!) remind them.

Finally Don't be despondant if your story doesn't get covered - often it's just down to what else is happening that week. You'll have built up a good relationship with a journalist, and that can be very handy for the next time you want something covered - just keep trying. If you're really not having any luck getting stories into the paper, write a letter to the editor -  a  very quick and simple way of getting your Jubilee group in the paper!

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Coming Soon

Keep checking back, as this page will soon be updated with guides to:

- Holding a great fundraising event

- Planning an attention-grabbing stunt

- Making politicians sit up and listen

- Twinning with a country which has been affected by debt

If you want a guide on how to do anything else in your campaign for global debt justice, please do let us know!

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