An Advocacy Manual (2): How to communicate with the public

The Czech Republic is a democratic state and also a civil society. These are two principles that allow for public administration and local self-government to be public matters and enable the participation of the population in the political life of the state, the regions, and the cities.

Within representative democracy, as citizens, we have the opportunity to run for political positions and also to vote for our representatives in these positions. In the case of municipalities and cities, elections are held every four years, during which political parties and movements compete for the votes of the city’s citizens with specific programs. Transportation, with a focus on road motor traffic and urban public transport, is typically included in these programs. All parties typically promise the completion of urban ring roads, provision of parking for private cars from public resources, and improvement of public transportation.

Sustainable mobility, including creating a safe space for cyclists, is usually included in political programs, sometimes as a political priority and other times merely symbolically. If sustainable mobility, including cycling, is a political priority and the ruling coalition actively and effectively promotes it in collaboration with local self-government, then everything is in order.

However, if the ruling coalition and local self-government are passive in this area, citizens can demand solutions for sustainable mobility within the possibilities of civil society even during the electoral term. Although some politicians may prefer the slogan „do not disturb, we are in power“ after being elected, civil society can continuously advocate for specific interests, and there is no need to wait for the next elections and a new distribution of power.

Communication is the essence of existence

As an organization, you can formally exist, but it is through communication with the public that you will actually exist as an interest group that needs to be taken into account. Until the interest is represented and advocated for, it remains fragmented among isolated individuals and takes the form of mutual lamentation over the current conditions. Depending on the size of your city, there may be hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of these individuals.

In the case of sustainable transportation, a significant portion of these will be seniors who primarily walk and who are most sensitive to deteriorating conditions for pedestrians in the city. Older people are also the most physically vulnerable, and they are the most frequently killed or seriously injured in car collisions. Parents with strollers experience firsthand how the city is full of barriers and difficult to navigate due to curbs, narrow sidewalks, and parked cars. They partially experience the feelings that people with limited mobility and orientation face. A broader and more diverse group includes people who commute by bicycle and those who would cycle in the city if they subjectively felt it was safe for them.

People in these groups share the same interest in safe walking or cycling in the city. However, this interest remains isolated among individuals. It manifests in their private lives, in communication with their loved ones, colleagues, or family, but it doesn’t go any further. Occasionally, someone may write an email to the city council or the transportation department. People may have a sense that there are others in the city with similar experiences and interests, but there is no connection.

The turning point occurs when your organization enters the scene and actively advocates for sustainable mobility and the needs of people in the city. You are not just representing yourselves as the founding members of the organization but also advocating for a diverse group of people who share the same needs and experiences. You create an organization not only as a legal entity but as a group representing a specific interest of a portion of the city’s population in how transportation should be organized and how the physical space in the streets should be arranged. You become the spokesperson for a collective interest group. With your voice, you represent scattered individuals who were previously disconnected.

By representing the specific needs of people and the associated interest, you also create an interest group. Individuals now have a different option for dealing with their experiences. In addition to conversations with their loved ones, who may or may not share their experiences, they can now turn to the organization or even join the organization directly as members. The organization can grow in this way, becoming a platform for people who share the same experiences and whose dissatisfaction has grown to the point where they decide to join the organization and contribute in some form to fulfilling the organization’s goals.

Communication Channels

Communication is the means to existence. Until you communicate with people, they will never know what you are striving for. First, let’s look at the means of communication, then we’ll discuss what to communicate, and finally, we’ll talk about the manner or style of communication.

Outward Communication

A website

A website is essential for your association. It serves as the foundation and contains several key pieces of information about your association:

• The purpose and goals of the association
• Contact information for the media representative of the association
• Information about the association’s transparent account, in case someone wants to provide financial support

Relying solely on Facebook, which is becoming less predictable, is not sufficient. For the most important information, you need to have your own website that the association fully controls. In addition to the key information mentioned above, the website is a place to publish articles, analyses, cases, and any other texts that express the activities of the association. By publishing articles on the website, this content won’t get lost. Internet search engines will index the content of your website, and it will appear in search results.

Facebook Page or Group

Facebook is a communication platform that allows for interaction with people who support you, as well as those who disagree with you. Facebook is known for its low predictability and introduction of changes, such as the notorious decrease in page reach and content filtering displayed to users. Additionally, Facebook often polarizes discussions. Recently, Facebook has implemented automated censorship and the removal of entire pages, leaving page administrators defenseless.

Nevertheless, Facebook remains an important communication channel for interacting with supporters and potentially reaching a wider audience. Almost everyone is on Facebook (except for those who have left and deleted their accounts), making it an enticing opportunity to engage with your supportive base. As an association, you have two options for utilizing Facebook: creating a Page or a Facebook Group.

A Facebook Page is primarily used for one-way communication from the association to the public. In the Czech Republic, there are several advocacy group pages, such as:

– AutoMat, z.s. in Prague: https://www.facebook.com/spolekautomat
– Ústím na kole: https://www.facebook.com/ustimnakole
– Brno na kole: https://www.facebook.com/BrnoNaKole/
– Cyklo Zlín: https://www.facebook.com/cyklozlin
– Plzeň na kole: https://www.facebook.com/plzennakole

and others.

A Facebook Group differs from a Page by placing more emphasis on the involvement of group members, who can freely contribute and create content depending on the group’s settings. Groups typically foster more interaction and communication. Among interesting groups in the Czech Republic you can find CityChangers, established by the Partnership for Urban Mobility, which facilitates communication among people interested in sustainable mobility across the country.

Twitter

There are relatively fewer Twitter users in the Czech Republic. Using Twitter is more meaningful for addressing nationwide issues or in larger cities where a sufficient number of Twitter users from that city can be expected.

Instagram

Instagram is the new Facebook in terms of expanding its user base. Instagram is a highly visual platform that is well-suited for communication through photos and hashtags.

Internal communication within the association

In addition to communication with the public, you will also need to address how to communicate internally within the association. Depending on the size of the association and the scope of its agenda, there are several suitable platforms available.

Google Groups

Google Groups is a historical platform that functions as an email conference. Through this group, you can maintain communication through thematic threads, and contributions can be made via email or through the web interface. There is no mobile application available. The platform is inclusive to the extent that having an email is sufficient for participation. New messages can be received via email, depending on the user’s settings. Utilizing a group like this is useful for a broader group of users for whom email is the primary communication tool.

Slack

Slack is a modern alternative to Google Groups. It is a mobile and web application that enables communication through thematic channels, within which individual threads can be created. Slack can be used from both phones and computers, and non-profit organizations can request a free version without limitations.

Group Chat (Facebook, WhatsApp)

Group chat, whether through Messenger or WhatsApp (both platforms owned by Facebook), is a simple tool for quick communication. It does not allow sorting posts by topics or creating threads, so any categorization of communication is not possible. It can be useful as an additional communication channel for quick exchanges.

Facebook Group

An internal private group on Facebook is something between Slack and group chat. Individual threads can be created (posts and comments), but it is not possible to create categories or channels for posts.

Content of Communication

When communicating with the public, you can create diverse content. It may include posts in the following areas:

• City news – upcoming developments related to pedestrian or cycling transportation, planned measures by the city
• Practical advice – recommended routes, bike locking tips, etc.
• Information about road closures and detours – where and when to expect road closures, available detour routs
• Street reconstructions – which streets are scheduled for reconstruction by the city and what cycling infrastructure improvements are planned
• Updates on meetings and negotiations – if you attend meetings, you can inform about their outcomes
• News from home and abroad – sharing inspiring news from other Czech cities or from abroad
• Local issues – deterioration of conditions, removal of existing infrastructure, lack of detour routes, neglecting cycling provisions during major investment projects, etc.