“One thing that hit home to me, I guess I knew it in theory, but it was made clear, is that poverty is not just about the lack of money or the fact I am now struggling to eat. It's about the systems and structures that keep people down, and the attitude of society. How many people would employ a transgender person? That discrimination is there. How many people, for that matter, would employ a 58-year-old male in a wheelchair (me)?" – Chris, Grassroots Campaigning School participant
“We know that most Australians don't think people should have to skip meals or ration medications or go to bed at 8 o’clock during winter because the house is icy and they can’t afford to turn on the heater,” says Pas Forgione, Campaigns Coordinator at Anti-Poverty Network South Australia (APNSA).
“This is why we all have a role to keep pushing back on the harmful narratives about poverty because the interests and segments that want to blame poverty on the poor, they don't ever stop.”
With funding support from The Wyatt Trust’s advocacy program, APNSA created a Grassroots Campaigning School that ran across three sites in Adelaide’s northern, north-west and southern suburbs for a period of nine months.
“Many people experiencing poverty are locked out of civic and political life because of all the disempowering and brutal things that that come with it,” Pas explains.
“The question we’re always asking at APNSA is, ‘How can we give people with lived experience of poverty the confidence, skills and tools to be able to speak for themselves and advocate for the changes that are needed to fix the housing crisis and the poverty crisis?’”
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“Our goal with the Grassroots Campaigning School was to provide 25 people with lived experience of poverty with education and training and help them stay connected and engaged with each other, so that they in turn will be able to pass on their knowledge and skills to others with lived experience of poverty in their communities.”
Each month participants met to learn about the structural causes of poverty and the housing crisis, develop campaign tools and practice skills such as how to do media interviews or speak with members of parliament and their community. Participants included young people on Job Seeker and Youth Allowance, sole parents, middle-aged people on the disability pension and more.
Funding from Wyatt was used to provide honorariums to participants and facilitators for their contributions, to cover transport, out-of-pocket expenses, and generous catering that enabled participants to leave the workshop with leftover food to take home, and to establish a digital inclusion mini fund for participants with reduced access to the online world.
But one of the most valuable conditions the funding enabled, was to slow down and take the time needed.
“To have the time for a slow and steady process that was a safe and welcoming environment for people in poverty to be able to build connections and friendships with each other, I think that's what’s been quite special about this project,” Pas explains. “There were a few times where we were racing through content and we realised early on ‘when in doubt, slow down’.
“Many people were quite anxious and reserved in the beginning but really came out their shell socially as the months went on. They found their confidence and voice, not just as advocates, but as part of a group of people who share many of the same interests. There were times where, after a long day of activities, I’d go out to the carpark 45 minutes after the workshop had ended and see 10 or 15 people still there chatting or debating when they could have all raced home straight afterwards.”
Shared learning
For facilitator, Annie Anderson, the Grassroots Campaigning School was an opportunity not only to share skills and knowledge, but to learn alongside participants.
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“While the process of skill-building and learning about each other was a journey, rather than riding a rollercoaster of exuberance and or defeat, I found my role was to ground participants in the reality of campaigning,” Annie explains.
“That means things don't always work or go as planned, but still, we persist as a team, and in doing so, we get somewhere together.”
“Growth and confidence aren't always straightforward accomplishments; sometimes they are confrontational, painful, and lonely processes,” Annie continues.
“Depending on a person's experiences, some Grassroots topics may cause them to retreat. Being part of a community is so important, especially when we disagree, as is providing a space for people to attend without criticism or judgment, which was central to our approach.”
Though the formal sessions have now wrapped up, many participants continue to work on advocacy activities and self-determined topics to research and campaign on.
"We voted on some topics to research which in itself was seemingly too big a big challenge, cognitively and emotionally,” explains Narelle, a Grassroots Campaigning School participant.
“By session 6 we had decided and I accepted the challenge, but I was also given some further reading from our facilitator, this is where it all came together for me, finally. I wouldn't have known how to access such readings or information. There has been discussion about having a training session in the following year, one per month. I feel I have my own idea for a topic and am looking forward to discussing this at a future meeting. This is something extremely challenging for me to initiate, but I'm ready to give it a go."
Photos courtesy of Anti-Poverty Network South Australia
