Another
obvious key to success is commitment to going "green".
You will need to assess the degree to which key people involved
in planning and conducting the gathering as well as the
prospective participants share the goal of becoming more
environmentally responsible. How aware of environmental justice
issues are the event's leadership and participants? How open are
they to change? Will the people in charge of the activity be
resolute in the face of inconveniences or resistance? Is there a
local or regional issue which you can link to your goal of
greater environmental responsibility so people will more easily
see the relevance and necessity of setting new environmental
standards for the event?
How you answer these questions may determine:
* Who you put in charge of these responsibilities.
* How you structure the decision-making on various aspects of the event.
* What procedures you establish for accountability or for monitoring the implementation of green guidelines.
While you are assessing the atmosphere for trying some more environmentally-friendly measures, begin thinking how you could improve the level of support and commitment through various forms of education and "public relations" -- in advance of the event. You may need to do a mini-workshop or program for a planning team at a very early stage in the planning process. This might focus on the Biblical, moral and Church mandates (Part 2) and general principles of environmentally responsible planning (from Part 3). You may want to build interest and excitement among participants by "advertising" in advance of the event that you will be doing things in a "new and improved" way or that you will be offering special "green" incentives or rewards. For example, invite members to your next unit meeting with an enticement to "Savor the Flavor of Justice" and then provide them with organically grown coffee you have purchased from a fair-trade organization.