With the sun shining bright on Kapilvastu district, Campaigning for Conservation(C4C) celebrated its Nepal premiere at Gautam Buddha Hotel on Friday, 8th of June 2018. The training is part of eight workshops that aim at spreading innovative solutions based on social marketing insights and technical knowledge.

National Disaster Reduction Center (NDRC) had been selected as training host based on their outstanding success in last year’s Farming for Biodiversity: Solution Search contest, when they took home the Judges’ Choice Award from Bonn. Their solution has been spotlighted and celebrated at the 2017 International Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP23).

Twenty-nine Farming for Biodiversity campaigners traveled from all across Nepal to Kapilvastu district, where NDRC’s project site is located.

After getting to know one another through journey mapping, the participants jumped right into learning about the theories behind social marketing. Through lectures and team exercises they gained an early insight into concepts such as “Diffusion of Innovation” and the “Behavior Change Continuum”. Many had not heard of these concepts before, but all agreed that they will be useful for the work at their own sites.

Diving deeper into a practical example, Madhu from NDRC took us through the multiple causes of vulnerability the people at Jagadishpur wetland face. In response to these diverse threats, NDRC has introduced a range of solutions, from zero tillage agriculture to agroforestry, community-managed seed banks and early warning systems. A concept model helped us understand the various strategies and how they relate to the overall human wellbeing and conservation results NDRC aim to achieve here in Southern Nepal.

On Day 2, participants studied Rare’s theory of change and research methods – acquiring the tools that will help them design their model campaign over the next days of the training. After studying quantitative and qualitative research methods, participants are now all set to visit farmer communities to gather information on their target audience on Day 3.