4.2 Navigating power dynamics and influencing national laws
Understanding the power dynamics between different actors is a critical first step towards knowing how to approach them to create change. We’re going to refer back to the Banta case study to think about the different national actors.
This power map is one way of thinking about the different types of influence. The vertical axis indicates how influential an actor is while the horizontal axis indicates how aligned the actor is with your position, in this case the carbon justice principles. It can help to plot people on the power map to see how to engage with them. For example, in Banta WeStand would be aligned but may not be influential because they have similar views as the community but may not have direct control over policy making. Each of the other actors described above falls into one of the quadrants of the power map. Match the actor with their quadrant of the map below.
WeStand told the people of Banta that the government of Treeland was debating a new carbon law. The people of Banta were invited to testify at an inter ministerial tribunal composed of the ministries of environment, energy, finance, and members of parliament about their experience. Banta community leaders asked that FPIC be clearly included in the new carbon law. They also argued that all communities should have access to legal and technical support, like WeStand, before signing a contract.