Greenpeace

emk46@duke.edu — Sat, 05 May 2018 03:08:25 +0000

Description:

Greenpeace is a nongovernmental organization that seeks to promote environmental justice through a variety of methods of nonviolent activism. Greenpeace's website states the following as its mission: Greenpeace is a global, independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future (Greenpeace).

Greenpeace is a truly global organization: it has offices in 55 different countries and activities in all seven continents. Described as "the most visible environmental NGO today," Greenpeace is known for its vast success in garnering public attention across the world (Mintzberg and Westley). Greenpeace's activism activities tend to be bold and radical, and although their efforts often inspire awe and engagement among the community, Greenpeace has also attracted a lot of critics over the years. Some of their tactics have been highly controversial, even illegal in some cases. They also have a history of "monkeywrenching" and "ecotage": numerous Greenpeace activists have destroyed property in their attempts to promote environmental justice.

Mintzberg, H., & Westley, F. (1999). Sustaining the Institutional Environment. Organization Studies,20(7), 71-94. doi:10.1177/017084060002000705

Goals:

Greenpeace's website lists the following goals of the organization:

"protect biodiversity in all its forms
prevent pollution and abuse of the earth's ocean, land, air and fresh water
end all nuclear threats
promote peace, global disarmament and non-violence"

In general, Greenpeace's aims to use means of nonviolent protests, creative communications, and other forms of activism to not only spread awareness and interest in environmental issues, but also propose solutions. Greenpeace seeks to promote and create open, informed debate regarding environmental issues in the global society. Two other goals of Greenpeace include maintaining independence and not forming any permanent allies or enemies.

Structure:

Greenpeace is an international organization, and it's international office is based in Amsterdam. Greenpeace has 55 regional offices all over the planet. These offices function independently, and although they often carry out global campaigns, they often times are based on local issues. Regional offices also seek out funding from donors for their activism activities. Supported by a "consultive international decision making process", Greenpeace International monitors the coordination of the various regional offices' global strategies. Other roles of Greenpeace international include assisting in activism efforts in countries that do not have a Greenpeace office, creating new regional offices, fundraising, providing IT assistance, and protecting the Greenpeace trademark.

Genealogy:

The origins of Greenpeace began with a concert, a voyage, and a mission to end nuclear weapon tests. In 1969, a group of protestors held an unsuccessful peaceful protest in an attempt to prevent the U.S. from detonating a test bomb in Amchitka, Alaska. In 1970, these protestors establish their own group -- the Don't Make a Wave Committee -- and organized a benefit concert to raise money to fund a voyage to Amchitka. The ship was named Greenpeace by activist Bill Darnell, and it set sail in 1971. Due to an interference by the U.S. Coast Guard and bad weather, the Greenpeace crew had to cut their voyage short, but their trip still garnered national attention, causing many Americans to become angered with the government's actions. Because of the widespread criticism, the U.S. decided to discontinue their nuclear tests.

Although it was still under the name of the Don't Make Wave Committee, this protest voyage is considered to be the beginnings of Greenpeace. The group officially changed their name to Greenpeace in 1972. The Greenpeace website lists the founders to be Bob Hunter, David McTaggart, and Dorothy and Irving Stow. Their second campaign targeted French atmospheric weapons testing. In the mid 1970s, Greenpeace began to expand the scope of its efforts, focusing on issues such as commercial whaling, seal hunting, and toxic waste. Around the safe time, independent Greenpeace groups began to surface throughout the globe. In 1979, Greenpeace International was established, and it set up a formal organizational structure that linked the local offices.

A set of comprehensive timelines covering the activities of Greenpeace in the past few decades can be found here: https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/about/impact/history/

The 1980s saw an increase in Greenpeace ships and offices throughout the world, and activism efforts were still focusing on nuclear weapons, toxic waste, and destructive whaling, seal hunting, and fishing practices.

The 1990s marked the beginning of Greenpeace's climate change campaigns.

In the 2000-2010s, Greenpeace expanded their activities to focus on a broad range of environmental issues, including pollutants, wars, hazardous chemicals, deforestation, coal, and oil rigs.

Campaigns:

The campaigns vary based on the regional location. Some examples of Greenpeace campaigns include saving the arctic, protecting forests, fighting global warming, protecting our oceans, living toxic free, promoting sustainable agriculture, defending democracy, working for peace and disarmament, and challenging nuclear power.

Communication Strategy:

Greenpeace's main forms of campaigning include direct action, lobbying, and public education. Greenpeace also utilizes many different forms of social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Greenpeace occasionally uses unique, out-of-the-box visuals to communicate their ideas and mission during protests, such as the use of Aurora the giant polar bear.

Oppositional Forces:

Greenpeace works to fight against a number of industries, activities, and events that threaten environmental health, including but not limited to: nuclear energy issues, toxic waste, commercial whaling and seal hunting, overfishing, genetic engineering, deforestation, oil and coal industries, and issues of climate change. Greenpeace also frequently faces criticism from a variety of individuals, usually those who have stakes in any of the aforementioned environmental issues that Greenpeace seeks to eliminate.

Type of Organization:

NGO

environmental organization

Tatics Used: