Action circular: Stand at festival

In this action circular, we are basing our approach on the theme of Pride. This year's pride campaign is about safety. We work for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity, to feel safe. We demand safe prides all over the country, spread knowledge, and build visible support.

There is also room to fill the stand with information about other topics from Amnestys work if you wish.

Activities at the stand

Organizing activities at the stand is a great way to engage visitors. It is important that these activities do not take too long to complete and that they are easy to understand.

If you are planning to organize one or more competitions at the booth, it may be wise to have plenty of prizes. Discuss with your regional office well in advance about what can be given out as prizes.

Tips for activities

Throwing at cans

Print out slips with different hate speech and micro aggression phrases. Tape these slips to tin cans and set them up as shown in the picture below. Visitors at the stand can be encouraged to throw a ball or beanbag at them. A document with the microaggresions are attached below.

Arrange a quiz

Hang up a sheet with a QR code for a quiz. The QR code is attached at the bottom of the page.

Apply for permission for the stand

Remember to apply for permission from the property owner or the festival organizers to have a stand space.

Appearance of the stand

Tent walls

The regional offices around the country receive tent walls that can be placed inside the tent. Contact the regional leader in your area to inquire if these walls are available at the time of the stand.

Personal items at the stand

A stand can quickly look cluttered if the items belonging to those manning the booth are scattered around. Keep this in mind when preparing for the day. Do you have a table with a tablecloth under which bags and backpacks can be stored? Alternatively, do you have another place to store personal belongings?

Shift schedule

Facilitating a stand can be quite exhausting. It is therefore important to prepare a good shift schedule in advance so that only a few volunteers don't end up with very long shifts. Have backup volunteers if possible. It's better to have more people than too few. Include proper breaks so that you can have plenty of food and the opportunity to participate in events and visit other stands.

How long should the stand be manned?

Some festivals have their own guidelines for this. It is not always practical to man the stand from early morning until late at night. The size of the audience and their interest in talking to us at the stand may vary throughout the evening. Take this into account when creating the shift schedule. It is allowed to pack up if permitted by the organizers and if you see that it is not necessary.

Conversations at the stand

Remember that all conversations start with a "hello." It can be helpful to prepare a pitch in advance and practice with each other.

What do you do if you are asked a question you don`t know the answer to?

It is completely natural not to have an answer to everything, and it is not expected that you know everything about Amnesty even if you are manning the stand. If you receive a question you cannot answer, it is best to be honest and say exactly that. Be solution-oriented and put them in touch with a staff member, or take their contact information so that a staff member can follow up with them later.

If an uncomfortable situation should arise

Prior to the stand, as an individual or as a group, you should reflect on how to handle visitors who behave inappropriately. The best approach may be to try to end the conversation and avoid any form of confrontation. You are at this stand to inform about Amnesty's work, not to try to change the viewpoints of every visitor.

If the situation escalates and becomes directly uncomfortable, you should contact the festival organizers to seek their assistance.

Please contact the regional leader in your area if you have any questions!