With a good campaign, you can change the world. This short but powerful idea from Sam Lyon, Managing Director at CT Partners, kept on resounding in my head and heart on the 7th of June 2022 at the second Masterclass for the Built Differently Cohort on CAMPAIGNING.

It resonated with the philosophy of my own work on Politics and Good Governance Advocacy back in my country: “campaigning is trying to impact the world positively”. Campaigning is doing something with a purpose, to change the narrative and in the political sphere, to win an election, to make better and favourable policies for the good of the state and the citizens.

Before embarking on a campaign however, Sam emphasised the need for evidenced- based research to communicate your manifesto or policy in a simple, unique and clear message to the voters. It is crucial that your campaign message motivates (the emotions of) the people and persuades their intellectual reasoning on the amazing work you promise to do when elected to power. Endeavour to leverage on both digital and traditional media when campaigning. A good example is the Obama Campaign. And I will emphatically state that as a prospective candidate, you should never underestimate the power of engaging with the people physically, as that will build a bridge of trust between you and the people and form a structure of accountability when you eventually get into power. 

One part of the session which caught my attention was his emphasis on purpose;  every individual on earth has been destined for a purpose, be it in whatever space you are operating in, and it is crucial that you identify your purpose to make your goals and efforts clear and easy. A week before the masterclass, I had completed a 30 days’ journey of purpose which gave me a clearer perspective of my purpose not just in my country but in the world at large. 

During the question and answers segment, I was able to extract great themes from our conversation, which will be useful not only in your professional and political aspirations but in every sphere of life:

• When campaigning on any issue, ensure everyone understands the story to be told.
• In managing a crisis, get your facts rights, establish it, and communicate it clearly
• As much as we desire to achieve great things in life, if you are all about talk with action, then your dreams are still asleep. Get to work on your decisions and goals with all diligence and integrity. 

In all, campaigning is not just about the ideas or message, but about making it happen – implementation, when elected to office.  Also, the citizens have a key role to play in ensuring that these ideas are implemented by voting during an election, attending town halls and council meetings to question and support their elected representatives and leaders after the election, as good governance and a strengthened democracy goes beyond the polls.

Written by Lilian Efobi, 2022 Masterclass Programme Participant