Module 04 — Sustaining a campaign + protecting yourself

anonymous@undisclosed.example.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 20:07:45 +0000

2026/05/03 15:50	current
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	+	{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(activists module 04, sustaining a campaign + protecting yourself)&metatag-description=(RTI for Activists & NGOs — Module 04: Sustaining a campaign + protecting yourself. Run campaigns over months without burning out or facing retaliation.)}}
	+
	+	====== Module 04 — Sustaining a campaign + protecting yourself ======
	+
	+	{{ :social:auto:activists-module-04.png?direct&1200 \|RTI for Activists & NGOs Module 04}}
	+
	+	<WRAP center round info 95%>
	+	Goal: Run campaigns over months without burning out or facing retaliation.
	+	</WRAP>
	+
	+	===== Volunteer rotation =====
	+
	+	Multi-month campaigns burn volunteers. Rotate:
	+	- 1 month per volunteer per state
	+	- Pair-up: senior + new volunteer
	+	- Burnout check at week 6 — give breaks.
	+
	+	Document: every volunteer's RTI list, current status, expected next action. Hand-off cleanly.
	+
	+	===== Whistleblower Protection Act, 2014 =====
	+
	+	For RTI-led work that exposes corruption:
	+	- The Whistleblower Protection Act, 2014 protects identity of complainants to vigilance authorities.
	+	- The Act has not been rolled out via Rules in most states — coverage is patchy.
	+	- For activists facing retaliation: file complaint with CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) under Section 4 of the Act.
	+
	+	===== SLAPP suits + defamation risk =====
	+
	+	Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) — large entities sue activists for defamation/criminal-intimidation just to drain resources.
	+
	+	Defences:
	+	- Truth + public interest — primary defence under §499 IPC.
	+	- Privileged communication — judicial-process documents are privileged.
	+	- Justification — stick to what RTI replies say; don't paraphrase numbers.
	+	- Insurance — some NGO networks pool legal defence funds (e.g., Common Cause).
	+
	+	===== Stakeholder engagement =====
	+
	+	Before publishing a critical campaign report:
	+	- Send draft to the named authority for response (gives 7-10 days).
	+	- Quote any response (or refusal-to-respond) verbatim.
	+	- Show the report to a friendly civil-services reviewer for accuracy check.
	+	- Pre-brief sympathetic journalists for the launch.
	+
	+	===== Long-term archive =====
	+
	+	Activist work outlives campaigns. Build:
	+	- Public archive of all campaign RTIs + replies (Google Drive / Github).
	+	- Searchable database of PIO contacts you've engaged with.
	+	- Lessons learnt doc updated every 6 months — what worked, what didn't.
	+	- Mentor pipeline for next-generation activists.
	+
	+	===== ✅ Quiz =====
	+
	+	Quiz available from your [[:courses:activists:app\|course dashboard]].
	+
	+	===== Next =====
	+
	+	* [[:courses:activists:start\|← Course overview]]
	+	* Next: [[:courses:activists:final]]
	+
	+	//Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.//
	+
	+	{{tag>course activists module-04}}

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Module 04 — Sustaining a campaign + protecting yourself