Kindly advice us on how to go about it wadding off land speculators as we endevour to guard this historic site.
Hi Danny, and thanks for contacting CTB.
I have delayed answering your question because I really wanted to think about possible initiatives.
There are several possble strategies: Please click on our Learn A Skill icon and within the Table of Contents take a look at chapters 4 (Getting Issues on the Public Agenda), chapter 7 (plus Toolbox 8) on promoting interest and participation in the initiative, and chapter 45 (Social Marketing). I suggest you focus social marketing upon respect for ancestors, honoring and preserving memories of them.
I have been much impressed recently by the work of a website: www.frameworksinstitute.org, and a free e-tutorial there that suggests most effective ways to communicate with the wider public about the values of human services. In general, they suggest one start by highlighting the important community values surrounding an issue and moving toward promoting solutions that may enable a wide range of people to arrive at consensus.
Although they have not built frames for issues such as yours, their general research findings and strategy may help you shape your own message to your community. Your major challenge will be to involve and empower enough caring citizens and community leaders to demand that both developers and politicians respect this war memorial and cemetery.
I have great respect for what you are attempting to do and hope this response is helpful.
2014/08/16 One more thought: You describe the cemetery as being closed. Perhaps it could be unofficially "opened" by recruiting volunteers to hold cleanup and landscaping picnics on weekend days at the cemetery. The more actively interested and involved people there are, the better the odds of building a movement to accomplish saving the cemetey.