ADVOCACY, KNOWLEDGE, NETWORK AND ITS POLITICS

INTRODUCTION:

Advocacy is recognized as major NGO activity in the south where lack of social awareness and collective action is a source of much deprivation particularly the cause of women social exclusion. Committed men and women set themselves and their organisations, to strenghten social capital, support civil society and encourage collective efforts to ensure that the politics of the state is accountable to their people, is ethical, free of abuse and corruption as well as democratic.

As a mode of social and political action advocacy can motivate and mobilize the politics of people for social transformation. Advocacy can aim to change policy, planning and immplementation. It can use lobbying, campaigning, protesting, political influence, informal groups as well as established institutions and organisations. Advocacy can target change internally or win support to alter an 'entire system'.

How best civil actors can do to push forward issues of concern is yet to be discovered, however building trust is the key. A rational based on knowledge argument as well as sincerety and committment in line with concerns for all beneficiaries - social justice - has proven to deliver, while an all inclusive pressure group accelerates the chances of success.


Defining Advocacy- involving the society in permanent social auditing:

-'Advocacy is a communicative act and a set of actions that involves communications designed to promote social action. Community, collectivism and communication are closely interwoven. The process of advocacy involves different elements. These include: Communicate to Convince, Convince to change, Change to Commit and Commit to Convert to the cause'(5)

- Advocacy in its process to involve public to share, to learn, to reach out and to speak, ultimatly aims to raise critical questions combined with power of networking and the proces of building trust to change or challenge status que. In this process legitimacy, ethics, and justice is at stake.

- Advocacy is to hold decision makers responsible for the consequences of their social, economic decisions and pressurize for social and commnity issues to be tackled and dealth with. Issues of concern for us as well as those voiceless, in any given society.

- Advocacy is to influence decision makers in order to maintain change or implement policy and practice that impacts the system and structures that cause poverty and injustice.

- Advocacy is to do marketting for social issues. Advocacy is questioning the unquestionables, for civil society to be awake and alert. To reduce the risk of majorities of getting caught in bringing about changes.

-Advocacy is to introduce ways to influence decision makers, to make things happen, to hold them accountable systematically and in continuity - a consistent pressure towards desired objectives.
-Advocacy is highlighting and underlining problems for the public to take action, to prioritize issues.

- Advocacy is to care for, to act upon, to find solutions for collective problems - building long term basis for changing power relation in the society.

- Advocay is to open a window for marginalized and voice less.

- Advocay is to stir up, sensitize, motivate and draw collective attention to what people in secure position play ignorant.

How to do it - Politics of Making Connections, Building Solidarity, Establishing Networks

Unless one believes in a cause one cannot advocate for that particular cause. Advocacy seeks to go beyond the idea of working on behalf of the poor and marginalized and is focused on practicing participation and enabling the marginalized to speak for themselves. It has targeted more than ever to challenge and change unjust and unequal power relations. The values of human rights are brought into people's attention to claim their rights, to be awake. It also raise concerns among people the responsibility to work for just and viable political and policy alternatives. It is not just about manufacturing consent, manipulating opinions - it is a principle based on a moral choice that is inclusive and has respect for all. The willingness to share power, to increase tolerance and to respect plurality.

People should not be considered merely charity seekers of the state rather it is their right to encompass a rights based approach to social issues. Citizens as electors have the right to hold the state accountable for the shortcomings, protect their civil rights and defend their rights to live with dignity.

Key to the process is the rights of those who are directly affected by an issue who seek to demand support from the public and civil actors. Public whether as perpetuators or challengers of the status que play substantial role in shaping the political agenda and have the means to amplify the voice of the voiceless.
Effective advocacy needs to tap a critical mass of the public, among actors of civil society, NGOs, official and unofficial institutions as well as marginalized population.

Networking and building alliances with religious groups, poweful and recognized artists such as poets, painters and writers, as well as intellectuals such as journalists and NGO activists, can change the public mood and political context. Networking as a means to synergise the strengths of both institutions and individuals leads to convergence of interest to support common issue. The result is bridging the gap between micro level activism and macro level policy initiative in favour of the advocacy cause. There is a need to link effectively public policies, political process and power relationships. Lobbying is a strategic process of convincing those in the corridors of power.

Power mapping is essential as it works to use information and knowledge from subtle forces to exert influence and rationalize a convincing argument. Social, economic and political issues needs to be clearly identified and assessed by people in terms of power relationships within the society, politics of the state, and the policy priorities before initiating advocacy and lobbying - the real impact they can bring to the lives of the poorest must be recognized to avoid unintended consequences.

Power must be addressed in its many dimensions, in its visible and hidden forms, and in its social and ideological facets including divisions of class, race, gender, religion, age that lead to extremism and exclusion. In human rights activity there is a need to build the direct advocacy of marginalized groups and to protect their rights to participate, to dissent, and to organise.

Building Alliances, key issues:

- trust/defined time line/reviewing the process
- work behind the scenes
- team building with equal participation
- agree how you will be disagree
- drawing at the strength of each agency complementarity
- clearly defined aims and common ground
- consistency in membership
- learning attitutde
- recognize the usefulness to bring it to an end
- avoid domination of one organisation over others
- agree on a common result
- keep marketers out


Types of Advocacy:

ADVOCACY FOR - on behalf of your constituents
ADVOCACY WITH - together with your constituents
ADVOCACY BY - by your constituents themselves (with your facilitating access)


SUCCESSFUL LOBBYING:
- Be clear what you want
- Know the viewS of the people to be lobbied
- WHAT IS IN IT FOR THEM - why should they change their views.
- Develop your messages:
Be simple and explicit about what is the issue
Clearly state what you want them to do about it
Use examples that will engage their interest
- Prepare A short brief large type
- Plan and rehearse
- Consider the best time and place for a meeting
- Be sure you know the venue
- Be conscious of your body language
- Relax keep your voice calm

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS: THE MESSENGER CAN BE AS IMPORTANT AS THE MESSAGE

- Consistency of personnel builds trust and transparency
- Being credible and reliable source of information makes people listen
- Consider involving someone who is deirectly effected by the issue
- Be freindly , use social skills
- Keep in regular contact
- Always finish a meeting by suggesting another one


May 2005

References:
1-Gender Equality and Men, Oxfam GB, Edited by Sandy Ruxton, 2004 http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_we_do/resources/downloads/
geneqmen/gem_complete.pdf

2-INTRAC Southern Advocacy Workshop, Gabriella Romo, Hillary Coulby, January 2005, London

3-Capacity development: WHY, WHAT AND HOW, By Joe Bolger, CIDA Consultant, Capacity development, Occassional series, CIDA, Policy Branch Vol, May 2000

4-Monitoring and evaluating advocacy, Jerrifer Chapman, and Amboka Wameyo for ActionAid, UK, (2002)

5-What is people-centred advocacy?, John Samuel, National Centre for Advocacy studies, www.ncasindia.org, editor of Info-Change and Features www.infochangeindia.org.

6-Making change happen: advocacy and citizen participation. Hilary Couldby 2002 , http://www.iied.org/docs/pla/plan_04301.pdf

7-Advocacy toolkit: Understanding Advocacy, Tearfund,
www.tilz.info/frameset.asp?url=topic.asp?id=7497&cachefixer=cf20325645073335

8-AN INTRODUCTION TO ADVOCACY: TRAINING GUIDE, Ritu R Sharma
www.dec.org/pdf_docs/PNABZ919.pdf

9-Advocacy Guidance Notes, BOND, www.bond.org.uk/pubs/index.html#uk
The what and why of advoacy, participative advocacy, getting the message across, Monitoring and Evaluating Advocacy

10-Networking for policy change: an advocacy training manual
The policy project, the futures group international Oct 1999, www.policyproject.com/pubs/AdvocacyManual.pdf

11-Advoacy in Action: A toolkit to support NGOs and CBOs Responding to HIV?AIDS
www.aidsmap.com/en/docs/4782D096-C740-41A5-AF06-D67C14B46DB8.asp