Advocacy
Contents
What is advocacy?
Advocacy is the act of arguing on behalf of a particular issue, idea or person. Individuals, organizations, businesses, and governments (for example at the level of the United Nations) can engage in advocacy. An example of advocating for a particular issue is attempting to persuade others of the importance of protecting the environment by planting a tree or attempting to persuade the public to write to politicians to make their feelings known about an issue such as human rights abuses.
Advocating for an idea can include a wide range of subjects as broad as social justice to animal rights and campaigns to stop the war in Iraq. An example of advocacy on behalf of a person includes international campaigns to release Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected leader of Burma/Myanmar, from house arrest.
Advocacy organisations are vocal, active and work hard to get their message out to the public, governments and other interested parties to effect and impact policy change and political developments.
For example, in response to the mounting human rights abuses and conflict in Sudan, more than 100 NGOs rallied together to launch the “Save Darfur Campaign”. The Campaign (www.savedarfur.org) has gained significant media coverage for raising public awareness about the plight of the Sudanese through advertising in major cities (e.g. New York) and holding rallies on university campuses. Similarly, the Stop The War Coalition in the UK (www.stopwar.org.uk) has managed to gain a large following. Its marches against the war in Iraq regularly attract tens of thousands of Britons.
Other examples of international advocacy organizations include:
International: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: www.peta.org Landmine Survivors Network: www.landminesurvivors.org MindFreedom International: www.mindfreedom.org
Canada: Canadian National Institute for the Blind: www.cnib.org Transport 2000 Canada: www.transport2000.ca
United Kingdom: Countryside Alliance: www.countryside-alliance.org Electoral Reform Society: www.electoral-reform.org The Food Commission: www.foodcomm.org.uk Liberty: www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk
US: Autism Society of America: www.autism-society.org Campaign to End the Death Penalty: www.nodeathpenalty.org Troops Out Now Coalition: www.troopsoutnow.org
Many of these organizations are known worldwide for their activism. They are not afraid to court publicity and sometimes break the law to get their cause noticed. For example, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), is well known throughout the world for its guerrilla activity concerning animal welfare. PETA regularly garners media coverage for its ‘stunts’ which include hijacking fashion shows and throwing paint at the windows of shops which sell fur.
Case Study One
UK based responsible drinking organization, The Portman Group (www.portmangroup.org.uk), used guerrilla marketing to great effect in 2004. Using the concept of ‘Gossip Theatre’ it hired actors to talk about their drunken exploits and how too much alcohol made them feel awful. The actors talked loudly in public places and grabbed the public’s attention. Evaluation exercises immediately after the “performances” showed that the public viewed this marketing ploy as a success. Many said it made them think about their own drinking.
Case Study Two
However, guerrilla marketing is not always effective. US based Turner Broadcasting Systems used the tactic in early 2007 to advertise a new cartoon show. Using a guerrilla marketing agency the company cited 40 blinking boxes around the city of Boston which many people thought were bombs. The marketing company which organised the stunt is now facing a criminal investigation. Some may argue that Turner received a lot of publicity for the stunt, thus raising awareness of the show, but many saw it as irresponsible, particularly in these times of heightened security.
Other organizations such as the Save Darfur Coalition take a more mainstream approach and target the public through advertising (specifically using celebrities to get their message across) and public relations and marketing exercises.
Advocacy Campaigns Case Studies
Case Study One
Established in 1958 and one of the oldest and most recognized advocates of nuclear disarmament, the CND www.cnduk.org, was founded to advocate against the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Its campaigning activity is recognised throughout the world and it has 35,000. CND uses a variety of methods to advocate its message, including public relations, organizing rallies and encouraging people to use its window stickers and posters. Its circle logo is one of the most recognised in the UK.
Case Study Two
The Save Darfur Coalition www.savedarfur.org was established several years ago to raise awareness of the Darfur, Sudan genocide. Approximately 170 faith-based, advocacy and humanitarian organizations make up its membership. The Coalition’s member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Darfur.
On April 30, 2006, the Coalition organized the "Save Darfur: Rally to Stop Genocide" on the National Mall (Washington, DC) and encouraged grassroots activists to hold rallies in communities around the country. Nearly 50,000 people gathered to hear from leading voices like US Senator Barack Obama, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Rev Al Sharpton and actor George Clooney. The audience also heard from lawyer and human rights activist from Darfur, Salih Mahmoud Osman; a Darfur refugee and founder of Save Women-Sudan, Tragi Mustafa; former slave in southern Sudan, Simon Deng; Nobel Peace Winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. There was extensive television coverage, with more than 800 stories broadcast in the U.S. and Canada alone. Articles about the rally were published in newspapers that reached a world-wide readership of an estimated 31 million people.
In August 2006 , the United Nations Security Council authorized a UN Peacekeeping Force for Darfur.
A Greenberg Quinland Rosner poll undertaken in early 2007 showed that 64% of US voters say that Darfur should be a top priority in US foreign policy.
The Save Darfur Coalition is a good example of how NGOs can impact policies. By implementing a high profile media campaign it ensured that the public became aware of the atrocities occuring in Darfur.
Pressure Groups and Lobbying Groups
Pressure groups and lobbying groups also partake in advocacy.
Pressure Groups
A pressure group can be described as an organized group that does not recommend or support individuals for election, but seeks to influence government policy or legislation. Some people avoid using the term ‘pressure group’ as it can inadvertently be interpreted as meaning the group uses actual pressure to achieve their aims, which is not necessarily the case. In Britain, the US and other countries the number of political parties is very small, whereas the number of pressure groups runs into thousands; as the membership of political parties has fallen, that of pressure groups has increased. Pressure groups give people a “voice”, They focus on specific issues and enable people to become involved on a grassroots level.
Case Study
The “orange revolution” in the Ukraine was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was compromised by massive corruption, voter intimidation and direct electoral fraud. The Ukrainian capital was the focal point of the movement with thousands of protesters demonstrating daily in Kiev (Kyiv). Nationwide, the democratic revolution was highlighted by a series of acts of civil disobedience, sit-ins, and general strikes organized by the opposition movement.
NGOs played a significant role in the revolution. At the time they were being closely watched, subjected to tax and other inspections, and, in some cases, their leaders detained. However, the irony is that such repressive actions may have further contributed to the spread of revolutionary spirit, human rights, and citizen activism.
Citizens' protests in Ukraine, carried out with the help of organized civil society groups, were based on genuine desire for change and frustration with corruption and poverty. According to Dmitry Trenin, the Deputy Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, the major decisive factor in the Ukrainian elections was the massive and unprecedented self-mobilization of citizens.
Among the key civic players in the Orange Revolution were the Freedom of Choice Coalition of Ukrainian NGOs and the youth civic campaign PORA (It's Time!)
Lobbying Groups
A person acting on their own or with corporate backing to achieve the goals of an interest group is called a lobbyist. In many countries, however, the term lobbyist has an official definition and lobbyists are required to register and disclose information about their efforts. This is because many countries have strict Codes of Conducts which lobbyists have to adhere to. Recent scandals involving lobbyists mean that they are under a great deal of scrutiny. The term advocacy group or interest group can be used even for groups that are not officially registered for lobbying purposes.
Lobbying organizations can also be described as public affairs groups.
Many organizations, including NGOs, employ lobbyists (sometimes called ‘liaisons’ or ‘representatives’) to keep abreast of government affairs and to influence policy. Companies like Verizon, Wal Mart, Pfizer have extensive lobbying teams which foster relations with US Congress (and other governments around the world. Lobbyists specifically target Members of Congress (Members of Parliament in the UK) who have jurisdiction over the issues that are involved with. By fostering good relations with these people they hope to influence policy and thus ensure that any new policies passed work in their favor.
Case Study
ASH or Action on Smoking and Health (www.ash.org.uk) is an example of how an NGO can help influence policy. ASH is a campaigning public health charity working for a comprehensive societal response to tobacco aimed at achieving a sharp reduction and eventual elimination of the health problems caused by tobacco.
ASH has been lobbying stakeholders for practical public policy measures to control tobacco based on evidence and best practice, as well as new ideas. It runs a very successful National No Smoking Day and has campaigned for health warnings and smoking bans.
Along with other health campaigners the organization has commented on Government white papers and has been involved in lobbying the government for reform. It has been very successful and from 1 July 2007, the whole of the United Kingdom will have smokefree legislation in place, making it the biggest jurisdiction in the world (by population) to have legally-enforced protection from secondhand smoke.
How to Advocate on a particular issue or idea
Marketing will be key to advocating on a particular issue or idea (see handbook chapter [number] on Marketing and Public Relations for more information). Familiarize yourself with campaigning techniques as these will ensure you gain maximum media coverage. More information on campaigning techniques can be found in [chapter xx]
Five steps to creating a campaign
- First decide whether there is a need to create a campaign. There might be other similar campaigns out there so research, research, research!
- Decide on the theme and the target audience. For example, you might decide to start a campaign to raise awareness of human rights abuse in your country or a campaign to build support for environmental conservation. Who will you be targeting? It is vital that you decide who your target audience will be as some campaign techniques will not work with younger age groups and vice-versa. For example, a web-based or text-messaging campaign may not work with older audiences.
- How will you target your audience? Set a budget and decide how best to use your financial and other resources. Try to get as much pro-bono work as possible. Ask local design students to come up with logos, poster ideas and other marketing materials as well as ask public relations, marketing and public affairs companies to work on a pro-bono basis. Many companies will have a budget for this work and you might be surprised at how many actually do work for free.
- Devise a communications strategy. Decide on key objectives and goals early on. For example, do you want to help influence policy or raise funds for your issue? Start telling people about your campaign!
- Develop an evaluation process – use focus groups to see if your message is resonating with your target audience. Evaluate media coverage – how much of it is positive or neutral?
There are many ways to market your campaign:
- Tell the media (through press releases, cold-calling journalists, press conferences)
- Use direct marketing material (marketing material send directly to the target group via email or postal mail)
- Put up posters (university campuses are good places to start, see appendix for more detail)
- Write to community leaders, politicians (a list of politicians and community leaders in your country can be found on the internet).
Remember, a successful advocacy campaign requires engagement from the public and other interested parties. Use marketing, public relations and campaigning techniques to ensure that your voice is heard.
The Orange Revolution is just one example of how advocacy can shape a nation. Campaigns can give people a voice, empower them to demand change and ultimately influence policies that directly affect them.
Appendix
Useful sources of information:
www.wikipedia.com
www.savedarfur.org
www.guerillamarketingassociation.com
DVD – ‘Thank you for Smoking’, Director: Jason Reitman
The Orange Revolution: http://hir.harvard.edu/articles/1305/
American League of Lobbyists; http://www.alldc.org/
Examples of campaigns run on University campuses:
American Association of University Women: http://www.aauw.org/issue_advocacy/index.cfm
The University of California: http://www.ucforcalifornia.org/ucfriends/home.html
Oxford University Students Union: http://www.ousu.org/content/index.php?page=4736
Loughborough University: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/dis/disresearch/poc/pages/advocacy.html
