Advocacy for Democratic Reform

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Advocacy for Democratic Reform

The August-October 2004 theme is Using Advocacy to Achieve Democratic Reform. This installment highlights projects and organizations around the world whose work demonstrates how groups can advocate and interact with government to achieve institutional reform. We have focused on the practical strategies and tactics utilized to effect change by groups working at the local, national and regional levels, as well as internationally.

These groups work in various sectors to train activists in advocacy work, and to gather and disseminate information to international groups, citizen groups, and the media with the ultimate goal of implementing systemic change in government.

The installment has been divided into three sections (found under the menu to the right) that represent various effective techniques: training in advocacy, taking issues to government, and informing for change. The groups highlighted focus on good governance, human rights, free and independent media, educational reform, and other democracy-related objectives. Their activities demonstrate how groups seeking institutional reform on a particular issue use advocacy to develop and build support for the implementation of solutions. Advocacy campaigns can be conducted in a number of ways, including lobbying for specific legislative change, conducting outreach to raise awareness, and strengthening capacity through training. By targeting specific audiences, such as youth, women, and journalists, these groups mobilize communities and raise interest to help achieve reform.

Projects and organizations presented are illustrative examples that democracy activists and practitioners might consider as they develop their own initiatives. Please send us information on work your organization may be doing on advocacy (such as successful strategies and tactics in your projects, case studies, activities, or publications) so we can consider adding it to the list of projects and organizations.

Please send the information via email to world@ned.org or by fax to +1-202-293-0755.

Special sections of this installment feature interviews with five World Movement participants who describe how they use advocacy to promote reform in their respective sectors:

This installment also contains a list of online publications on advocacy, including manuals, toolkits, resource web pages, and articles.

The World Movement would like to thank its intern, Adaeze Okongwu, for her assistance in assembling this issue.