My Communities

Effective advocacy has been a challenge especially in restrictive and semi-open contexts because of the influence of the government laws and policies that set a barrier to how most NGOs operate.
The NGO world however needs to seek ways to achieve results in the best ways possible while maintaining minimal clashes with the governments in which they operate. The question is how...

In my line of work and those clients the company I represent are involved with need to maintain a high level of secrecy and all operations are classified. I am a Registered Foreign Agent through a division of the Department of Justice called FARA.
We engage in gathering sensitive information which is used to assess the conditions in countries throughout the Horn of Africa and for these reasons, all is conducted with high restrictions.

You are thinking right and it is true

Understanding, conceptualizing, and stating the problem clearly is indeed quite important. In my experience, the problem leads to the formation of a group or task force. This group/team will then work through some of the problems or barriers that interfere with solving the problem. The barriers that prevent the problem from being solved become their own problem, leading the group off-track. This is exactly why it is so important to keep the original problem in mind.

Sometimes we have broke solutions because the problem and the context are just misunderstood...

Persuading others can be a tough job, I always ask myself, " How do I get the attention of those I'm fighting for and with, to those who don't even know there's a fight. I understand the importance of being inclusive. But when it comes to gentrification, there's is no unity amongst homeowners and renters.
Gentrification is inclusive and does discriminate, it affects whole communities. Tenants' rents go up, and homeowners property taxes go up as well, leaving everyone eligible for displacement. I can't seem to bring these two groups together; two separate meetings have to be arranged.
It took me quite a few years to realize that politics are involved in everything and that all of our causes are about moral consciousness.

Currently facing this issue at my organization, we're still trying to figure out what measures to take to protect ourselves from any backlash we might face as a result of our advocacy.

Political context is massively important and also is something that can hinder NGO progress in the long term. I work with an organization in Tanzania in which one of the projects involves protecting girls from FGM. Although Tanzania officially banned the practice by law in 1998, a good few decades ago now, the political context in which it was once acceptable does not just change like that. The cultural norms/ expectations are reflected in the politics of a country and vice versa, yet cultural standards and expectations are a much more gradually changing concept than a simple change of law. NGOs in Tanzania, for example, are not fighting necessarily against the government of a country and therefore are not necessarily fighting in a closed system in which the government controls the parameters of what they can do, but in a way fighting against the people themselves. The government of Tanzania legally forbids FGM, but it is the rural tribes that still practice it as it is a cultural 'right of passage' that will not change because the law is changed. Therefore NGOs in this context are not really restricted in how they advocate for change but need to focus on persuasion and education of the very communities they are trying to help to try and change these cultural expectations that are considered 'right' within the culture but are harmful and dangerous to their members.

Understanding, conceptualizing, and stating the problem clearly is indeed quite important. In my experience, the problem leads to the formation of a group or task force. This group/team will then work through some of the problems or barriers that interfere with solving the problem. The barriers that prevent the problem from being solved become their own problem, leading the group off-track. This is exactly why it is so important to keep the original problem in mind.

Political context is massively important and also is something that can hinder NGO progress in the long term. I work with an organization in Tanzania in which one of the projects involves protecting girls from FGM. Although Tanzania officially banned the practice by law in 1998, a good few decades ago now, the political context in which it was once acceptable does not just change like that. The cultural norms/ expectations are reflected in the politics of a country and vice versa, yet cultural standards and expectations are a much more gradually changing concept than a simple change of law. NGOs in Tanzania, for example, are not fighting necessarily against the government of a country and therefore are not necessarily fighting in a closed system in which the government controls the parameters of what they can do, but in a way fighting against the people themselves. The government of Tanzania legally forbids FGM, but it is the rural tribes that still practice it as it is a cultural 'right of passage' that will not change because the law is changed. Therefore NGOs in this context are not really restricted in how they advocate for change but need to focus on persuasion and education of the very communities they are trying to help to try and change these cultural expectations that are considered 'right' within the culture but are harmful and dangerous to their members.

Thank you for the book recommendation.

The political context is very important, especially knowing the political agenda of the stakeholders in turn, since it is possible to visualize the possible windows of opportunity to promote a public policy, as well as the possible obstacles to be faced.

The political context can tell a lot about societies and also about the causes their people have to advocate for. Also, it can tell about how the advocacy is taking place.

Advocacy help in solving the problem of the organisation in different way and is good to go .

Advocacy is the good part which help in building the potential level of the organisation

Each context creates different opportunities for change, and also can be affected differently by the change. Effective advocacy is based on a good understanding of the local context and the issue we are going to resolve. Even though, advocacy is based on persuading and lobbying, it puts some pressure on decision makers and those targeted for behavioral change. Thus, the political environment, and understanding the openness and closeness of the space is critically important before doing advocacy. For eg. in my country there was restrictive law on CSO advocacy. But now there law was revised and improved. However, the practice is still challenging. So, it is very important to assess the situation properly.

I greatly appreciate this module because it has helped me to understand the different political environments that we have and I wish many people learned this course before they decided to open up an advocacy organization, they would do the right thing but most time we open up organizations and put advocacy as one of our core activities without understanding it fully. So I appreciate you for this course and I must extend this knowledge to my peers and other organizations that need this information.

The two concepts are interlinked.

I love this lesson

I think that it is helpful to also consider how open the organization is that you work at as well as seeking to understand the context of openness within the political, cultural and historical moment you find yourself in. You may find that you are working in a culture or society that is semi-open but work within an organization that is more restrictive based on the nature of the work you do and whom you are accountable to which may be more restrictive at a system or policy-making level than if you were doing the same work at the grassroots level.

Contextualizing advocacy approaches are necessary because most times we try to solve problems using the wrong approach or mostly not getting the nature of the problems that are organizations are advocating. Personally, I believed that my country was restrictive but following this lecture has made me understand that it is semi-open which honestly isn't as bad. Now I know how best to go about advocacy for the problems my organization is trying to solve.

Understanding the operating context through an inclusive dialogue definitely helps in identifying the most strategic entry points for engagement and deciding where to focus the advocacy work.

For sure it is important to consider all the environnement of the problem. Restriction, barrier can block all action

Hi Am Mourine from Nairobi Kenya, am excited to be part of training. I must say am learning alot as far Community Advocacy is concerned.
This module l have learnt a range of new things including among others, importance of political environment in Advocacy work

Yes, I agree with your statement. The political environmental affects how the groups success will go!

There are many factors to take in count to change any situation, political is the main since it can be a bottleneck to achieve the goal we have. That is why identifying how is the political context will conduct to better results in advocacy.

political context is critical to set up project, not the same reality from one country to another one , mostly in some african and asian countries

After reading the script I realized that, looking at the context of the environment which you want to work on is very crucial.

This is why it is important to conduct a situational analysis including a thorough desk review and interviews with key stakeholders to better under the context and root cause of the problems.

Also the culture of the host community should also be put in serious consideration.

It is very important to understand the political environment as an NGO before deciding what to do. Advocacy has always been a key strategy in achieving goals of an organisation taking into consideration the political atmosphere of that economy

I do think it is very important so that it can help you come with a clear strategy to work out the problem successful.

unfortunately in most countries, they operate on a semi-opened political context where what is supposed to be is not what is. Laws exist just for some people, placing another set of people above them. promises are made but in most cases not fulfilled. it therefore very important to understand the political context in the country we operate our advocacy work.

Advocacy is a passionate activity greatly limited by a country's political context. It's sad

Very true

first understand your context whether open, restrictive or semi-open. once you master this you will know how to maneuver with the politics of your country in order to be safe

Inclusivity and getting the community to feel ownership of the solution could make a huge difference in the effectiveness of it.

That is a good idea. Once you are aware of the root causes of the problem, it is easy to identify the strategies to solve it.

Hello,
I believe this is very true. I would like to advocate for the the unhoused with substance abuse issues, women, LBTG+, Twin Spirit and the disabled. In my country this is very hard because of stigma and a lack of political and social priority. Also, the media is controlled by a select, privileged few which makes it incredibly difficult to get the story out.

Understand deeply the context where you will work on your advocacy strategy is essential. In the course we learned that we have 3 different context types: open, restricted and semi-opened. You have not only to identify among those 3 but also to understand where your country is withing the identified one. A semi-opened country can be closer to an open one or to a more restricted one. And it can change over time, depending on which party/ group of people is in power.

I’m totally agree with this statement that by getting to the root case will no doubt help in analyzing as well as minimizing the demerits in future for sure .

Not only are we working against normal pushback but also the years of institutional resistance of change and maybe worse which is personal bias resistance.

Even an open government is truthfully not so open if you oppose the high level goals of the majority that may be utilizing resources to preserve their position and diminish other opposed positions

I agree, it is the stake holders that we represent,any issue we are advocating for needs to have them at the forefront.

In most democratic countries, everything that needed to be done need political will. This session clearly highlight that here in Kiribati we seem to have semi-open system especially when you are a civil servant. There are several things you cannot say or expose. I hope to learn more from this course as I'm trying to advocate for improving service provided in our hospital especially our Emergency services

This module is a very crucial one in defining the problem you're trying to solve. In most semi-open country in which most are described as a democratic setting with some level of transparency and expression but characterized by a great deal of corruption and violence act by powerful and governmental forces thereby rendering the NGOs unable to do anything because most are always perverted .

This is very insightful, some countries might appear to be open yet very restricted to advocacy.

So far what I got from this is that you need ro be careful Advocate because the government and powerful people are corrupt. Ok, so now what? Are we really brave advocates or just pretending to be. Was Martin Luther King or Malcum X and all the old advocates going in the wrong direction? Maybe? They did get assassinated....like my character would be assassinated if I advocated all the way to the Governer...I would be the target of a character and investigation assassination. Very sad.

How can we resolve the challenges of advocacy for behavior change in the context of semi-open and restrictive political context?

In my country the plotical context is deeply restrice, advocacy work is very hard to be in the right way, here they don't care about the beneficiaries or what they need, we have alot of problem that need to be solved but the government is against the NGOs work

I agree, context and culture are important to being effective. I don't live where the project is located so attentive listening and learning is important.

We have to carve out some degree of safety. It is sad.

I am grateful to be in a semi open environment where I work but it does come with it's hardships. Some days it is hard to know what is happening versus what is said to be happening.

It was interesting learning about the environmental approach that needs to be taken based on the level of transparency and openness within the organization. For the non profit I work for specifically, confidentiality is very important but we want to be transparent when it comes to the financial aspect and the specifics of how we handle each cent we receive. On the back side, this can lead to a lack of communication simple because certain information about our clients but not be released or talked about.

It is important to contextualize advocacy approaches and that requires analysing the root causes of the problem we are trying to solve which can be done by being inclusive and understanding the problems by someone who is facing them directly.

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SARAHCAD
Oct 18, 2020, 11:02 PM
The importance of taking into account our political context and adapt to it is also well explained in the famous book of Srdja Popovic "How to topple a dictator" ! :)

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RSARASUA
Oct 19, 2020, 7:40 PM
Yes I think that this is very important because what an outsider might think is important for the group is not really important for the people in the group. Stakeholder buy-in is extremely important to be effective.

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MOHGARSORE385C
Oct 23, 2020, 12:33 AM
Political environment not only determines the operations an NGO but can sometimes land the management to get troubles with the government regimes. Some government can sometimes burn any amount of NGO activity, or can allow the operation under a strict rules regulations for a prevailing political situations. However, some government regimes require,recognizes and can recommend any amount of input for from the nonprofit organization by providing the necessary resources and space for the project implementing agencies.

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AHMEDALQADHI
Oct 23, 2020, 5:58 PM
There is no doubt that understanding the political environment is so important for the success of an advocacy approach. That is because a certain approach can be appropriate for a certain context but not for another. It is only the people who are in the field who can decide which advocacy approach is applicable.
Ahmed/Yemen

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KATHARINE
Oct 23, 2020, 9:29 PM
I agree the stakeholders need to all be on board with change in my filed of training so much training is wasted if the organisation does not support the new learning.

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NIRAGIRE
Oct 24, 2020, 8:24 AM
That's very true. Much as contextualization should be done focusing on the beneficiaries, also the political environment (philosophies) should be given special attention since sometimes beneficiaries might need a certain change which the politicians are not ready to embrace especially in less democratic governments which care about personal gains than citizen first on their political agenda

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LAURIE
Oct 25, 2020, 2:50 AM
I think we have very few countries in which we have open contexts, where the opinion of stakeholders, NGOs, the constituents are actively sought by the decision-makers, ie politicians. I can only think of one, where there is an active type of direct democracy, where the voters are regularly at the polls to give their opinion on key governmental policies. In my country, the governance is not at all clear. There is a murky line of responsibility. The main taxing governmental body doesn't deliver the bulk of the programs in the areas of education and healthcare, resulting in poor accountability over the use of the public coffers for those sectors. We have to approach various levels of government, because the decision maker is not clearly one or the other level.
Another problem is that the politician may have the power in theory to make decisions, but in reality, the bureaucracy can stymie the political decisions. There is a status quo that is entrenched in public service that will not change easily based on the decision of politicians, who might be only there for a few years and then another party has a radically different agenda for that area we seek to influence. Then there's the power behind lobbyists, unions, etc. The whole environment for decision makers is really complex these days, especially since political figures also have to manage their social media profile. Many promise changes to look good, but then nothing changes concretely.
A good point - to keep in mind the repercussions on those we seek to help, or even perhaps on the team of the NGO working seeking to influence.

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CORRINAVALI
Oct 26, 2020, 6:22 PM
Agreed. As many countries around the world are becoming more closed, it is also important to keep in mind the risks of advocacy work for ourselves and our colleagues. How do you make that trade-off? What kinds of organizational policies should we have with respect to risk analysis and mitigation?

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RENEGODLY
Oct 29, 2020, 2:53 PM
Yeah, restrictive governments hinder the progress of advocates of NGOs.

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MAGMAYARIS
Oct 29, 2020, 5:23 PM
currently in my country we have an anti-HIV discrimination law, which in itself is a good thing. Nonetheless, implementation of the law continues to be a challenge in the light of stigma and discrimination, which often lead people to not invoke the law when their human rights are trampled on. When the factor of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is brought into the picture, the case is worsened, because we have seen police clamp down on LGBT spaces, which at times double as avenue for education and HIV testing services.

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MAGMAYARIS
Oct 29, 2020, 5:29 PM
Usually some governments will never come to support any advocacy work that does not benefit them. Advocates for The LGBTIQ Human rights are usually at risk whenever they stand to speak people from their communities will shame them and even name call them. Sometimes what makes advocacy work difficult is not knowing what the policies of your government say. As long as one knows what their constitution says about that particular thing they are advocating for it will be easy for them to stand up and speak for what they know and believe is right.

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MAGMAYARIS
Oct 29, 2020, 5:29 PM
Do you have the link for this book. I would love to go through it.

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MAGMAYARIS
Oct 29, 2020, 5:30 PM
This is true I can relate to some of the things. In my country we actually do face a similar thing in our advocacy work.

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ETHELASHONG-NUGA
Oct 30, 2020, 2:59 PM
Very true. In the context where the people are very emotionally attached to their ways of doing things

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LUDI
Oct 31, 2020, 12:03 AM
Politics basically is about decision making. Understanding that context aids in planning approaches to influence decision making, helps understanding what is likely to be accepted or not accepted. Various interests of parties also influence actions and responses on given issues.

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KAWULE123
Nov 3, 2020, 1:41 PM
I really learned a lot from this module. The problem identification and political context were crucial in developing advocacy plan

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KAWULE123
Nov 3, 2020, 1:44 PM
Thank you Sir. Another good resource. I like being with a team of senior professionals.

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HOPEKM
Nov 3, 2020, 5:54 PM
Very well said.

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HAZEM-MIZYED
Nov 4, 2020, 9:46 AM
I think what's often missing is KPIs, key performance indicators. NGOs often work without defining clear outcomes of that they want to achieve.

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ISAACMJULIUS
Nov 4, 2020, 2:05 PM
The examination of the environmental stances of both mainstream political parties and environmental social movements; and. The analysis of public policymaking and implementation affecting the environment, at multiple geo-political levels. mixed impact

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GYPSY
Nov 5, 2020, 1:49 AM
It would important to identify the context in which the advocacy work would be taling place so one could determine risks vs. benefits, which actions would benefit or hinder, and if even the project should be undertaken.

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KYAGULANYIFRANCIS
Nov 5, 2020, 10:59 AM
Am very certain about advocacy because without one stood for others then it's hard to convince government.

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CHARLIESHAFER
Nov 6, 2020, 6:37 PM
Listening to those actually experiencing the problem is the most important first step.

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ISAACCHISHALA
Nov 10, 2020, 2:19 AM
For sure restrictive government hinder the progress of advocates of NGO.because organisations ar not allowed to operate freely especially area ofpolitical advocate every time you want to have meetings you have to
notify the police ,if they know your agenda of political advocacy sometime permit not given.

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ABIGAIL96
Nov 11, 2020, 11:03 AM
in regards to advocacy and the political context, i think it's within one's capability to decide which context they can create through their influence at the respective places of operation

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OTIENOOMONDI
Nov 17, 2020, 9:50 AM
in our country we face the same problems when it comes to advocacy

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YESHUARAJIV
Nov 19, 2020, 5:50 PM
Hmmmm for some context it is absolutely true...

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YESHUARAJIV
Nov 19, 2020, 5:53 PM
Hmmmm for some context it is absolutely true...

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MATSIKAP
Nov 20, 2020, 1:30 PM
I will start with restrictive where I work as it was discussed earlier on restrictive does not have openness as open contexts. In restrictive you will be guided on certain rules of the organization although in this context the rule of law is not followed it will be overridden by very people who makes the law so it becomes very difficult for one perform his or her duties as you will be afraid of executing your duties properly because you will be labeled as you are tarnishing the image of the organization. Also you can not give your opinions on anything and things are done secretly. But it is a very boring environment to work because you can not express what is good for the citizens. The executive tells the Legislative and the Judiciary what to do so you can not come up with favorable judgments as you will be told what the outcome should be.

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XYLANDER
Nov 22, 2020, 4:40 PM
I think restrictive context may be one better to stick to an organization vision. It cans help organization taking actions in a well-known funnel that can get them to constantly improve their idea in the field they are related to without getting out the area that are theirs. This would be a good way to improve sartness over broadness and that I think is a powerful weapon to correct and effective development. I wish the challenge will be to select the good decision maker and have a clear and smart vision that meet a specific problem.

Peace within the whole world is achievable. We should bring changes by making positive impact around us. This is how we can shape the evolution of the future.

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RICHARDCHANDO
Nov 24, 2020, 2:04 PM
What comes to mind is the issue of FGM and the communities it is being practiced. In Kenya for instance where there are pockets of this problem, it is important to understand where the laws of the country stand on this subject and use that to initiate an effective advocacy campaign by bringing on board community leadership to drive an anti-FGM campaign.

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JAZMYNFE
Nov 24, 2020, 8:08 PM
It is important for there to be transparency when it comes to the political context so that advocates know how to advocate effectively.

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VIVIAN_ANDRADE
Nov 27, 2020, 3:05 AM
In my country (Brazil), we have a semi-open context. At the same time that we consider the country as a democracy, we have some level of transparency and participation, we also face several problems in our political system, such as corruption and we deal with enormous violence coming from the government and public officials. In this scenario, the work of NGOs and even political groups faces great challenges.

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SHIANNCLEPHANE
Nov 30, 2020, 8:20 AM
Agreed. As many countries around the world are becoming more closed, it is also important to keep in mind the risks of advocacy work for ourselves and our colleagues. How do you make that trade-off? What kinds of organizational policies should we have with respect to risk analysis?

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LIANA
Dec 1, 2020, 1:24 PM
Understanding ones context of operation is very important why carrying out advocacy.

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ZEEZEK
Dec 1, 2020, 10:17 PM
Most of the country operate in a semi open environment in which people must think of their actions and the consequence before engaging in it.

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TUNGYU
Dec 2, 2020, 5:39 AM
Political context is effecting everything in our daily life. It influences our culture, people's behaviors, and even what people think and express...these will all have impact on the decisions making.

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GEOFF2020
Dec 2, 2020, 8:13 PM
Great insights on the need to understand a problem before prescribing an advocacy solution. Comprehending the political context in which the advocacy strategy will be applied is critical. Lacking it maybe a recipe for failure.

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UMMA
Dec 4, 2020, 12:28 PM
Restrictive context aptly describes the exact situation in Nigeria.
Advocacy if carefully conducted will provide long lasting solution to the mightiest problems.

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HAMZAABDALLA84
Dec 6, 2020, 7:03 PM
Adding to my colleagues points I believe knowing your country political context is very crucial to your success as NGO. I support our instructors that most countries are residing in the semi-open context so as NGOs operating in these countries we could really learn from each other and enrich our experiences. There is not best-solution that fits everywhere, however, understanding the real need, sharing knowledge and exchanging experiences might lead to better communities.

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BRIGHTERNIGHTS
Dec 10, 2020, 7:10 PM
This is a great point. There is a huge difference between having a law or policy and actually enforcing the said law or policy. I wonder how much advocacy work is done to have new measures enacted versus having existing ones enforced.

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BRIGHTERNIGHTS
Dec 10, 2020, 7:41 PM
I agree. I believe, in the vast majority of cases, politicians would like to make things better for their people. Where that desire fits on their priority ladder is the real question. For some, it sits pretty high, for other it may fall below personal gain. The challenge, then, is how to move it higher up the ladder. How is improving the lives of others beneficial for them (the politician)?

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ABDULGADIRALHAJ
Dec 11, 2020, 9:52 AM
Now most political leaders are self-centered leaders whose agendas are based on their families and friends, so these such leaders need to be dealt with in through massive awareness and creating of young advocates who are full of visions towards the betterment of their generation in order flourish and influence and advance the political arenas. Now the question is, how can we as the most vulnerable communities deal with such visionless leaders?

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TOQEEBHUMLA
Dec 12, 2020, 9:24 AM
If any of here then kindly check my assignment

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TOQEEBHUMLA
Dec 12, 2020, 9:26 AM
If any of here then kindly check my assignment

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TOQEEBHUMLA
Dec 12, 2020, 9:26 AM
Kindly help me to complete the course If any of here then kindly check my assignment

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MYOHMINNOO
Dec 13, 2020, 9:25 AM
I totally agree that every advocacy project requires the prior understanding of its projected location's political contexts. Does the people there accept usually accept new ideas or are they open enough for the world? Is it democractic or authoritarian? What are the laws? Only understanding those political contexts can produce smoother approaches for successful advocacy.

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ASSET43
Dec 16, 2020, 6:55 PM
Policy changes hardly ever happens overnight and is often linked to broader change in the political environment. Effective advocacy requires long-term as well as short-term thinking, an understanding of the points of conflict and the means to gain power, the readiness to form alliances, and the flexibility to seize windows of opportunity.

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CEGBADAGO
Dec 17, 2020, 9:07 PM
What a way to begin the module. It is true context is of essence and in trying to solve a problem, the problem should in itself be clearly outlined and the strategies to mitigate them comprehensive. Your target audience should in effect feel the impact.

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OLUWABUSOLAMI29
Dec 20, 2020, 2:09 AM
We should have a way to measure the quality of approach to an advocacy and not the quantity such as money or other inputs but the outcome. Thanks for the insight

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ALICHOCHRIS
Dec 26, 2020, 4:06 PM
in as much as the context we are working in is important, i also think it is important we take context-variability into account. the context in most nations is always changing

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OWOLABIBAYONLE52
Dec 27, 2020, 8:39 PM
Context is the pivot of any advocacy campaign. However, a factor must be highly considered. An advocacy group must ensure it adequate educates the members of the public in order not to be seen as an enemy of progress in the society. I think one of the tentacles of context that must be considered is audience characteristics and disposition. Thanks for this insight.

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RDINGMAN
Dec 29, 2020, 1:53 AM
I agree, stakeholders along with employees, and people inside the organization should be able to deal with change. Sometimes the stakeholders dont know what need to be changed in an organization, while those getting the support and help do. In order to see where everyone is at, there should be a survey to determine where the minds meet, then go from there.

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BERNAH_NAMUTEBI
Dec 29, 2020, 10:27 AM
The political context in uganda is semi-open with all the laws in place but NGOs have to operate with extra care.

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TAMANJILOGODI
Dec 31, 2020, 5:46 AM
Everything highlighted in this module is very important. Take the case of working on a advocacy campaign, its very important to know the strategies to use and the possible risk that can be encountered

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AGNESBEDARD
Dec 31, 2020, 4:31 PM
Political environment is very important. Where I am in the US, our neighborhood has changed from a conservative political strong arm type of leadership to a more open liberal leadership. Those who fight the change are afraid. Afraid of any changes will destroy what they know about their neighborhood but the change is needed as our community has changed due to the political upheaval that had led to the loss of work and social programs

Agnes Bedard

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TAMANJILOGODI
Jan 4, 2021, 7:09 AM
Everything highlighted in this module is very important. Take the case of working on a advocacy campaign, its very important to know the strategies to use and the possible risk that can be encountered

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DAVIDSSUAH1992
Jan 8, 2021, 1:29 PM
I really learned a lot from this module, but the difference between open and Semi open is still not clear to me, because many NGOs don't work on Achieving all there Goals but rather take side with the Government.

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NOBLENOBON
Jan 8, 2021, 3:17 PM
I so much agree with you because the more you understand your political environment, the more strategic you will be in tackling the problem at hand

Noble

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JANEALEXANDER
Jan 11, 2021, 7:57 AM
I am lucky enough to live in an open context (Australia), however there are signs over the last few years that we are heading more towards a semi-open environment, especially regarding indigenous (first nations) rights, media freedom and transparency of some government decisions. It seems crucial that NGOs adapt their approaches rapidly to the changing context of their work - what worked open year or under one government may not have the same outcomes under a newly elected government and the organization can quickly sidelined. Maintaining relevance and presence across different political groups and anticipating how they respond to you if they come to power is important.

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EWEGBEMIG
Jan 12, 2021, 1:44 PM
Many countries are becoming more restricted, even the semi opened ones and this phenomena is placing advocacy works at risk

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EWEGBEMIG
Jan 12, 2021, 1:48 PM
While criticism is appreciated in an open context,it acceptable to a degree in semi open context

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EWEGBEMIG
Jan 12, 2021, 1:51 PM
When you understand the political environment of your country, you are a step closer to achieving your goals as an advocate

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SUZANTEMIDAYO38
Jan 12, 2021, 3:40 PM
This module is a very crucial one in defining the problem you're trying to solve. In most semi-open country in which most are described as a democratic setting with some level of transparency and expression but characterized by a great deal of corruption and violence act by powerful and governmental forces thereby rendering the NGOs unable to do anything because most are always perverted .

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I agree in as much as a given advocacy strategy may be in line with the political environment it is to be administered in , political interest is also key.

Yes and stakeholders need to be selected appropriately

Yes very true, I agree with you

Stakeholder buy in is sometime one of hardest things to achieve. You need to do your research done be confident going into the pitch or your idea will never see the light of day.

I totally agree with you

This is very true

Improving public services and human rights are the big problem which need advocacy work in my country, all the people are suffering from this problem but in today restrictive political context its hard for any NGO to do open advocacy for addressing these problem to motivate the decision maker.

It is very important to contextualise the the advocacy political environment before embarking on any advocacy activity or operation. AS , we have learnt the Instructors Ruth &Rakesh ,its advisable to do pre-screening of where we want to operate, how we want to operate and what we intend to achieve as an ultimate Goal, A closer observation and care will suggest the ways or approach that will sum our strategy, Caution: Don't start any advocacy without the preliminary analysis of the political environment or system to avoid sad outcomes.. DREJIOFOR

i think most of the problems in the community the politicians dont know and most of stakeholders are not interested in advocating for the problems but i think as an advocate you ensure you represent people interest to ensure their well being

Advocacy is community, empathy, and compassion at work. Advocacy is the answer, and the political scene is the dilemma. Advocacy significantly changes how people view the constitution. It addresses the problems and demonstrates solutions. It functions as a coded framework that includes means for protection, justice, and critique: yet, politics functions as a slavery code that regulates the identity of an unidentified cosmological sphere.

I agree. It is extremely important to have clarity for relevance, understanding, and development. The analysis of the issue requires a unique and critical review of the problem to provide a better platform for a solution that includes all stakeholders as well as maintains the integrity of the advocacy for the organization or issue itself.

I think that this is very important. The reason it is is because , what other people looking from the outskirts might think would be imperative for the group as a whole would not necessarily hold as much weight than the people actually on the inside would say.

I think there will debates about this and depending on the side someone on will yield different responses. I wonder if your representative supports this.

This is true. Understanding the context, helps with the advocacy.

Advocacy will do well when stakeholders have a buy-in

This module opened my eyes. I didn't realize there was a lot of context I had to consider. The work you think is help or can reduce problems in society can make you a target depending on the political climate.

This is important as it is only then one is mindful of the approach to take when one is creating measures to bring about change

I have experience with a semi-open political context in Africa(Niger) where Ngo's find advocacy work very difficult. You have be careful legal issues regarding registration , location, staff, and fundraising exercises. The risk of being arrested is very high , so, much caution is needed in other to operate with success.

Exactly, when you think of advocacy, it's hard to think about all that really needs to be considered. Like you mentioned, it's a lot of context and political climate that's dependent on the problems in society.

Advocacy is told complex at first but once start working on its simple if you have good helping environment just to help you all if you’re wondering it’s complicated

Very very essential

Analyzing your surrounding to safeguard yourself and your team is very crucial. That doesn't mean you shouldn't act. We need to act after analysis and build strong advocacy strategy to gain our goals . Analysis the problem statement by tools such as not limited to Problem Tree will facilitate on writing your messages.

Advocacy is the active support of an idea or cause expressed through strategies and methods that influence the opinions and decisions of people and organisations.

In the social and economic development context the aims of advocacy are to create or change policies, laws, regulations, distribution of resources or other decisions that affect people’s lives and to ensure that such decisions lead to implementation.[1] Such advocacy is generally directed at policy makers including politicians, government officials and public servants, but also private sector leaders whose decisions impact upon peoples lives, as well as those whose opinions and actions influence policy makers, such as journalists and the media, development agencies and large NGOs.

By “pro-poor advocacy” we mean advocacy for political decisions and actions that respond to the interests of people who directly face poverty and disadvantage. For those pursuing the goal of equitable and pro-poor ICT access, advocacy as a means to bring about change can be appropriate in a range of circumstances, including:

(a) Where ICT policies could have the effect of reinforcing poverty and discrimination. For example, “e-government” projects that use the internet to improve access to public services may, for those without internet access, have the reverse effect, unless they are complemented by other measures to enable universal access to the internet.

(b) When appropriate ICT policy change could be expected to improve poor people’s lives and livelihoods. For example, the adoption of broadcasting policies that enable community-based organisations to establish their own radio or television services.

(c) As part of a wider programme of support for pro-poor ICT access. For example, the impact and effectiveness of investment in public ICT access centres may be improved by advocacy efforts to adopt and mainstream good practice such as community participation in management or use of free and open source software.

There is much that has been written on advocacy and how to gain influence. Some of the basic tenets of the art of persuasion, found in political science and communication studies, appear also in early Greek and Chinese philosophy.[2] It is widely recognised, for example, that change comes rarely from force of logical argument alone or from the presentation of irrefutable evidence in support of the changes required. The latter is most starkly demonstrated by the slow response to climate change warnings. Much depends on the character, approach and credibility of those seeking change and the receptiveness of those they are seeking to persuade. Advocacy is inherently political and an understanding of political dynamics is at the heart of effective advocacy.

Even the most clear-minded advocacy for pro-poor ICT policies can meet resistance for various reasons, including lack of political will, bureaucratic inertia, and counter arguments from well-resourced interest groups pursuing their own advocacy efforts. Effective advocacy therefore requires research to map out the policy terrain, the principal actors, the political relations and the interests at stake. In the ICT policy field this terrain typically will include government departments, communications regulators, telecommunications service providers, media organisations, sector associations and growing numbers of civil society interest groups. Careful planning and a strategic approach are therefore needed if results are to be achieved.

Policy change rarely happens overnight and is often linked to broader change in the political environment. Effective advocacy requires long-term as well as short-term thinking, an understanding of the points of resistance and the means to gain traction, the readiness to form alliances, and the flexibility to seize windows of opportunity.

This overview describes some of the more commonly used advocacy techniques, from critical engagement such as policy monitoring and policy dialogue, through organised campaigns for policy change, to pathfinder and demonstrator projects that can inform and influence future policy making. It highlights the importance for people facing disadvantage to be able to assert their own needs and interests. It explains step by step how to devise an effective advocacy strategy for ICT policy reform. It is accompanied by case examples and signposting to further tools and resources.

raws from the advocacy research and experience of Amnesty International (1997), Sprechman and Pelton (2001), Wolf (2001), Rose (2005) and IFEX (2005).

advocacy needs to align with the political context and constitutional requirements.
The course will help me evaluate appropriate strategies towards advocacy

In fact we can never fight for a cause, without knowing it's fully background and without think about the path that it's going to take. Knowing what leaded to the situation, the culture and political context can give us the tools that we need in order to try to solve the problem in the best way

"You have to think, in this place in which I am working, what risks does my advocacy work expose myself, my organization and my colleagues to, and how can we mitigate for that?"

This is a very interesting point.

That is an excellent point and something I plan to keep in mind.

I agree with the pinned comment. Having an understanding of both the problem and the solution AND the context of environment is vital. It ties into the last few points that Rakesh made in the audio. It allows you to determine if what you want fits into what is possible (or safe) to pursue, but it also helps determine if the costs associated with the work are justified by the potential benefits - and if those benefits are realistic to assume.

That’s correct. The system or political context really do affect the approach to advocacy.

Political context truly affects the approach to advocacy.

Yes for advocacy we need to know about the context of the society , their culture. norms and values. It is very important to know the root causes of the problem we are facing.

Yes each country or society have their own values , culture and religious sensitivities , therefore, there political context is very important to initiate advocacy to achieve the goals pre described.

Advocacy and political context has proportionate effect on each other, As the political context is, as the distinct strategies of advocacy need to be adopted. The advocacy in open, semi open political context is easy respective to restrictive political context.

I totally agree that is very important how is open or closed regime in the country but also can play a role in the topic with which NGOs deal. For example, NGOs deal with animal protection it is not so politicized and the media will speak openly about this topic but it is not possible to have access to the media if you speak about human rights or sensitive political topics.

Political Context matters not only to start, but also to maintain an advocacy strategy alive. Political instability can be pretty cruel when it comes to the implementation of a strategy; and , therefore, managing a risking plan is pretty important.

I think the country's background is really essential to be figured out when listing the issues that we want to advocate for. The importance of an issue and its impact on the society also matters. For instance, an NGO may define a general problem that is very controversial globally, however, it may not has this huge impart on the society the NGO operating in. Prioritizing the issues that need to be solved in a country then choosing an advocacy tactic for each one of them and applying it in the right timing is the key.

strong agreed, understating context is the first step in advocacy approaches.

Advocacy is a big part of our strategy. We have long realised that we aren't able to make a real change in healthcare if we won't advocate for policy changes and not only for the policy but their implementation and supervision. Find people who are responsible and accountable for the policy implementation and its effectiveness.

Yes, it is imperative to approach the work/problem with inclusivity and an open mind. As an advocate we need to understand that each person's situation may be different from the circumstances you are used or just what you have experienced.

I totally agree with our instructors and getting to know the political context of your place or environment. Some NGOs just see a problem and dive right into finding solutions without first addressing this very key issue. And like some of my colleagues mentioned in their contribution there is no best fit system for all cause even in these ones we've got certain limitations as well. Understanding your organization's goals and objectives, thus what you actually stand for, will help you find and adapt to a system that works best for you.

I agree with this premise, as no two problems have the same solution. It is vital to engage with persons facing these challenges to understand their struggles and boost their involvement in developing advocacy strategies aimed at influencing policy.

Advocacy helps to transform policies and services that affect displaced and stateless people on a national, regional and global level. It is a vital part of our work at UNHCR.

In both countries of asylum and countries of origin, UNHCR works within national political, economic and social structures to bring policies, practices and laws into compliance with international standards.

In times of forced displacement, we use advocacy to influence governments, non-governmental partners and the public at large to adopt practices that ensure the protection of those in need.

Understanding the political context is a very important and basic step toward navigating the risk and having a good understanding of what approach should your organization take and what step it should not, especially in a very restrictive political environment.
I think the advocacy behind the senses and indirect approach would be better suited, rather than moving toward open campaigning and confrontation with restrictive and authoritarian regimes.

Currently, organisations have to be very careful, with the current political climate.

I think you're right, because every environment has its own norms and culture that is unique to it, so I believe advocacy needs to be done with more care and in context to enable us achieve our goal.