1. ADVOCACY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
Presented by: Loay Qabajeh

2. 2 Expectations

3. Course outline …
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 Advocacy Skills for Youth.
 What IS Social media and It importance.
 How to run an advocacy campaign through SM.
 Practicing common SM platforms and tools.
 Media authoring tools.

4. 4 Group Exercise
What is Advocacy?
Why do youth need Advocacy skills?
How to plan and run an advocacy campaign?
What are the characteristics of an effective
advocacy campaigns?

5. What IS Advocacy?
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 Advocacy is a process of influencing key decision
makers and opinion formers for changes to policies
and practices that will work in poor people’s favor.
 Advocacy is the act or process of supporting a
cause or issue. It is a set of targeted actions in
support of a cause or an issue.
 Advocacy is speaking up, drawing a community’s
attention to an important issue, and directing
decision makers towards a solution

6. What IS Advocacy? … cont.
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 Advocacy is an organized, systematic and intentional
process of influencing matters of public interest and
changing power relations to improve the lives of the
disenfranchised . ‫محرومين من الحقوق‬
 “A set of targeted actions in support of a
cause or an issue, to build support for
that cause or issue, influence others to
support it; or try to influence or change
legislation that affects it.”

7. Importance of Advocacy
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8. ADVOCACY APPROCHES
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For
BY With

9. ADVOCACY APPROCHES
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Advocacy for:
This is advocacy done by an organization, institution
on behalf of the people or community.
This approach often fails as the community tends to be left behind.
Advocacy with:
This is where the community or people advocate for
a cause together with the organizations or
institutions. The community is involved in the actual
advocacy work.

10. ADVOCACY APPROCHES
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Advocacy by:
This is where the community champions a cause on their own.
The community’s capacities are built and empowered to
advocate for a cause with the help of the organizations .
This approach tends to succeed because:
 The communities may have expert knowledge of their problems
 They can suggest workable solutions based on direct experience of the
problems.
 The cause is legitimized as the community’s voices is heard.
 They are often highly motivated because they are directly affected by
the issue

11. Time to Break.
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12. Advocacy planning cycle ( steps)
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13. Identify and analyze the problem/ Issue:
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 Advocacy begins with an issue or a problem a group
decides to support in order to promote a policy
change. The issue should meet the group’s agreed-
upon criteria and support the organization overall
visions.
 The exact nature of the problem to be addressed
needs to be identified as clearly as possible.
 The advocate needs to identify exactly what the issue
is and wherever possible a range of potential
acceptable solutions or desired outcomes.

14. Analyse and Research the issue ..Questions
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 Has this issue arisen elsewhere? If so how was it
handled and what was the outcome?
 Are there any policies, guidelines or laws relating to
this?
 Are there any organisations that might give you advice
and guidance?
 What is the plan of action for addressing this issue?
 Who should we contact?
 What is the most likely avenue of communication to be
successful?
 From whom else do we need help?

15. Set Goals and Objectives:
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 A goal is a general statement of
what the group hopes to achieve
in the long term (3-5 yrs).
 The advocacy objectives describe
short-term, specific, measurable
achievements that contribute to the
advocacy work.

16. Identify Target Audience:
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• The primary target audience includes the decision
makers who have the authority to bring about the
desired policy change.
• The secondary target audience includes persons who
have access to and are able to influence the primary
audience e.g. other policy makers, friends or relatives,
the media, religious leaders etc.
• Must identify individuals in the target audience, their
positions, and relative power base and then determine
whether the various individuals support, oppose, or are
neutral to the advocacy issue.

17. Build Support / Network :
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 Building a constituency to support the
agenda is important for success.
 The larger the support base, the greater
the chances of success.
 The group must reach out to create
alliances with other CBOs, NGOs,
networks, donors, coalitions, activists who
support the issue and will work with you to
achieve your advocacy goals

18. Develop the Message:
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5 Elements of a Message to Consider
 Content/Ideas
 Appropriate Language
 Messenger/Source (credible/trusted)
 Format/Medium to Convey Message
 Time/Place

19. Select Channels of Communication:
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 Selection of appropriate medium for
advocacy messages depends on the
target audience.
 Some of the more common channels
includes; press kits and press release,
press conferences, fact sheets, a
public debate, a conference for
policy makers etc.
SOCIAL MEDIA is a good channel

20. Raise Funds:
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 Advocacy campaigns can always benefit from outside
funds and other resources.
 Resources can help the development and dissemination
of materials, cover network members travel to meet the
various decision makers and generate support,
underwrite meetings, seminars, etc.
 advocacy groups should develop a fundraising strategy
at the outset of the campaign to identify potential
contributors of financial and other resources.

21. Develop Implementation Plan:
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 Implementation plan will guide the actual advocacy
work.
 The plan should identify activities and tasks,
responsible persons/committees, the desired time
frame, and needed resources.

22. Guidelines for Advocacy Experiences
Sharing and Reflection
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 What were you advocating for and why, what
did you want to change and for whom?
(Objectives)
 Had you tried other options in addressing the
problem? (Alternatives)
 Who else was involved in this agenda?
(Stakeholders)
 What were the major highlights of this
campaign or agenda? (Successes)

23. Guidelines for Advocacy Experiences
Sharing and Reflection
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 If you were to repeat the campaign and you had
the power and opportunity, what would you do
differently? (Weaknesses)
 What would you do the same way as your
previous campaign? (Strength)
 If you were picked as an advisor to an advocacy
grouping intending to carry out advocacy
activities similar to the ones you had participated
in, what would be your key advice? (Lessons
learnt)

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What skills and qualities does an
advocate need?

25. What skills and qualities does an advocate need?
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An open and flexible mind
Creative problem-solving techniques
Listening skills
Good working knowledge of the area in question
Knowledge of the parties/bodies involved

26. What skills and qualities does an advocate need?
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Ability to disagree without closing the lines of
communication
Ability to persuade
Ability to be persuaded
Ability to analyse problems
Ability to separate relevant from irrelevant information

27. What skills and qualities does an advocate need?
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Ability to take an effective part in meetings
and keep documentation
Ability to manage ones own stress
Able to be assertive
Ability to successfully negotiate

28. Barriers to effective advocacy
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Failing to prepare Unhelpful Transience of
negotiation styles community
networks
Fearing retaliation, or Issue is too Not enough time
worrying what complex
others will think
Being aggressive Lack of skills or Discrimination or
rather than confidence abuse of power
assertive

29. Barriers to effective advocacy
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Being unaware of Language and or
Lack of knowledge
your rights jargon
Not being able to
Having unrealistic Questionable
access people
expectations accountability
sufficiently senior
Being unwilling to
listen to others Feeling intimidated
solutions

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Thank You