1. Using events to influence
Voices learning event 15 November
Rashmi Mistry

2. AGENDA
• Intro
• Policy and research – SADC process
• Public campaigning and mobilisation – COP17
• Movement building – Rural Womens Assembly
• Oxfam’s approach
• Exercise
• Discussion

3. WHAT ARE EVENTS?
• Policy makers and decision makers meet to take
decisions that could impact on the issues you
care about, eg…
• Global and regional: G20, G8, COP, SADC,
BRICS, African Union, World Economic Forum
etc…
• National and local: Mangaung, provincial
councils, business conferences, etc…

4. WHY DO OXFAM USE
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
• Some of the reasons people are kept in poverty
are structural, political decisions that happen at
global levels
• Debt relief and aid – G8
• Trade – WTO, bilateral, regional
• HIV/AIDS – MDGs, UNGA, G8 etc
• Climate change – UNFCCC / COP, G20

5. INTERNATIONAL POLICIES CAN
LEAD TO CHANGE
• Oxfam theory of change identifies some
international processes as having potential to
create change at national level
• Used to put the spotlight and pressure on issues
• For citizens to hold decision makers to account
where national processes fail
• But they only happen if there is national level
action!

6. CASE: HOLDING GOVERNMENT
AND BUSINESS TO ACCOUNT
Philippines – indigenous
community used the
Commission for
Elimination of Racial
Discrimination

7. WHAT EVENTS CAN DO
• Keeping poverty on the political agenda – e.g.
G8, G20, UNGA, WTO – aid, trade, debt
• Keeping poverty in the public eye
• Added pressure on decision makers
• Fundraising
• Mobilisation
• Facilitate civsoc networking and movement
building

8. SOME OXFAM ACHIEVEMENTS
• Instrumental in putting poverty on the G8
agenda
• Alliance building – e.g. Rio
• G8 in Germany 2009 produced $750m extra aid
money
• Finance on the EU agenda in climate
negotiations
• G8 in Canada – recommitment to Global Fund
for HIV, TB and Malaria

9. OUR APPROACH
RESEARCH LOBBYING
EVIDENCE
TARGET
PUBLIC CAMPAIGNING MEDIA
MOBILISATION

10. COP 18 IN DOHA – THE PLAN
• Policy and research – produce a brief outlining
problem and key asks
• Lobbying – team of advocacy specialists lobby
officials directly before and during event
• Alliances – working together with global and
local civsoc
• Media – media coordinator to communicate to
officials and public
• Campaigning – actions and stunts to officials
and public

11. QUESTIONS?
L

12. THE EXERCISE
• The BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South
Africa are meeting in March in Durban
• Our objective:
• How would you approach this?

13. THANKS!
Rashmi Mistry
Oxfam, rmistry@oxfam.org.uk