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The advocacy process

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The Advocacy Process
The activism process entails a series of interconnected activities that are strategically planned to bring
about change at different levels. Growing community understanding of the problem, generating
constituent pressure to advocate for change, strengthening the state's response to prevent and
prosecute human rights abuses, and affecting law and policy-making are examples of these acts. Before
taking action, advocates for reform should figure out what the campaign's goal is. The goal may be
anything from addressing a specific issue by modifying a law or policy to raising general awareness of
human rights abuses in a particular community.
Defining Advocacy Goals: What is Success?
Identifying the target is the first step in developing an advocacy plan. Depending on the subject and the
background, an effective advocacy campaign may take on various forms. Activists should set targets for
their advocacy campaign and describe what progress looks like in their particular situation. When
embarking on any advocacy project, the first question to ask is, "What outcome are you aiming to
achieve?" These objectives can range from simply raising awareness of a problem to establishing the
organisation as a source of knowledge in a specific field to actively passing or opposing legislation. It's
critical to establish specific objectives early on in the process. It's good to be able to refer back to an
original target in order to remain centred if any agency suddenly tries to weigh in or offer
improvements to the plan. Indeed, being mindful of other viewpoints (particularly those that are
diametrically opposed to your own) will be critical in determining what is feasible. Following the
establishment of the agenda's objectives, the advocate should establish clear intermediate targets to
track progress. Human rights activism, in practise, is a long-term phase of social and political
transformation. A target is a declaration of the desired transition as a result of advocacy activities.
Advocates should pose two main questions when designing the goal: Can achieving the target have an
impact on the human rights violations or abuses that have been identified? What are the chances of
unintended consequences?
The following should be included in an advocacy target statement:
Refer back to the mandate for human rights monitoring.
Reflect on the information gathered during the documentation process.
Be created in partnership with other stakeholders and collaborators.
In terms of human rights jargon, express the desire for reform.
Developing an Advocacy Strategy
After determining the target, the human rights advocate should devise a plan to achieve it. Advocates
should consider what needs to improve in order to uphold human rights. Who has the authority to bring
about the change? What capability is missing that will enable that change to take place? The strategy
will draw on available strategies, such as those discussed later in this chapter, at each point.
Step 1: Determine what needs to change in order to address the denial or neglect of human rights.
The results of the human rights documentation and monitoring should reveal why the infringement or
abuse of human rights is occurring. Human rights issues are rarely clear, and advocates should take the

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The Advocacy Process The activism process entails a series of interconnected activities that are strategically planned to bring about change at different levels. Growing community understanding of the problem, generating constituent pressure to advocate for change, strengthening the state's response to prevent and prosecute human rights abuses, and affecting law and policy-making are examples of these acts. Before taking action, advocates for reform should figure out what the campaign's goal is. The goal may be anything from addressing a specific issue by modifying a law or policy to raising g ...
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