2. Advocacy 101

3. Agenda What is advocacy? Why do we advocate? How do we advocate?
Test your knowledge
Why does advocacy work?
What is “raising awareness?”

4. What is advocacy?
What comes to mind when you hear the word “advocacy?”

5. What is advocacy? We are not talking about:
Education
Awareness
We are talking about tangible action to show power to influence decision-makers
When have you done this? In your personal life? Professional life?

6. Why do we advocate?
Ask: why do you think this is part of what we do as people who believe in global health equity?
Shapes attitudes
Creates urgency
But also (next slide) – because it works

7. Because it works!
Look at any major policy or social shift in our modern human history – activist movements have driven them all

8. How do we advocate?
What are tactics you’ve seen or participated in?

9. How do we advocate? Speaking directly to decision-makers
Congressional meetings
Candidate engagement/birddogging
Congressional meetings
You want to be a resource for staffers – you are building a long-term relationship with the office
You are not walking in one time to lobby for a single action – you are pushing you congressperson up the “champion scale” over time
Birddogging
Asking a decision-maker to make a yes-or-no commitment (but really just yes) in public

10. How do we advocate? Speaking indirectly to decision-makers
s and call-ins
Petitions
Social media
s/call-ins
Why/when are these useful?
Tips: have a script, give people everything they need at once, track your impact
Petitions
Mostly for list-building
Can be powerful if you have enough signatures from the right people
(who are the “right people?” – prominent community members, funders, special interest groups, constituents)
Finding your grassroots allies
Social media
Not a great medium of influence, but can get people’s attention

11. How do we advocate? Speaking through media Op-eds and LTEs
Demonstrations
Op-eds/LTEs
Why are these useful?
Basic rules (have a plan, set a deadline, develop a hook, EPIC)
Engage the reader
State the Problem
Inform on the solution
Call to action
Demonstrations
Sit-ins, die-ins, rallies, stunts, banner drops, etc.

12. Test your knowledge
We’ll give you scenarios – what tactic would you employ and why?

13. What would you do… Town hall meeting
World Bank President hosting a twitter chat
Senate vote this Thursday
Senate bill has just been introduced

14. Why does advocacy work?

15. Why does advocacy work? Shows that you care
Proves political consequences
People aren’t evil (but they need a reality check)

16. Let’s talk about “raising awareness”
What is the value of “raising awareness?”
Why isn’t it enough? What’s the different between awareness and advocacy?

17. Things to remember: You don’t have to be the expert (but you are)
Congress literally works for you
No one will do this for us (but we can do it)