Advocacy And Education

Advocacy;What is it? How do I do it?How can I get a job in it?

• Ruthi Hoffman Hanchett, Policy Officer, WorldVision International

WORLD VISION is an internationalpartnership of Christians whosemission is to follow our Lord andSaviour Jesus Christ in working withthe poor and oppressed to promotehuman transformation, seek justiceand bear witness to the good newsof the Kingdom of God

We pursue this mission through integrated, holistic commitment to:

• Transformational Development-that is community-based and sustainable, focused especially on the needs

of children;

• Emergency Relief-that assists people afflicted by conflict or disaster;

• Promotion of Justice– that seeks to change unjust structures affecting the poor among

whom we work;

• Partnerships with churches-to contribute to spiritual and social transformation;

• Public Awareness-that leads to informed understanding, giving, involvement and prayer;

• Witness to Jesus Christ-by life, deed, word and sign that encourages people to respond to the

Gospel.

• Started in 1950• Work in 98 nations• Sponsor 3 Million Children daily• Half income from private donors-sponsors• About 23,000 staff• Focused on children, their families and their

communities, tackling the causes of poverty andinjustice.

Defining Advocacy• How would you define advocacy?• “The promotion of a specific message and/or course of

action in order to influence or contribute to thedevelopment and implementation of public policies whichwill alleviate the causes and consequences of poverty”Oxfam

• “To work with poor and marginalized people to eradicatepoverty by overcoming the injustice and inequity thatcauses it.” ActionAid

• “A set of strategies that aims to defend and promote humanrights regardless of race or religion, and with a particularemphasis on the most vulnerable groups” WV LatinAmerica

Defining Advocacy

• “Advocacy is a ministry of influence whose goal is toempower the poor by creating a public policyenvironment conducive to their self-development, inkeeping with the Biblical principle of justice for allpeople and rooted in the recognition that all peopleare created in the image of God”

-excerpt from WVI Promotion of Justice Boardpolicy

• JUSTICE

Justice

• The Old Testament links Justice andRighteousness= To Make Things RIGHT

• When the Bible Mentions Justice– usuallyfollows with: widow, fatherless, orphans, poor,hungry, stranger, needy, weak, oppressed.

• Doing Justice is about making life right forthese people- restoring them and theoppressors and systems of oppression, to theway they were created to be in the image ofGod.

Why Advocacy?We are Christian• Psalm 11:7 “For the Lord is righteous – he loves justice”• Isaiah 58:1-10, “is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of

injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go freeand to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,and to bring the homeless poor into your house?”

• Proverbs 31:8-9 “Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rightsof all the destitute . . . Defend the rights of the poor and needy”

• Micah 6:8 The Lord requires us to do justice and love mercy• Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed

me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaimrelease to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set freethose who are oppressed.”

We are committed to the Poor– ending poverty means ending injusticeWe are Responsive- The world is crying out for changeWe are Partners- Cannot achieve sustainable results without empowering

and working with the poor."Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”-

MLKJ

How do we ‘do’ advocacy andmake things right?

• Ideas?• Stereotypes?1.PROBLEM SOLVING-- Advocacy looks at the

root of the problem and seeks to change the cause,not just the symptoms.

2. Power3. Partnering“someone ought to do something . . .”

Advocacy tools and activities caninclude:

• Lobbying,• campaigning,• demonstrating,• meetings,• one-on-one influence of

decision makers,• organizing groups of

women, children, workersor populations affected byinjustice,

• using the media,• voting

• networking,• holding conferences and

workshops,• Empowering and educating

people on their rights,• conducting research,

writing reports,• monitoring and

evaluation,• Holding leaders

accountable to laws andcommitments,

How do we ‘do’ advocacy?

• Must be based on Empowerment- includingchildren as advocates

• Rights-based• Partner with the poor and oppressed• Restoring people, relationships and systems• Build Civil Society=sustainable

Education Advocacy Case Studies

• Local• National• Global

FGM: Girls EducationCommunity based in Africa:Problem: FGM=Early Marriage=Dropout of school and violation

of child rightsSolutions:• Child/Youth Advocacy Clubs• Education on Harms- HIV, Laws• Empowerment on Child Rights• Support of Men and Boys• Alternative Rites of Passage• Economic empowerment for circumcisers• Support to Girls’ education and girls threatened by families• International Lobbying—UN CSW, Child Advocate share’s

experience

Armenia: Inclusive Education• Committed to de-institutionalization of children, Rights of

disabled children to education.• Working with the government, developing relationships,

and model for de-institutionalization and endsegregation,

• Demonstrating good work with schools and teachers tomainstream education for children with disabilities.

• Influenced national legislation to improve integration ofchildren with special needs into mainstream education.

-specifies the positions and qualifications ofspecialists in pre-school educational institutions.

- ensures no more than 5-7 children with specialneeds in a classroom=integration with mainstream

Global: Human Rights Counsel

• UN Human Rights Counsel in Geneva-Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education

• WV partnered with Save the Children-personal influence- determined the topic ofannual report

• The right to education in emergencies• Additional opportunity to host meeting and

influence HRC resolution.

• Importance of research• Challenge=holding governments accountable

to promises

Education,Justice and Advocacy

Global Education Snapshot• 72 million kids are not in elementary school.• 771 adults – about 18% of the adult population over 15, or 1 in 5 adults

cannot read.• Some nations have made progress, making primary school free, but

now have classrooms of 100 children per teacher.• 18 Mil. teachers are needed to send all kids to primary school by 2015

(MDGs) in classrooms of less than 40:1.• Less than 1% of disabled people in developing world receive an

education.• 39 Mil. children are out of school due to conflict- the average length of

refugee displacement is 17 years!• Most out-of–school children are girls; then emergency/conflict-affected,

minorities, disabled, poor, orphans, children who labor, etc.• Literacy skills in modern society are fundamental to informed- decision

making, personal empowerment, economic stability, protection fromexploitation including slavery, active and even passive participation insociety and politics, etc.

Exercise

• Spider map- consequences of lack of orpoor quality education

• Problem Tree- root causes for lack of orpoor education

Rights to Education- Based on CRCALL children have the right to a fee, compulsory, quality primary

education.• Literacy- reading and writing• Numeracy• Life skills• Safety• Inclusion• Prepared for a trade, responsible citizen• Develop personality, talent, physical and mental abilities to full

potential• Respect human rights, their own culture, natural environment,• Access to science and technology

What Difference does EducationMake?

• ?• Boys and girls who finish secondary school have

significant earning returns.• Build peace and stability (opposite of terrorism)• Stronger civil society and responsive government.• More protected from trafficking, slavery, exploitation,

etc.• girls who attend secondary school are 40% less likely to

become HIV+• girls' secondary education reduces infant mortality,

increases childhood immunization and nutrition,reduces children's stunting, and lowers fertility ratesand unwanted pregnancies, raises GNP, etc.

• In fact- girl’s education is the best developmentinvestment a nation can make.

How do I get a job in advocacy?• Start being an advocate now!

-get involved locally-organize events, meetings, people-use the media- write op eds, letter the editors, school paper, etc.-use your vote-think about the power you have to influence- even with what youbuy

• Learn how law and policy works• Study World Politics/Events/Leaders• Think about the issues you are passionate about?

-What needs to change? -What are some solutions?• Decide what “level” of advocacy intrigues you

“Whenever you are in doubt, or whenthe self becomes too much with you,apply the following test. Recall the faceof the poorest and the weakest personwhom you have seen, and ask yourself ifthe step you contemplate is going to be ofany use to him of her.” --Gandhi

Reading Suggestions• www.child-rights.org• www.wvi.org• Global Futures, WV justice magazine• Hope for the Girl Child, WV, (2007)• Child Labour in Latin America and the Caribbean,

WV (June 2007)• Educating Children in Emergency Settings: An

unexpected lifeline, Gerald Martone, IRC• Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Ferreri• www.unesco.org Annual Global Monitoring Reports• http://www.campaignforeducation.org/