HSH208 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Communication, Civil Disobedience, Capacity Building
Communication skills and strategies for advocacy and activism in health contexts
Advocacy
• Activism
• Lobbying
• Research
• Alliance building
• Policy analysis
• Publicity
• Planning and co-ordination
Advice - Provide advice to key decision makers- Straightforward, based on evidence and co-
operation
Advocacy- Use evidence in order to try and put pressure on a decision maker to make a decision
that is in the best interest of us and others
Lobbying- A co-operative approach, seeking out a decision maker- Can be paid to represent an
organisation and paid because they have high level of communication skills and extensive
networks/contacts
Activism- Feel passionate about an issue- take up a stance seeking to apply pressure to legislators
and decision-makers, causing confrontation. Raises awareness in the community with causes an
issue to be changed. Can be civil or illegal- illegal may be graffitiing, becoming violent during a
protest or tying themselves to an object that is going to be removed
Advocacy
What is it?
• Dialogue within the formal/legitimate processes
• Working within the system
• Actions designed to change attitudes, policies and/or practices
Aimed at:
• Governments, NGOs, politicians, decision makers in organisations
Strategies include:
• Awareness raising
• Capacity building
• Networking
• Lobbying
Tools include:
• Working with the media/social media; writing discussion papers; talking to key people;
developing and running campaigns
Activism
What is it?
• Direct action not necessarily always within legal processes
• Can be peaceful but can also sometimes be destructive; confrontational; violent
• Working outside the system
Aimed at
• The public and communities to eventually influence governments, NGOs, politicians, decision
makers in organisations
Strategies include:
• Civil disobedience; protests
• Awareness raising; capacity building; networking
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Communication skills and strategies for advocacy and activism in health contexts. Lobbying: research, alliance building, policy analysis, publicity, planning and co-ordination. Advice - provide advice to key decision makers- straightforward, based on evidence and co- operation. Advocacy- use evidence in order to try and put pressure on a decision maker to make a decision that is in the best interest of us and others. Lobbying- a co-operative approach, seeking out a decision maker- can be paid to represent an organisation and paid because they have high level of communication skills and extensive networks/contacts. Activism- feel passionate about an issue- take up a stance seeking to apply pressure to legislators and decision-makers, causing confrontation. Raises awareness in the community with causes an issue to be changed. Can be civil or illegal- illegal may be graffitiing, becoming violent during a protest or tying themselves to an object that is going to be removed.
