1. The Advocacy Initiative 4th Knowledge Exchange Forum
A legitimacy test? National and
European perspectives on participation
Hugh Frazer
NUI (Maynooth)
&
EU Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion

2. Purpose of Presentation
Explore why is participation important for your advocacy work?
Why social justice activists should involve people who experience the issues in their advocacy
Not going to talk about:
How: different participation strategies you can use
Why the Irish government is curtailing opportunities for participation in public policy making

3. My experience of participation
Combat Poverty Agency
working for change: an “intermediary” advocacy agency
combined 5 things:
analysis and evidence
empowerment and mobilisation of those affected
demonstration projects with participation at heart
greater public awareness
political engagement
European Social Inclusion Policies
Encouragement of Member States to involve civil society and to listen those experiencing poverty
Support for EU networks advocating change
EU Meetings of People Experiencing Poverty
Child poverty Recommendation & involvement of children

4. Advocacy is about getting heard
It is about persuading policy makers and opinion formers to:
listen to you
take you seriously
engage in a dialogue with you about what changes are needed and how they can be achieved and implemented

5. Advocacy is about raising awareness and winning the arguments
Greater public and political awareness of the issue and what needs to be done about it , why and by whom
Raising awareness
Providing evidence of the need for change
Debunking myths
Challenging “There is no alternative” (e.g. Plan B)
Countering arguments of opponents
Showing change will be better than status quo
Intellectual/academic argument
Asserting people’s rights
Challenging stereotypes and prejudices that hinder change
Appealing to people’s humanity and sense of fairness and solidarity
Emotional/moral argument
Benefit to the society/economy of making the change v cost to society of doing nothing
Benefit to individuals of making the change v cost of doing nothing
Social, equality & anti-discrimination policies are an investment not a cost
Economic argument
What is the political benefit of addressing issue?
What is the political cost of not addressing the issue?
How will the legitimacy of our democratic system be enhanced by the change?
Political argument

6. KEY MESSAGE Enhancing the participation of those affected by the changes you are advocating for will greatly increase your chances of: - getting heard - winning the arguments for change - getting changes implemented and sustained

7. Why participation? Greater credibility More politcal clout
Better (policy) arguments
Greater emotional impact
Empowers people and asserts their rights
Enhances democracy

8. Greater credibility
Participation gives your organisation credibility and legitimacy to speak out on the issue as:
it enriches your organisation’s knowledge & allows you to credibly claim to be the voice of those affected
it transforms your organisation into an expression of citizens needs and concerns
it ensures that you are constantly aware of the reality on the ground and thus can sustain a long-term advocacy
it enables you to answer the questions:
How many people do you speak for?
How do you know that this is what people want?
What right have you to speak on behalf of those affected?
Why should I listen to you when we know better?

9. More political clout
Participation gives you more political clout because:
it demonstrates your ability to mobilise people to press for changes
e.g. lobbying, demonstrating, protesting, voting
it makes you more difficult to ignore
gives you more power
greater ability to disrupt/embarrass
thus it gives you greater leverage and influence with the political system

10. Better (policy) arguments
First hand experience of issues necessary as well as data and analysis
gives you feed back on impact of existing policies
leads to better understanding of issues
leads to policy solutions rooted in reality
Without participation policy solutions are often good in theory but weak in practice
Quantitative and legalistic arguments are stronger if combined with qualitative and experience based arguments

11. Greater emotional impact
Participation leads to personal testimonies which can:
make abstract arguments come alive and immediate
illustrate academic and legalistic arguments
demonstrate personal costs of maintaining status quo
engage the media
mobilise public opinion
Policy makers are human

12. Empowers people & asserts their rights
At the heart of most social justice advocacy is the goal of empowerment
supporting people to participate in advocacy organisations is an important step to build self-confidence & self-esteem
Participating as an equal in the society where you live & having a say in the policies that affect you is a fundamental right
“nothing about us without us”
Participation of those affected by an issue forces policy makers to meet and engage with them
this is key to breaking stigmatising perceptions they may hold about them and which often block policy changes

13. Enhances democracy Meaningful participation in advocacy organisations:
enriches & legitimises (participative) democracy
fosters democratic debate & dialogue
helps to redress power inequalities in society
helps to build a more inclusive & fairer society

14. Participation gives you LEGITIMACY
Leverage & learning
Empowerment & equality
Galvanises & governance
Information & ideas
Transparency & togetherness
Impact & insights
Mandate & mobilisation
Accountability & authenticity
Clout & credibility
Yes! & yes!