1. Advocacy: Can It Be Learnt?
How Do We Become Good Advocates?
By Szylvia Czanyi

2. Accomplish positive change!
THE GOAL
Accomplish positive change!

3. EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY - what does it take?
Learn about good advocacy practices
Requires a lot of patience and perseverance
Some have a natural talent for it but it can be developed (to stand up for yourself and for others)

4. THE TYPE BETTER advocates are:
People who are not easily intimidated by difficult people or situations
Who have little difficulty in speaking up for themselves (self representation) or others.
But if you feel that you have to achieve good things for yourself or others you can develop these skills.

5. GOOD PRACTICES - To Become an Effective Advocate
Preparation
Communication
Documentation
Follow up
What you need to do as an advocate may depend greatly on the issue or situation. Some will be more difficult than others and they may require action over a period of weeks, months, years.

6. PREPARATION Good preparation is a crucial aspect of effective advocacy
Information is POWER:
Know your subject, do thorough research, (more information = better representation)
Know what actions need to be taken to achieve your goal (essential to effective advocacy)
Legal background, your rights
Studies/examples of how other systems operate on the same matter.
KNOW YOUR SUBJECT: the more information you have on the particular issue the better you will be able to speak on behalf of it
Know -know the problem, how it evolved, what is it causing, its impacts, and effects on certain group of people, society etc)

7. PREPARATION 2
Have specific goals for what you want to achieve that is the guideline for your preparation and to achieve that what specific actions are needed (eg, close Haselwood power station)
Identify key issues or problems that you are encountering (CO2 emissions and harming health and environment)
Identify:
Some possible solutions that you see as workable
What you are willing to accept if you can’t get it all
How much you are willing to compromise and on what (fallback position)
People who maybe able to help you (more effective if you have allies)
The people you need to talk to
(maybe someone who supports you, or take notes, have particular expertise on the subject, or advocate for it as well)
Being a good advocate doesn’t mean that you have to do everything on your own.

8. COMMUNICATION Advocacy requires GOOD communication Important tips:
Be clear and concrete - your message/request is stated as clearly and briefly as possible.
Be assertive - show that you have expectations that you expect to achieve
Also talk firm, with straight body composition but be relaxed, use eye contact
But don’t be aggressive!
(phone calls, face to face meetings, group meetings, letters, s) (
Don’t give too much information since it can sidetrack the main point)

9. COMMUNICATION 2
Listen carefully to what others are saying - don’t interrupt!
Ask questions if something is not clear - this can also assist you in your advocacy:
helps you to have a conversation with someone who may be able to help you
helps build good relationships with people who are in the decision making position which is key to advocacy.
You can also use stories and visuals to communicate information (it can stick better)
this may also provide you with additional information or clues about how to solve the problem.

10. DOCUMENTATION Keep a notebook to record your discussions
Keep a file of written responses and other documents (agreements, promises)
It’s also important if you get a refusal to get it in writing so it can serve as a bases for follow up by someone else.
(name, contact details, title, position, date and topic of discussion, outcome)

11. FOLLOW UP Often advocacy doesn’t provide immediate results BUT:
Try NOT TO BE FRUSTRATED or intimidated if you are not getting the response or results you were seeking - try follow up
Sometimes it requires that you TALK WITH a more senior person in the organization
It may requires that you INVOLVE other people as well to help your work
You may need to CONTACT elected officials (MPs, councillors etc)

12. Remember
There may be times that you are not successful no matter how hard you try!
Advocacy is about negotiation!
Sometimes, the next best solution is better than no solution at all!

13. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
THE END
THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
SYLVIA CSANYI