Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Advocacy Network
Draft Framework
This document provides a guiding framework for the elaboration of the Advocacy Network,
one of the components of the Global Change Makers Project in the Middle East. The
document is in draft status, and serves to inform potential partners and to guide the planning
processes. Once the country-level partners and teams are in place and have had time to
review the document and adapt it to the local context, the document will be amended and
elaborated as the ‘Advocacy Network' Strategic Plan.
Strategic Objectives
• To empower young advocates with the necessary knowledge and skills and help them
to speak responsibly & effectively in their own interests, while respecting the rights of
others;
• To build a shared platform from which diverse youth voices can speak out across the
region – sharing, exchanging and learning from each other;
• To collaborate with similar networks in the region & UK to share experiences and
learning;
• To strengthen partner institutions helping them act as facilitators for authentic youth
voice;
• To provide opportunities for youth advocates to participate in policy-making forums
(such as WEF, LAS summits) so that youth's voice is heard;
• To create a framework for individual voices to join together in common cause and
create a critical mass speaking out effectively on priority issues.
Youth often lack confidence and self-esteem and many youth feel a sense of hopelessness,
and are apathetic about their role in making change. Their voices are scattered, they lack the
opportunity to work together collectively and they lack a focus to move from talk to effective
action. They lack skills of advocacy and rational discourse, and are therefore prone to anger
and emotional discussions.
The youth recognise that times are changing and that their leaders state that they want youth
to be involved. But they comment that youth role in the political arena is weak, or else that
they are simply used as part of a 'tick box' consultation exercise that pays lip-service to youth
voice. They complain that the interaction with policy makers is weak, and that there is no real
listening and response, there is no two-way dialogue, so they feel politically disenfranchised.
3. Human rights
• Including human rights in the national curriculum
• Monitoring human rights abuses
• Gender equality
• Freedom of expression
• Safety and security
Advocacy Forums/Interventions
The regional team will identify a wide range of possible advocacy interventions that will draw
on the skills and resources of youth locally, and address relevant policy issues in ways that
meet the cultural context. These can include actions such as:
• Getting invited to speak at forums
• Taking part in local debates
• Writing letters to leaders informing them of the issues that affect youth
• Organising a petition and presenting it
• Issuing press releases
• Working with GCM / AYRN to gain new evidence and channelling the latest data /
research findings to decision-makers and asking for a follow up to discuss
• Working with GCM Awareness Network to build critical mass of youth support,
recording interventions and channelling to Awareness Network to reach out to
broadest audience
Targets of the Advocacy Campaigns
1. Community
• Family (parents, siblings, cousins, extended family, tribe)
• Neighbourhood associations / Youth clubs / civil society
2. Local
• Governorate etc
• Municipality / Local authority
• Local chamber of commerce / industry
• Directorates of education, health
3. National
• Parliament, Ministerial, Policy group
• University / college
• Labour association
• Chamber of industry / commerce
• NGOs and civil society with shared objectives
4. Regional
• WEF regional
• League of Arab States Summits
• Gulf Council
5. Global / International
• WEF Davos,
• UN, EU Brussels, ILO
• International / regional conferences on thematic issues (education reform, youth
employment)
Mechanisms of Interaction
Face-to-face -The network will rely on both face-to-face and virtual working. The national
team will have the opportunity to work face to face at the local level. They will be encouraged
to coordinate with other national teams virtually and by sending representatives/ exchanges/
to sub-regional training and forums.
Virtual meetings - Groups will be encouraged to use e-tools for virtual meetings (chat, skype
talk, facebook, messaging etc). Horizontal linkages between youth will be emphasized (i.e.
without passing through BC / NGO systems) to facilitate ease of information sharing, and to
increase the future sustainability of the network.