The Advocacy Initiative 4th Knowledge Exchange Forum

1. The Advocacy Initiative4th 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 2001-2013 • 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

6. KEY MESSAGEEnhancing 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?

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 tobreaking 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!