Our research COVID-19 and What we found advocacy What it might mean for you
Advocacy Hub We asked: research 1. How are advocacy activities currently affected? • N = 12 • Challenges • Semi-structured interviews with • Political and practical adaptations advocacy directors or equivalent • Impact on topics • Interviewees from • International development & 2. What advocacy might look like human rights NGOs, trade unions after the crisis? • NGOs, CSOs, and networks • Scenario planning • Global South and North.. but • New opportunities perhaps with a bias towards • New tactics Northern based INGOs • Funding
Eight unc uncer ertainties es i in a n a time o e of di disi sillusi sionmen ent Green D., LSE / Global Policy April 2020
Eight uncertainties 1. Shifting space for advocacy 2. The local, national or global as the key arena for advocacy 3. Competition or collaboration? 4. Everything is online? 5. The end of informal lobbying? 6. A funding time bomb 7. The importance of agility 8. Temporary or permanent shifts in ways of working?
Restrictions on activism and CPR Eight uncertainties The return of the interventionist state? 1. Shifting space for advocacy Radicalising impulses 2. The local, national or global as the key arena for advocacy 3. Competition or collaboration? 4. Everything is online? 5. The end of informal lobbying 6. A funding time bomb 7. The importance of agility 8. Temporary or permanent shifts in ways of working?
Restrictions on activism and CPR Eight uncertainties The return of the interventionist state? 1. Shifting space for advocacy Radicalising impulses Regional > global as key arena? 2. The local, national or global as the The localisation of advocacy key arena for advocacy 3. Competition or collaboration? 4. Everything is online? 5. The end of informal lobbying? 6. A funding time bomb 7. The importance of agility 8. Temporary or permanent shifts in ways of working?
Restrictions on activism and CPR Eight uncertainties The return of the interventionist state? 1. Shifting space for advocacy Radicalising impulses Regional > global as key arena? 2. The local, national or global as the The localisation of advocacy key arena for advocacy Competition for funding, collaboration for representation 3. Competition or collaboration? Greater valorisation of movements and of the 4. Everything is online? distributed network model 5. The end of informal lobbying? 6. A funding time bomb 7. The importance of agility 8. Temporary or permanent shifts in ways of working?
Restrictions on activism and CPR Eight uncertainties The return of the interventionist state? 1. Shifting space for advocacy Radicalising impulses Regional > global as key arena? 2. The local, national or global as the The localisation of advocacy key arena for advocacy Competition for funding, collaboration for representation 3. Competition or collaboration? Greater valorisation of movements and of the 4. Everything is online? distributed network model The need for better petitions and something 5. The end of informal lobbying? better than petitions Offline activism as a wilfully radical gesture 6. A funding time bomb 7. The importance of agility 8. Temporary or permanent shifts in ways of working?
Restrictions on activism and CPR Eight uncertainties The return of the interventionist state? 1. Shifting space for advocacy Radicalising impulses Regional > global as key arena? 2. The local, national or global as the The localisation of advocacy key arena for advocacy Competition for funding, collaboration for representation 3. Competition or collaboration? Greater valorisation of movements and of the 4. Everything is online? distributed network model The need for better petitions and something 5. The end of informal lobbying? better than petitions Offline activism as a wilfully radical gesture 6. A funding time bomb New inequalities in access to power 7. The importance of agility 8. Temporary or permanent shifts in ways of working?
Restrictions on activism and CPR Eight uncertainties The return of the interventionist state? 1. Shifting space for advocacy Radicalising impulses Regional > global as key arena? 2. The local, national or global as the The localisation of advocacy key arena for advocacy Competition for funding, collaboration for representation 3. Competition or collaboration? Greater valorisation of movements and of the 4. Everything is online? distributed network model The need for better petitions and for something 5. The end of informal lobbying? better than petitions Offline activism as a wilfully radical gesture 6. A funding time bomb New inequalities in access to power 7. The importance of agility Donor flexibility… so far 8. Temporary or permanent shifts in Fundraising centred on ad hoc opportunities? ways of working?
Restrictions on activism and CPR The return of the interventionist state? Eight uncertainties Radicalising impulses Regional > global as key arena? 1. Shifting space for advocacy The localisation of advocacy 2. The local, national or global as the Competition for funding, collaboration for representation key arena for advocacy Greater valorisation of movements and of the distributed network model 3. Competition or collaboration? The need for better petitions and for something better 4. Everything is online? than petitions Offline activism as a wilfully radical gesture 5. The end of informal lobbying? New inequalities in access to power 6. A funding time bomb Donor flexibility… so far Fundraising centred on ad hoc opportunities? 7. The importance of agility Responding to an in and out of lockdown rhythm 8. Temporary or permanent shifts in Being as responsive as your opponents Balancing being mission-driven vs opportunity-driven ways of working?
Restrictions on activism and CPR The return of the interventionist state? Eight uncertainties Radicalising impulses Regional > global as key arena? 1. Shifting space for advocacy The localisation of advocacy 2. The local, national or global as the Competition for funding, collaboration for representation key arena for advocacy Greater valorisation of movements and of the distributed network model 3. Competition or collaboration? The need for better petitions and for something better than petitions 4. Everything is online? Offline activism as a wilfully radical gesture New inequalities in access to power 5. The end of informal lobbying? Donor flexibility… so far 6. A funding time bomb Fundraising centred on ad hoc opportunities? Responding to an in and out of lockdown rhythm 7. The importance of agility Being as responsive as your opponents 8. Temporary or permanent shifts in Balancing being mission-driven vs opportunity-driven We are all zoom people missing face to face meetings ways of working?
Connections between the uncertainties Strategic New inequalities in Adaptation access to power could lead to radicalisation Radicalising Competition or impulse ? collaboration among Less room Relevance for INGOs INGOs? of INGOs Civil space restrictions, Localisation of populism and Collaboration will advocacy? Less funding could nationalism could be needed to make increase competition lead to the best of a More space for local or lead to mergers radicalisation shrinking space actors as INGOs are and 'take-overs' Shifting space for grounded advocacy? INGO ways of working no Activists longer meet Local, national or frustrated at the Funding time- expectations of Less physical meetings global as the key limited potential bomb ? movements will mean less space no of online activities arena for advocacy? Less money and individuals matter what move to going to (for agility and organisations INGOs radicalism) engaging in more New CSO funding End of informal Greater valorisation radical tactics models may lobbying ? of movements and emerge (e.g. of the distributed flexible rebranding) network model Organisations will need to be Organisations, The importance creative online movements, individual of agility advocacy - which has Everything is online? New tangential primacy? alliances. Organisations will Agility may require need to adapt to new profiles Temporary or more horizontality permanent shifts in Tactical ways of working? Adaptation
Collaboration or competition Strategic Adaptation Competition or Less room collaboration Relevance of for INGOs Collaboration will be among INGOs? INGOs needed to make the best of a shrinking Localisation space of advocacy? Less funding could increase competition or lead to mergers Shifting space and 'take-overs' for advocacy? Funding time- bomb ? Tactical Adaptation
Radicalisation of advocacy Strategic New inequalities in Adaptation access to power could Radicalising lead to radicalisation Competition or impulse ? collaboration Relevance of among INGOs? INGOs Civil space restrictions, populism and Collaboration will be nationalism could needed to make the lead to best of a shrinking radicalisation Shifting space space for advocacy? Activists frustrated at the limited potential of online activities move to organisations engaging in more radical tactics Everything is online? Tactical Adaptation
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