Advocacy for Community HealthStand Up and Be Counted: You Can, and You Must
What is ‘advocacy’? ‘Advocare’—to call to aid “An effort, with greater than zero probability
of success, aimed at actively supporting a cause or constituency by attempting to change policy and/or conditions.”
Rallying others to your cause Addressing root conditions Changing the conversation
AUDIENCES
OUTCOMES
AC
TIO
NW
ILL
AW
AR
EN
ES
S
Voter Outreach
Public Education Policymaker EducationInfluencer Education
Political Will Campaigns
Litigation
Media Advocacy
Regulatory Feedback
Public Forums
Champion Development
Model Legislation
Policy Analysis/Research
Demonstration Programs
PUBLICINFLUENCE
RS
Not just lobbying
Community Mobilization
Coalition BuildingCommunity Organizing
Public Will CampaignsCommunications and Messaging
Leadership DevelopmentAdvocacy Capacity Building
Public Awareness Campaigns
Public Polling
Lobbying
4 DECISION MAKERS
Why advocacy? Your programs need supportive contexts Changing the law can make your fight easier Bringing more people to your cause IS
progress (an end and a means) Rules can change behaviors, and acting can
change attitudes—equifinality and multiple paths to change
Advocacy can induce change all along spectrum of prevention
Tasks and Skills for Advocacy Media and messaging
Building message boxes for nimble but consistent communication
Champion development You need to preach to your choir until they’re all
singing Voter outreach and education
Make this an ‘issue’ Coalition building
United fronts for change Advocacy capacity building
Enhancing your ability to build your cause Community mobilization
Building your ‘army’ of advocates
Steps for your Advocacy—Media & MessagingMessage: To keep kids safe and communities healthy, marijuana must stay illegal.
Submessage #1: Legalizing marijuana increases kids’ access.• Proliferation of marijuana makes it
harder for parents to keep kids away from drugs.
• Marijuana advertising will inevitably seep into child audiences.
Submessage #2: Legalizing marijuana sends a dangerous message about drugs.• Legalization conveys acceptability,
the wrong message.• Adolescents are initiating use at
younger ages and are more likely to use on a daily basis.
Submessage #3: Communities can’t keep up with proliferation of threats in wake of legalization.• After CO legalized marijuana, law
enforcement in surrounding states are demanding reimbursement for increased expenses for related crimes.
• Denver Police Sergeant Andrew Howard admitted, “It's like the wild, wild West,"
Submessage #4: Given tremendous health and safety risks of substance abuse, Missouri should move to reduce access to drugs, not throw the door wide open.• Marijuana isn’t safe. In 2011,
marijuana was involved in 455,668 emergency room visits nationwide, and is the second most prevalent drug implicated in car accidents.
Steps for your Advocacy—Champion Development
When policymakers support your cause, give them ways they can really support it Author op-eds Recruit colleagues Sponsor measures Appear at events
Easier ‘ask’ for newer advocates than confronting hostile opponents
Raises issue profile and recruits new messengers
Steps for your Advocacy—Voter outreach and education Turning causes into ‘issues’
Using marijuana issue as opportunity to connect to civic engagement
Getting voters to be your supporters Making your issue political, but not partisan Voting as an act of prevention
Getting your supporters to be voters Breaking through the disillusionment Registration is just the beginning Making voting part of your cause’s ‘culture’
Steps for your Advocacy—Coalition Building and Advocacy Capacity Building
Advocacy TA process as opportunity to build capacity
Leveraging coalition strength for advocacy impact
Coalition participation as an advocacy ‘ask’ Coalition logic model as strategic plan for
advocacy Steering your coalition towards advocacy
impact
Steps for your Advocacy—Community Mobilization
Gathering people Need a reason for them to engage—petitions,
signature campaigns, local ordinance fights, legislative events
Creating volunteer advocacy opportunities, scaled to prompt engagement (media monitoring, LTEs, lit drops, signature collection, institutional endorsements)
Going where people are already gathered Enlightened self-interest to connect to their
existing concerns Tailoring your message without changing your tune
Next Steps What do you need to get started? Resources to support your advocacy
Bolder Advocacy, legal guides AFJ Advocacy Capacity Tool Advocacy Progress Planner melindaklewis.com
Questions?Melinda Lewis
Top Related