wfn.org | WACC - Building advocacy capacity in the international ecumenical community

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Building advocacy capacity in the international ecumenical community  	

By Lavinia Mohr, WACC Director of Programmes, WACC

WACC, represented by its Director of Programmes, Lavinia Mohr, was
among participants from 17 countries around the world who gathered in
Geneva in January 2010 to help guide the strengthening of advocacy
capacity in the international ecumenical community.  The newly
launched Action by Churches Together ACT Alliance and the Ecumenical
Advocacy Alliance (EAA) co-sponsored the meeting that brought together
representatives of national and international organisations such as
Bread for the World (Germany), ICCO (Interchurch Organisation for
Development Co-operation - Netherlands), Christian Aid (UK), Bread for
All (Switzerland), the Church of Sweden, Finn Church Aid, Caritas
Internationalis, the World YWCA and World Alliance of YMCAs, the All
Africa Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the Near
East Council of Churches, the Church of North India, the Economic
Justice Network in southern Africa, CESE (Ecumenical Coordination of
Services) in Brazil, and RDRS (Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service)in Bangladesh.

In October to December 2009, EAA and ACT conducted a survey to
identify advocacy capacity strengthening needs and priorities of its
members. The Geneva workshop reviewed the major findings of that
survey, identified key issues and deliberated on the survey report's
recommendations.  Participants also shared experiences in advocacy
strengthening.  EAA presented an overview of its Food for Life
campaign, and ACT Alliance introduced its advocacy policy.

Participants identified several aspects of advocacy capacity that need
strengthening: better sharing of network members' advocacy materials
and resources; better use of electronic advocacy tools including
social networking; and better monitoring and evaluation of advocacy
results and impact. Specific recommendations were also made for EAA's
Food for Life campaign.

EAA and ACT Alliance will soon be undertaking initiatives to carry
forward the recommendations of the survey report and the workshop to
strengthen advocacy capacity among their member networks.