activist handbook 2010

7/31/2019 Activist Handbook 2010

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In recent years much international progress has been made in the recognition ofthe right to water and sanita tion. Sinc e G ene ra l Com me nt 15 was pub lished in 2002for instanc e, more c ountries ha ve e nshrined these rights within the ir dom estic laws,thus p roviding p rote c tion for ind ividua ls lac king ac c ess to wa ter and sanitation. In2010, the UN General Assem bly adop ted a resolution rec og nizing the righ t to wa terand sanita tion, and the Huma n Rights Co unc il further spec ified tha t this right is partof the righ t to an a deq uate standard of living . The Huma n Righ ts Counc il resolutionis significant in anchoring the right to water and sanitation in Article 11 of the

Interna tiona l Co vena nt on Ec ono mic , Soc ia l and Cultura l Rights, which ha s bee nra tified by most c ountries of the wo rld, thus ma king the right to w a ter and sanitationimm ed iate ly binding.

None of these a c hievements c ould have be en a c c omplished without the ha rd wo rkand ded ic a tion o f civil soc iety orga niza tions.

Despite all the progress that groups throughout the world have managed to

Foreword


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An Ac tivists hand bo ok on the right to wa ter and sanitation

About usFreshwater Ac tion Network (FAN) is a ma jor network of Civil Soc iety Organiza tions(CSO) implementing a nd influenc ing w ate r and sanitation p olic y and prac tic e. Ourmembers, from around the world, are respected for their unique skill, experienceand perspec tive. Our strate gy is sha ped by a c onsortium of CSO ne tworks in La tinAme ric a, Afric a and Asia.

Our visionA world w here wa ter is a respec ted , p rotec ted and c herished resource , for all formsof life, and universal access to water and sanitation is achieved responsibly,eq uitab ly and inclusively.

Our mission

To imp rove wa ter gove rnanc e by streng thening c ivil soc iety s role in d ec ision

ma king , w ith the ultima te a im o f ma king the rights to w ater and sanitation for all area lity for p resent and future ge nerations.

Guiding principles

FAN: is a non-profit ma king o rga nization me mb ers respe c t e ac h o thers unique skills, expe rienc e, p erspe c tive and


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AcknowledgementsThis pub lic a tion w as prod uc ed by FAN Globa l in c ooperation with the C entre onHousing Rights and Evic tions (COHRE) a nd BothEnd s.

The lead autho r is Lara El-Jaza iri, Po lic y Ad visor to Oxfam GBs p rogram me in theoccupied Palestinian territory and Israel. Lara holds a masters degree in HumanRights. She ha s worked w ith loc a l and interna tiona l NGOs and United Na tionsAgencies, primarily in the Middle East region and specialised in advocacy on theright to water and sanitation through her work with the Centre on Housing Rightsand Evictions (COHRE) for three years as a Legal Officer for the Right to WaterProg ramm e wo rking on the oc c up ied Pa lestinian te rritory/Israel and South Asia .

She is g ra te ful to C erid wen Johnson o f Freshwa ter Ac tion Netw ork, who p rojec tma na ged the p ub lica tion as well as b ringing in ca se stud ies from FAN me mb ers.Spec ial tha nks to Tho rsten Kiefe r, Sen ior Leg a l Ad viser on the right to wa te r andsanitat ion/ Brot fr die Welt and Inte rnationa l Coo rd inato r/ WASH United , Virg iniaRoa f, indep end ent c onsultant and Ashfaq Kha lfan, Ec ono mic , Soc ia l and Cultura l

Rights Policy Coordinator, Amnesty International for their valuable contributions atevery stag e in the developm ent of the text.

In a dd ition, thanks to further c ontributions from Sonkita Co nteh, Beve rly Ma dem baand Kerubo Okioga (CO HRE), Kolleen Bouc ha ne (FAN), Shikha Shrestha (End WaterPoverty), Ana mika Singh Bha nd a ry (NEWAH, Nep a l) for their c on tributions andam end me nts to the text.


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INTRODUCTION

Why adopt a human rights-based approach to advocacy for improvements inwate r and sanita tion? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.1

SECTION ONE

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HUMAN RIGHT TO WATER AND SANITATION . . . . . . . . . .p .5

Interna tiona l Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.5

Reg iona l Trea ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.7

Na tiona l Constitutions, Laws and Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.7

Inte rnat iona l and Reg iona l Politic a l Com mitments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.7

Elements of the Right to Water and Sanita tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.8

Ob liga tions of Governments a t a ll Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.11

Table of Contents


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SECTION THREEADVOCACY TACTICS FOR PROMOTING AND PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO WATER ANDSANITATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p .43

Lobbying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p .44

Using Med ia a nd Communic a tions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.48

Pub lic Campa igning a nd Popular Mob ilisa tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p .52

Capac ity Build ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p .55

Leg a l Advoc ac y and Litiga tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.59

Build ing Networks and Co a litions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p .71

APPENDIX

List o f Inte rna tiona l Co mmitments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.75

Example Press Sta tement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.79

Example Lob bying Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.81

List o f Other Resourc es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.85


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We d on't have to engag e in grand , heroic ac tions to p artic ipa te in the p roc essof c hange . Sma ll ac ts, when m ultiplied by millions of p eo p le, c an transform theworld.

How ard Zinn, histo rian a nd ac tivist

Vision w ithout a c tion a c hieve s nothing, ac tion w ithout vision just p asses time,vision with ac tion c an cha nge the wo rld.

Nelson M andela

The p urpose o f this handbook is to help c ivil soc iety and those working on wa ter andsanitation issues to ad opt a human rights-based approac h to advocac y, so that theyc an improve water and sanitation service regulation and provision at internationa l,national and local levels. Directed primarily at community groups, human rightsNGOs, rights-based development prac titioners and aid workers, this handbook aimsto strengthen human rights-based advoc ac y by p roviding innovative and p rac tic alsuggestions that activists and organisations can use in their work. It also acts as aresource guide for finding further information.

Introduction


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Given the large numb er of useful public ations on a d voc ac y, this hand bo ok hasdrawn extensively from a wide selection of published information (see Appendix).The hand bo ok does not attem p t to re-invent stand ard ap proac hes to ad voc ac y;its a im rathe r is to introd uc e the ma in p rinc ip les of hum an righ ts-ba sed app roa c hesto a dvoc ac y and tailor them to the need s of those w orking o n wa ter and sanitation.The ha ndb ook may therefore b e o f ad de d use to organizations wo rking o n otherhuman rights issues.

Why ad opt a human rights-ba sed approach to a dvoc ac y for improvements in water

and sanitation?

Advoc ac y is one strate gy tha t ca n be used to b ring a bo ut imp rovem ents in wa terand sanitat ion. It c an influenc e d ec ision makers, c a ll for an extension of services tounderserved and unserved areas, challenge or draw attention to unfair ordiscriminatory practices, influence public policy and resource allocation, proposesolutions to p rob lem s, create a spac e fo r neg otiation be twe en c om munities andauthorities, mobilise funds or build awareness about an issue. Advocacy can

therefore complement other programme strategies being implemented byorga nisations, suc h as servic e d elivery, humanitarian a id or tec hnica l aid, to imp roveac c ess to w ate r and sanitation. Advoc ac y ca n take va rying forms rang ing fromone -to-one d isc ussions with p olic yma kers to me d ia c amp a igns that raise pub licawa rene ss about a c ertain issue.

The interna tiona l human rights framework is a po we rful too l for enhanc ing ad voc ac yinitiatives. It adds additional credibility and legitimacy, thereby bringing aboutpositive soc ial change. Firstly, the human rights framew ork requires governments and


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Dema nding a c c ounta bility for violations of the right to wa ter and sanitation fromgove rnments and p riva te a c tors, inc lud ing seeking red ress from na tiona l humanrights c om missions, co urts or interna tiona l huma n rights me c ha nisms

Mobilising public op inion a nd build ing supp ort for the right to w ater and sanitation Assisting ind ividua ls and c om munities denied their right to wa ter and sanita tion,

by building awareness about their predicaments and promoting the solutionsc om munities p rop ose

Promoting the right of communities to obtain adequate information fromgovernment and participate in decision making processes relating to access to

wa ter and sanitation

The huma n rights framewo rk c an be a va luab le neg otiating to ol betw eenc ommunities and authorities when it c om es to c la iming imp rovements in wa ter andsanitation service provision. How eve r, like a ll forms of advoc ac y, huma n rights-ba sedadvoc acy can ha ve p itfalls if not used stra teg ica lly. In som e cases, civil soc iety g roup sc an ha ve unrea listic expec ta tions: simp ly identifying a huma n rights violation a ndca lling on a c ourt or the UN to assist does not solve the p rob lem. Other groups have

assum ed that the right to water implies free water for all or that the obligations ofgove rnments a re ac hievab le imm ed iately ra ther than p rog ressively. It is thereforenec essary for c ivil soc iety to first have a c lear understand ing of what a human rightto wa ter and sanitation p rec isely entails and wha t the c orrespo nding ob liga tions ofgo vernment a re; and sec ond , know wha t strategies are effec tive a nd effic ient a tsecuring rights, including which national and international human rights institutionsare useful.

There is no g ua rantee tha t huma n rights-ba sed advoc ac y will sec ure c hange in all

Introduction


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This sec tion is a b rief introd uc tion to the legal basis and c ontent of the hum an right

to water and sanitation and the ob ligations that gove rnments and other ac tors hold.

The hum an right to w ater and sanita tion g uarantees a ll peo p le the righ t to suffic ientquantities of safe, physically accessible and affordable drinking water andsanitat ion. The right is c onta ined in numerous interna tiona l and reg iona l trea ties aswell as in na tiona l polic ies, laws and c onstitutions, and gove rnments have frequentlyexpressed the ir sup port for this right in po litica l dec lara tions. The d efinitions a reexplained in mo re d eta il below (see Elem ents of the righ t to water and sanita tion)

UN Genera l Assem bly Resolution o f July 2010

In July 2010 the UN Genera l Assem b ly adop ted A/ RES/ 64/ 292, which in OperativeParagrap h 1 [R]ecognizesthe right to sa fe and c lea n drinking w ater and sanita tionas a human right tha t is essential for the full en joyme nt o f life and a ll human rights; .In the vote on resolution A/ RES/ 64/ 292, 122 Sta tes voted in favour, while 41 ab sta ined .

1An introduc tion to the human right to water and

sanitation


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rec om mend a tions to the Human Rights Co unc il. Civil Soc iety Orga nisa tions, likeFreshwater Action Network, supported the work of the Independent Expert withexam ples of go od practice a nd e vide nce from loc al mem bers.

On 30 Sep tember 2010, the UN Human Rights Co unc il, a subsidiary bod y of the UNGeneral Assembly, adopted by consensus resolution A/HRC/15/L.14 on HumanRights and ac c ess to sa fe d rinking wa ter and sanita tion

Op erative Parag raph 2 [r]ecallsGe neral Assem bly resolution 64/ 292 of 28 July 2010,

in which the Assembly recognized the right to safe and clean drinking water andsanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and allhum an rights;

Operative Parag raph 3 is the critic al parag raph: it [a]ffirmsthat the hum an right tosa fe d rinking wa ter and sanitation is derived from the right to an a deq uate standardof living and inextricably related to the right to the highest attainable standard ofphysica l and me nta l hea lth, as well as the righ t to life a nd huma n d ignity; . This is

c ruc ial. By c la rifying tha t the righ t to wa ter and sanita tion is inc luded in the righ t toan a deq uate standard of living , which itself is enshrined in a large number of lega llybind ing treaties, the right to water and sanitation becomes legally binding andeq ua l to a ll other ec onomic, soc ial a nd cultura l rights. UN huma n rights trea ty bod iesnow have a c lea r ba sis unde r which to mo nitor State s c om plianc e.

Op era tive Pa ragraph 6 rea ffirms tha t Sta tes ha ve the p rima ry responsib ility toensure the full rea lisa tion of a ll human rights, and tha t the d eleg a tion of sa fe d rinkingwa ter and / or sanitation servic e d elivery to a third p arty do es not exem pt the Sta te

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The Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities6 esta b lishes tha t the right tosocial protection requires states parties to ensure equal access by persons withd isab ilities to c lean water services .7

To find out which o f the a bove mentioned trea ties your go vernme nt is a pa rty to g oto: http:/ / ww w2.ohchr.org/ eng lish/ law/ and c lic k on Status of ratific a tions of humanrights trea ties.

Regional Trea ties

A number of trea ties a lso g ua rantee the right to w ater and sanita tion (o r assoc ia tedrigh ts suc h a s the right to hea lth o r a he a lthy environm ent) in spec ific reg ions of theworld, if Sta tes in that reg ion ha ve rat ified them. These inc lude :

The A frica n Cha rter on Human and Peo p les Rights (1981) The A frica n Cha rter on the Rights and Welfa re o f the Child (1990)

The Add itiona l Proto c ol to the Americ an Convention on Huma n Rights in the Areaof Ec onom ic, Soc ial and Cultura l Rights (Protoc ol of San Sa lvad or ): (1988)

The Arab Charter on Huma n Rights (2008)

For more informat ion o n reg iona l trea ties p lea se refer to the Ap pend ix

National c onstitutions, law and po lic y

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implement their commitments, including the 2010 UN General Assembly resolutionreference d a bo ve.

Refer to the Appendix to see a list of international and political declarations andfind out if your government has signed them .

Elements of the right to water and sanita tion

The c onte nt of the right to w ater and sanitation is defined in General Comm ent No.15: The Right to wa te r(2002) and the UN Sub -Comm ission on the Prom otion andProte c tion of Huma n RightsDraft Guide lines for the rea liza tion o f the right to d rinkingwa ter and sanitation(2005). Tog ethe r, these doc ume nts sta te tha t the right to wa terand sanita tion should include the fo llow ing:

Suffic ient wa ter Safe wa ter and sanita tion

Acc ep tab le w ater and sanitation Physically accessible water and sanitation Afforda b le w ate r and sanitation

Sufficient water: An ad eq uate wa ter supp ly must be a vailable for persona l anddomestic use, which normally includes drinking, personal sanitation, washing ofc lothe s, food p rep a ra tion, persona l and househo ld hygiene . Wa ter source s mustbe protected, to ensure safe water for present and future generations. Oncepe rsona l and dom estic need s are met ad eq uate qua ntities of wate r should be



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should not reduce an individuals or households capacity to acquire otheressential goods and services, including food, housing, health services anded uc a tion, req uired for the rea lisa tion o f other funda me nta l human rights.

As with all human rights, a rights-based approach to water and sanitation alsorequires that communities have the opportunity to participate in decision makingon w ater and sanitation, and have ac ce ss to information co nce rning w ater andsanitation, suc h as sa fe hygiene p rac tic es and w ater qua lity da ta .

Non-d isc rimination and attention to vulnerab le and m arginalisedgroups

International and regional treaties and most national constitutions forbiddiscrimination on the grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political orother opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, sexual orientation or othersta tus. The right to w a ter and sanita tion is a righ t for everybody and gove rnments

must ensure a c c ess to w ater and sanita tion to a ll and not d isc rimina te a ga inst anyperson o r group o f peo p le.

A vulnerable group is any group that may require special protection due to itsphysical or emotional needs such as children or people with disabilities. Amarginalised group is a group that is outside mainstream society or has notpa rtic ipa ted in soc iety on a n eq ual basis with the d ominant group. In many c ases,this c ould include wom en o r indigeno us c om munities.



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stra teg ies and p rog ramm es, helps to e nsure tha t the ir sp ec ific nee d s a re ta keninto c onsideration.

The right to partic ipate in dec ision ma king a bout water and sanitationservices

Often, a lac k of informe d pub lic pa rtic ipa tion in the p lanning for provision o f wa terand sanitation services results in inappropriate technical solutions, prohibitive

financ ial co sts or unrea listic p ayme nt op tions. The right to w a te r and sanitationguarantees all persons the right to genuinely influence and enhance policyforma tion and imp rove me nts in the wa ter and sanita tion sec tor. Com munities a lsohave the right to d ete rmine w hat type of wa ter and sanita tion servic es they require,how those services are managed, and where possible, the right to choose andma nage their ow n servic es w ith a ssistanc e from the sta te.8

Governments should:

Ensure tha t pa rtic ipa tory proc esses a re c arried out in the de velopme nt of wa terand sanitation polic ies and plans

Ensure tha t rep resenta tives of vulnerab le and ma rg ina lised group s participa te indec ision ma king

Ensure informed partic ipa tion, in the sense tha t these g roup s a re p rovide d witha ll nec essary informa tion and a re trained so a s to g enuinely participa te

Aim to mitiga te p ow er imb a lanc es be tween stakeholders (for examp le b etweenland lords and tena nts)

Supp ort c om munity developm ent a nd ma nag eme nt of sma ll-sc ale wa ter and



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Accountability

Rec og nising ac c ess to w ate r and sanitation as a huma n right me ans that pe op lehave a leg al entitlement to a de qua te wate r and sanitation, and go vernments havea c orrespond ing ob liga tion to fulfil the right. This lega l ent itlem ent prov ides the b asisfor individuals and groups to hold g overnments and other ac tors to a c c ount if theirrights are violated. General Comment No. 15 makes clear that persons or groupsdenied their right to wa ter and sanita tion must have ac c ess to e ffec tive jud ic ia l orothe r approp ria te reme d ies, for examp le c ourts, nationa l om budspersons or huma n

rights commissions at both the national and international levels.10 Furthermore,victims must be entitled to remedies for violations, which include restitution,compensation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition.

Obligations of governments at a ll leve ls

When a go vernment fails to upho ld its ra tified trea ty c om mitments, arguab ly it is

violating the right in question. The g ove rnment, as a duty be arer, therefore hasspec ific ob liga tions it must fulfil in order to ensure the rea lisa tion o f the right to waterand sanitat ion to a ll of its c itizens.

Nationa l, provincial, munic ipa l and loc al g overnments have ob liga tions to respect,protectand fulfilthe right to w ater and sanitation. Som e o f these o b liga tions a re negative ob liga tions, whic h req uire tha t a go vernment d oes not interfere with theenjoyment o f the right to wa ter and sanitation. A g overnment for exam ple shouldnot p reve nt a c om munity from ac c essing a river it c urrent ly uses as itsp rimary source



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Obliga tions: Respec t, Protec t, Fulfil

Obliga tions to respe c t: Governments should not interfere d irec tly or ind irec tlywith the enjoyment o f a righ t. For example, gove rnments should not o bstruc tcustomary or traditional arrangements for water allocation, or unlawfullyd iminish or po llute wa ter resourc es.11

Obligations to protect: Governments must prevent third parties (such as

corporations or landlords) from interfering with the enjoyment of a right. Forexam p le, sta tes should adop t effec tive leg isla tive a nd othe r mea sures tha tp revent p riva te servic e p rovide rs from ra ising wa ter p ric es to una fford ab leleve ls or allow c om panies to p ollute o r ineq uitab ly extrac t from wa ter sources.Governments should impose penalties or sanctions on anyone who fails tocomply.12

Obligations to fulfil: Governments must facilitate a right by taking positivemea sures to a ssist individua ls and c om munities to e njoy the right, for exam p le,by provid ing the nec essary financ ia l and hum an resource s to imp rove a c c essto basic sanita tion servic es. Gove rnments should p rom ote a right, for examp le,by ensuring that there is appropriate education concerning the hygienic useof wate r, the protec tion o f wa ter sourc es and me thod s to m inimise wa stage.Gove rnme nts are ob lige d to provide a right when individuals or groups areuna b le, for rea sons beyo nd the ir c ontrol, to rea lise the right themselves, by themeans at their disposal; for instance, by constructing a water point in ac om munity that doesnt have ac c ess to safe d rinking wa ter.13



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sanitation towards people living outside their territorial jurisdiction or in third party

c ount ries. These inc lude:

Not eng ag ing in any ac tion tha t interferes with the right to w a ter and sanitationin another country and preventing their citizens and other third parties such ascompanies from violating the right to water and sanitation of individuals andc om munities in other co untries

Not imposing embargoes or similar measures that interfere with the realisation ofthe right to wa ter and sanitation

Facilitating the realisation of the right to water and sanitation, particularly indeve lop ed c ountries tha t have the resources to d o so, throug h p rovision o f wa terresources, financial and technical assistance and the provision of aid inemergency situations

Ensuring that the right to water and sanitation is given attention, and prioritisefacilitating access to water and sanitation for those without basic access, ininternational and regional agreements, including bilateral and multilateralassistance.

Inte rnationa l orga nisa tions, includ ing UN Spec ialised Ag enc ies, trade a ndfinancial institutions, and state members of such bodies, should ensure that theirpolic ies and ac tions respec t the right to wa ter and sanita tion. The right to wa terand sanitation should be taken into account in lending policies, creditagreements, poverty reduction strategies and other development projects orinternational agreements.15

Water and sanita tion in times of conflict or emergency situations



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The Sphere Sta nda rds (2004) provide g uid anc e to huma nita rian a genc ies tha t

respond to e me rge nc ies, whether natural disasters or arme d c onflic t.17 They d o notreplace the legal obligations of states to respect, protect and fulfil the rights ofvict ims of d isaster but high light tha t other ac tors a lso ha ve responsibilities when sta tesa re either unwilling o r unab le to fulfil their ob liga tions. The Sphere Sta nda rds set outminimum standards and key indicators for water and sanitation provision byhuma nitarian a genc ies in em ergenc ies, such a s the d istanc e of w a ter and sanitationfac ilities from the househo ld a nd q uantities of wa ter that should b e mad e a vailab le.



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United Nations Inde pende nt Expert on the issue o f huma n rightsob liga tions related to acc ess to safe d rinking water and sanitation

In Sep tember 2007, the High C om missioner for Human Rights p resented a stud y tothe Human Rights Council on the human rights obligations related to equitableaccess to safe drinking water and sanitation under international human rightsinstruments. The rep ort disc usses releva nt inte rna tiona l hum an rights ob liga tions,reviewing their sc op e a nd c onte nt, nature and mo nitoring , and sugg ests a rea s tha tnee d further elab oration. In 2008, the Huma n Rights Co unc il, ap pointed Catarina

de Albuquerque as the UN Indep end ent Expert on hum an rights ob liga tions relate dto a c c ess to sa fe d rinking w a ter, w ith a m anda te to look a t the follow ing a rea s:

The no rma tive c onte nt o f huma n rights ob liga tions in rela tion to ac c ess tosanitation

The hum an rights ob liga tions atta c hed to the elaboration o f a national strate gyon w ate r and sanitation

The reg ula tion of the p rivat e sec tor in the c onte xt o f p rivate p rovision of sa fe

d rinking w ater and sanita tion Criteria to protect the right to safe drinking water and sanitation in case of

disconnection The spec ific ob liga tions of loc a l autho rities

The Resolution a ppoints the position for a period of th ree yea rs and req uires theIndependent Expert to submit a report, including conclusions andrec om mendations, to the Co unc il a t its 10th session. The Resolution c on firmed theInde pend ent Expe rts ma nda te to be :



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inc lud ing relevant regiona l huma n rights me c ha nisms, nationa l huma n rights

institutions, c ivil soc iety o rganiza tions and ac adem ic institutions.

How c an we work with and supp ort Independent Expe rts ma nda te?

The a ppointment o f an Indep end ent Expert means tha t the UN huma n rights systemnow has a sep a ra te m ec hanism e xc lusively ded ic a ted to issues relate d to the righ tto wa ter and sa nita tion. The resolution a lso c onfirms tha t g ove rnme nts have

obligations to ensure access to safe drinking water and sanitation underinterna tiona l human rights law.

The Independ ent Expert has a lrea dy c ond uc ted a numb er of c ountry visits, in whic hshe e xam ined the state of w ate r and sanitation at the na tiona l and loc a l level, inpart b y spea king with CSOs with expertise a nd expe rience in the sec tor. During thesevisits she also identif ied good practice, and made recommendations togo vernme nts on step s to imp rove ac c ess and ensure p rote c tion o f huma n righ ts.

In addition to these country visits, the Independent Experts mandate involvesc onsulting and excha nging views on b est p rac tic es, and c ond uc ting a nalysis onrelevant issues. Thus, sta ying engaged during these c onsultat ions and offe ring yourexpertise a nd insight is a grea t way to see key issues raised . The Indep endent Expertsp roc ess of c onsultation, the subseq uent resea rc h and the c red ib ility and h igh-profiletha t she b rings to these issues ca n sub seq uent ly be used by a c tivists to leverag egreate r attention a nd c ollab oration for ensuring ac c ess to w ate r and sanitation forall



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This sec tion a ims to introd uc e the read er to the step s nec essary in p lanning an

advoc ac y c amp aign. A well-designed ca mp aign will help you ma ke the most ofyour available resources, maximise your impact and achieve your aims. Careful,strateg ic p lanning for wa ter and sanitation advoc ac y will increase your c hanc es ofsuccess.

What is ad voc ac y?

Advocacy is conducting specific activities that aim to change laws, policies,practices and attitudes through specific activities. Human rights based advocacyoften seeks to c hang e law s, polic ies and prac tic es that d isad vanta ge a c ertaingroup or sec tor, p rom ote p olic ies tha t lea d to the g rea ter prote c tion and rea lisa tionof hum an rights, emp ow er loc a l c om munities and build pub lic awarene ss. It is usua llydirec ted at the de c ision m akers who hold the p ow er to imp lement the c hangerequired, for example governments or private actors such as water companies.Advo c ac y ca n also b e d irec ted towa rds c hang ing p ublic o pinion to supp ort anissue o r ca use or take a spec ific form o f ac tion

2Planning an advocac y c ampa ign


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Advocating for the right to water and sanitation may be directed at the

international, national or local levels, or a combination of all three. It may be thatconnec tions estab lished be tween a dvoc ac y at the interna tiona l level and grassroo tsinitiatives c an supp ort and c om pleme nt ea c h other.

It is important at the outset to note that not all forms of advocacy need to beconfrontational. In extreme situations, where water and sanitation is denied,publically denouncing a government may be an effective strategy to achieveresults. How eve r, ad voc a tes often work in p artnership w ith g ove rnments and othe r

ac tors to help them imp rove the ir po lic ies, draw attention to any neg ative imp ac tspolic ies have o n vulnerab le a nd ma rg ina lised c om munities, and mo nitor servic eperformance.

Planning an ad voca cy c amp aign

As with any projec t, an a dvoc ac y ca mp a ign requires c areful thought and p lanningto ensure tha t advoc ac y ac tivities a re releva nt, rea listic and effec tive. At the o utset,it is useful for the g roup involved in c ond ucting the c am pa ign to me et a nd holdb ra instorming sessions in which a number of fac tors should b e d isc ussed . The g roupneeds to identify the ma in issues to b e a ddressed , dec ide the c amp aign s ob jec tivesand the m ea ns by which to a c hieve the m. Stra teg ic p lanning w ill inc rea se thec hanc es of suc c ess, ensure you ma ke the m ost of a va ilab le op portunities and helpthe g roup to a ntic ipa te a nd o vercome pote ntially ma jor obstac les. This p roc essshould result in the p rod uc tion o f a d eta iled ac tion p lan tha t sets out the a c tivities tobe carried out and allocates responsibilities for their implem entation as well as



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Checklist: Determining priority issues Is the issue you ha ve identified c onne c ted to a denial of huma n righ ts? Is the issue in line with your organisations mandate; and will engaging with

it promote the o rganisa tion s mission? Is the issue see n a s a p riority b y tho se you re a iming to rep resent? Ca n the issue b e resolved by a spec ific polic y ac tion? Will working on the issue result in a tangible and concrete change to

peo p les lives?

Will working on the issue lead to greater awareness of, and respect for, theright to water and sanitation and othe r human rights?

Will working on the issue provide opportunities for vulnerable andmarginalised groups?

Will working on the issue build the capacity of local communities toad voc ate for the right to w a ter and sanitation?

Will working on the issue create new organisational alliances? Will working on the issue c rea te op portunities for generating funding?

If its a loca l issue, how does it rela te to g lob a l co nc erns? What are the risks associated with working on this issue?

Planning an advocacy campaign


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Conduc ting in-depth research on the issues

Onc e yo u ha ve identified key p riorities, the next step is to sub jec t the issues you w ishto address to thorough resea rc h a nd ana lysis in o rder to fully understand the na tureand extent o f the p rob lem. To p rop ose a rea listic solution to a p rob lem, it is essentialto und erstand its roo t c auses, develop an effec tive a dvoc ac y strate gy a nd ensuretha t you estab lish your cred ib ility as a knowled ge ab le a c tor in your field.

But b efo re you beg in, it is essential to c onsider:

Where a re the ga ps in your ow n know led ge ? What resea rc h is nec essary to a c hieve your advo c ac y ob jec tive? Where d o you g o to c ollec t relevant information? Does your organisation have the relevant skills and expertise to carry out the

resea rc h a lone or do es it need to solic it he lp from othe rs?

The internet, loc a l library, university, UN agenc ies or government m inistries may bea good place to start your research and see what information is available.Newspaper artic les ma y also p rovide go od informa tion ab out loc a l issues but needto b e c hec ked fo r their reliab ility and ob jec tivity. You m ay find tha t a lot o f resea rc hhas already been done on an issue, so source the most up to date information inrep orts or gove rnment sta tistics. It is a lso important to review the wo rk of o ther NGOs,bo th loc ally and internationa lly, and see how they have a pp roa che d or tac kledsimilar problems.



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Top tips: Collec ting d isag gregated da taFrom a human rights perspective, it is preferable to collected data that isd isagg reg ate d (sep arated ) a long spec ific c riteria suc h a s rac e, ge nde r, ag e,loc a tion (rura l/ urban) etc . This is bec ause the question huma n rights advoc ate softe n a sk is whodo esnt ha ve a c c ess and why? not how ma ny peop le donthave ac c ess to w ate r and sanitation?

Disaggregated data will help you identify patterns of violations, and

understand if lac k of w a tsan a c c ess, for som e c om munities or group s, is due toa lack of political will. However, large-scale collection of disaggregated datais very costly and time consuming, so find out what information already exists.Many o rga nisa tions, suc h a s UNICEF, WHO o r the UN (via MDG mon itoringreports), collect disaggregated data on aspects of the right to water andsanitat ion, p rima rily ac c essibility.

When examining an issue, it is important to understand both the c auses of a p rob lem

(as this will la ter de termine whic h ac tors to d irec t advoc ac y towards) and its effec ts.The d iagram below illustra tes how simp le ma pp ing too ls c an he lp in this p roc ess.

Diagram 1: An exam ple of problem ma pp ing

Causes Effects



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Loo king a t the c auses and effec ts of the above issue in this c ase, a lac k of sa fe,

suffic ient w a ter in a c om munity it is imp ortant to und erstand the fo llow ing :

Which aspect of the right to water and sanitation or other internationallyrec og nized human rights standards is being violate d?

Has the g ove rnment ratified the trea ty in question? What a re the go vernments exac t ob liga tions? How do they intend to remed y the situation?

With these points in mind, the following table has a few examples taken fromDiagram 1, which help to flesh out the issue:


Causes and effec ts Hum an rights viola tion Obligation of duty bearerof a lac k ofsufficient,

safe wate r incom munity X

Lo w le ve ls o f Vio la tio n o f t he rig ht t o Und e r t he ICESCR, t he g o ve rnme ntinvestme nt in wa ter and sanita tion. should ensure investments in wa tertha t a rea fac ilita te acc ess for a ll members

As the com munity is historica lly of soc iety and p riorit ise investmentd isc rim ina te d a g ainst , lo w in wa te r a nd sa nita tio n se rvice slevels o f investment in some and fac i lit ies to areas that currentlya re as c ould vio la te no n- ha ve lo w o r lim ite d ac c ess. The

Table 1: Whats the p roblem?


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Identifying vio lations of the right to water and sanita tion

Note : this is a hypo the tica l exam ple

Around the Bulgarian c ap ital Sofia a re a la rge number of informa l settlementsinhabited by the Roma (traveller communities) who are generally poor andhave been historically discriminated against. Water and sanitation serviceprovision to Bulga rian villages, tow ns and c ities is of a rea sonab ly high standard ,and the municipality normally provides water through private connections.How eve r, the informa l sett lem ents have very low ac cess to w ater and sanitationand ma ny fam ilies must travel more tha n a kilom etre to the nea rest wa ter po int.A g row ing numb er of Com munity Based Orga niza tions (CBOs) have sec ured aleg al c onnec tion to wa ter from the loc al municipa lity and are selling wa ter tothe ir mem bers in jerry c ans a t a p rofit. Ma ny ho uses use sha red p it la trines. Thec om munity sc hoo l doe s not have prop er ac c ess to w a ter, and its sanita tionfac ilities a re shared by both boys and girls. A la rge numb er of Rom a c hild rensuffer from d ia rrhoea and othe r water-borne d isea ses.

Based on this informa tion, consider the following q uestions:

Whic h aspe c ts of the right to wa ter and sanita tion a re b eing viola ted ? (Referto a pp rop riate international law and elements of the right to wa ter andsanitation.)

Are any othe r human rights being viola ted ?



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Problem Possib le polic y solution

The government refuses to establish water Reform pol icies and pract ices to ensure thatpoints in informal settlements, as it does not all who reside in the country have ac ce ss towant to leg itimise these a reas. sa fe wa ter and ad equa te sanita tion,

regardless of housing or land tenure status orwhe ther the inhabita nts are refuge es.

The water serv ice prov ider is in troducing Put protect ions in p lace to ensure that anypre-paid meters to ensure cost-recovery. payment for water serv ices is based on theThere is a concern tha t they will reduce princ ip le o f equ ity, and pub lica lly o r p riva te lypoor peoples ac cess to suff ic ient supplies provided w ater services are affordab le for al l,o f wa ter. inc lud ing soc ia lly d isadvantaged groups.

Ensure tha t m inimum qua ntities of w ater areava ilab le at a ll times.

Low knowledg e ab out safe hygiene practices Increase funding for hygiene promotionin c o mm unity X ha s c o ntrib ute d to the c a m pa ig ns a m ong the ta rg et c o mm unity

o utb re ak o f c o mm unic a b le d ise ase s. a nd e nsure tha t all g ro up s ha ve a c c ess toinformation c onc erning safe wa ter storage,usage and hygiene practice.

Drought has prevented rura l communit ies Increase donor funding for emergencytha t a re d ep end ent o n ra inw ate r a lte rna tive so urc es, suc h a s w ate r truc kingha rve sting fro m b eing ab le to a c c ess to rura l c om munitie s.suffic ient q uant ities of water.

Table 2: Problem s v solutions


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Stages to dec ision-mak ing Generate idea s/ propo sals within the dec ision-m ak ing bod y . An issue is

ad de d to the a c tion a ge nda of an institution, whic h then develops a p olic yprop osa l. Prop osa l idea s ma y c om e from outside or inside the orga nisa tion.

Forma lly introd uce the p roposal into the dec ision-m aking proc ess. At thisstage, the p rop osa l s forma l de c ision-ma king p roc ess beg ins. For exam ple,an ac t is introd uce d to p a rliam ent; a p rop osal is sent to a bo ard o f direc torsfor considera tion; or an item is ad ded to the ag end a of a ministry meeting.

Deliberate. The p rop osa l is d isc ussed , deb a ted and perha ps a ltered . Forexample, a group of decision makers has a discussion, or the proposal isde ba ted on the floor of pa rliam ent.

Approve or reject. The p rop osa l is forma lly ap p roved or rejec ted . Forexample, a vote is taken or decision makers reach consensus or one orseve ra l dec ision makers rea c h a dec ision.

Advance to the next level, implement, or return to a previous stage. If theproposal is approved, it may move to the next higher level of decision-ma king. For exam p le, it ma y move from a c ounc il or com mittee to the full

national assembly. If the proposal is accepted at the highest level ofdec ision-ma king , it w ill mo ve to imp lem enta tion. If rejec ted , it may return toa p revious stage for alteration o r rec onsideration.

Working with the c ommunity

If an external NGO is carrying out advocacy in the interests of a particular



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whe reb y c om munities them selves identify the issues and p rob lem s they fa c e, a nd

deve lop solutions for them selves, the NGO c an a ssist in emp ow ering the c om munityand building their c ap ac ity to be co me po werful ad voc ates for their own humanrigh ts, or ensure tha t d ec ision ma kers hea r the vo ic es of the poo r and ma rgina lised .

Top tips for working w ith communities

Meet with community-based organisations, ask for their input and advice,and e xp lore wa ys of wo rking to ge ther.

It is essential tha t you have the trust o f the c om munity you a re wo rking withand this ma y req uire wo rking in p artnership w ith those w ho a re we ll-knownand respec ted by the c om munity, suc h as elders or relig ious leaders. Also b eaware that community leaders may not represent the interests of allme mb ers of the c om munity.

In c onsulting with com munity mem bers, be aw are o f any d iffic ulties that ma yprevent ma rg ina lised me mb ers of the c om munity (wome n, elderly pe rsons,persons with disabilities etc.) from attending a discussion meeting, and findways to e nsure tha t they a lso ha ve the ir voice s and op inions hea rd .

In c ond uc ting in-dep th interview s with co mm unity mem bers, be a wa re o fsensitivities and ensure that you gain their consent to make informationpub lic or protec t the ir identities if there m ay be fea r of rep risa l for spea kingout.

Tog ether with the c om munity, identify the m a in prob lem s they fac e, whetherthe problem is seen as a human rights issue, how the problem affectsdifferent mem be rs of the c ommunity, the c ause o f the p rob lem, what a c tionthe relevant authorit ies have taken to solve the problem and what the



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Checklist: Research questions What are the human rights issues at the heart of the problem? Identify

violations and g ove rnment ob liga tions. What a re the lega l/ po lic y ca uses of the p rob lem ? How is polic y made? Wha t is the p roc ess? Who a re the key ac tors or institutions who ma ke p olic y dec isions; wha t a re

their interests; and who has influenc e ove r them? Are their formal or informal mechanisms already in place that NGOs or

c om munities c an utilise to pa rticipa te in the p olic y ma king p roc ess? What a re p ossible leg a l/ polic y solutions to the p rob lem you a re a ddressing ;

are they likely to have a lasting a ffec t the prob lem? What policies have been proposed, accepted or rejected in the recent

past? What is the opposition to addressing this issue? What a re the ec ono mic bene fits or harm o f add ressing this issue? How doe s the c om munity feel ab out this issue; how doe s it a ffec t them ; and

wha t a re the ir nee ds and asp ira tions?

Does your orga nisation ha ve the leg itima c y to spe ak out on be half of thec om munity it rep resents; and ha s it eng aged the c om munity in the resea rc hproc ess?

What is the extent of public opinion on the issue; is there already publicdeb ate ab out it?

Are the resourc es ava ilab le to w ork on this issue? (see page 35) Does the resea rc h address the informa tion g ap or co nsider the nee ds of the

policymaker?



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Ensure t ha t internally d isp lac ed peo p le in Co untry X have a c c ess to sa fe a nd

suffic ient w a ter and adeq uate sanitation fa c ilities in Internally Disp lac ed Person(IDP) ca mp s

Setting objectivesor outcomes involves the identification of what you want toac hieve in your c ampa ign. Ob jec tives should be SMART, i.e. spec ific, measurab le,achievable, realistic, time bound.


SPECIFIC Be foc used a nd p recise ab out wha t you hope to a c hieve.

MEASURABLE Ensure you c an me asure whe ther you a re ac hieving your ob jec tive. This willbe essential for future monitoring and evaluation of your ca mp aign.

ACHIEVABLE Ensure tha t you c an a chieve w hat you set o ut to a c hieve; i.e. have a realsolution to the prob lem you see k to a dd ress. Being o veram bitious ma y leadto d isap po intment late r on.

REALISTIC Ensure tha t it is po ssible for your orga nizat ion to ac hieve the ob ject iveduring your ca mp aign; i.e. tha t you ha ve the expe rtise, time, resource s etc .

TIME BOUND Set a time fram e fo r your objec tive. It is unlikely that yo u w ill have theresource s or inc lina tion to run an ad voc ac y ca mp aign fo r the ne xt 50 yea rs!

Table 3: SMART objec tives

When defining your ob jec tives you may have som e short-term go als som e med ium-


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ADVOCACY GOAL TWO

Red uce the prevalenc e o f wa ter borne d isea se in co mm unity x in order to red uc ec hild mo rb id ity a nd mo rta lity a nd rea lise the right to hea lth fo r all child ren in thecommunity.

SMART Ob jec tive 1: Enac t a neg lec ted policy which requires the loca l municipa lityto c ond uc t reg ular wa ter testing in comm unity X and trea t any c onta mination inthe next six months.

SMART Ob jec tive 2: Ensure loc a l sc hoo ls inco rporate hygiene awarene ss in the

c urric ulum in the next two yea rs. SMART Ob jec tive 3: Inc rea se na tiona l fund ing for sanitation b y 20% in the next two

yea rs and ta rge t it to a rea s c urrently without ac c ess to imp roved sanita tion.

ADVOCACY GOAL THREE

Ensure tha t peo p le internally disp lac ed by c onflic t in Country X have a c c ess to sa feand suffic ient w a ter and ad eq uate sanita tion fa c ilities in idp c amp s.

SMART Ob jec tive 1: Establish 20 water points and 20 sanitation units in threeselec ted IDP c amp s in the next four mo nths. SMART Ob jec tive 2: Inc rease the visibility of wa ter and sanitat ion issues a ffec ting

IDPs in the p ress, UN rep orts and organiza tiona l prog ramming fo r the next yea r. SMART Ob jec tive 3: Inc rea se d ono r funding fo r wa ter and sanita tion in IDP c amp s

by 25% ove r the ne xt three years.

When setting your objectives, it is important to realise that you are askingli k t t k ifi ti Thi b t d l li h



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identify the key policymakers in the water and sanitation sector, or the key

po lic ymakers/ institutions that c an ac hieve your ad voc ac y objec tives.

In an advoc ac y cam pa ign, yourprima ry targe t aud ienc ewill usua lly be the dec isionma kers who hold the p ow er to c hang e, enac t and influenc e p olic y direc tly. Yoursec onda ry target a udiencewill be p eople who a re a ble to influenc e your prima rytarget a udience and pressure them to b ring a bo ut the c hang e required . Sec ond arytarget audienc es a re pa rtic ularly imp ortant in situations whe re you m ay not haved irec t a c c ess to the dec ision ma kers them selves.

A p rima ry targe t aud ienc e m ay b e:

Politicians Loc a l leve l go vernment offic ia ls Exec utives of a private wa ter com pa ny Exec utives of multi-la teral orga niza tions suc h a s the World Bank Rep resenta tives from interna tiona l dono r agenc ies

A sec onda ry target a udienc e ma y be:

The pub lic UN Spec ial Rapporteurs The news med ia Religious groups Op inion forme rs



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Prima ry audienc e

Minister of Water; Boa rd o f priva te water c om pany; CEO of p riva te water c om pany;hea d o f wa ter servic e reg ula tor.

Sec onda ry audience

Priva te wa ter c om pany shareho lders; the pub lic ; loc a l wa ter users assoc ia tions.

Targe t aud ience resea rch:

Find out a s muc h informa tion a s possib le a bout b oth your p rima ry and sec ond arytarget a udience

Ma ke sure you understand their beliefs, op inions and a ttitudes reg a rd ing youradvo c ac y goal and ob jec tives. For instanc e, you should find out w hat they havedec la red pub lic a lly ab out your issue in speec hes or artic les and wha t sta tem entsthe ir institut ion has relea sed

When ta rgeting a n ind ividua l, you may need to interview the p erson in questionor people that know he r/ him w ell.

Assess whe ther your target is a duty bea rer a nd holds a d irec t ob liga tion t oensure the right to w ater and sanitation under interna tional law

Understand what influenc e your ta rget ha s ove r the issue in question and w hetherthey are rea lly in a p osition to effec t c hange. To d o this, you must a lso understandwha t their pow er ba se is, who holds influenc e o ver them, what they rea lly ca reabout a nd their key pressure p oints What w ill convince them to support your c ause:economic benefits, solid proof of human rights violations, self-interest, politicalsurviva l, peer pressure?



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Chec klist: Identifying target audienc e Who is in a p osition to b ring a bout the c hange req uired ? Is your target a duty bearer and directly responsible for ensuring the

rea lisa tion of the righ t to w a ter and sanita tion und er internat iona l law? What is the ir a ttitud e tow ards the issue? What a re the ir ma in conc erns? What is their pow er ba se? Who ca n influenc e them? Regarding the issue, what is their organisations position, economic or

politic a l inte rest? Who a re your allies and op pone nts?

Selec t core messag es to direc t at your target aud ience

Core messages should be c lea r, suc c inc t sta tem ents tha t summarise your ad voc ac ygo a ls, including the c hang e tha t is req uired to a dd ress a prob lem, who c an a ffect

that change and how they can do it. By using solid information and analysisga thered from your resea rc h, as a right to wa ter and sanitation a dvo c ate , youshould develop a position on an issue and a c onvinc ing me ssage tha t c rysta llisesthis position. You should ima g ine tha t this is the message you want to get o ut if youonly have a five-minute interview with a journalist and be rea dy to d eliver thatme ssage w henever the op portunity arises. Ultimately, the a dvoc ac y message a imsto convince the target audience to support your advocacy goal or objective, sothe wa y in which you communicateyour message is very important.



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TARGET AUDIENCE SUPPORTING MESSAGES

Government officials The Government should inco rpo rate a non-discrimination clause into thec ountrys Water Law and targe t resource s to e nsure that ma rginalisedcommunities have access to safe and sufficient water and enjoy theirhuma n rights on a n e qua l ba sis with o ther c itizens.

The United Nat ions Ca ll on the Governme nt to review its disc riminatory po lic ies and

Human Rights pract ices in re la t ion to certa in e thnic groups, to fu lf il its in ternationalMechan isms lega l ob liga t ions, inc lud ing respec t ing, p ro tec t ing and fulfilling the right

to w ater and sanita tion on a non-d isc riminatory ba sis.

The pub lic Hospita lisat ion of c hildren in this com munity is due to lac k of c lean wa terand adequate sanitation, which uses up resources that could be savedby a mo de st investme nt in wa ter and sanita tion servic es an d fa c ilities.Sign a p etition ca lling on the G ove rnment to realloc ate resource s toprioritise those without current access to basic services.

Tab le 4: Geting the m essag e ac ross

KEY MESSAGE

Rac ial d isc rimina tion is the reason why co mmunity X is not c onne c ted to the na tionalwa ter netwo rk. Comm unity mem be rs have to travel long distanc es to a c c ess wa terfilling points and spend up to 30% of househo ld inc om e o n c lea n wa ter. Lac k of sa fewa ter and adeq uate sanitation lea ds to the ho sp ita lisa tion o f thousands of c hild renfrom this c om munity eve ry yea r due to d ysente ry.


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Timing is important, so think ab out whenyou will de liver your message. You c ould

select key international dates, such as World Water Day (22 March), World HealthDay (7 April), Human Rights Day (10 December) or local observances, to drawattention to your ca mp a ign. There ma y also b e a p olitic a l event suc h as an elec tionor a high p rofile d ip lom atic visit to your country, whic h may ma ke polic yma kers mo reop en to c onsidering your me ssage .

Decide whereyou w ill deliver your message : will it b e a t a me eting w ith p oliticians,a press c onferenc e o r a pub lic de ba te? What formatwill be mo st effec tive to reac hyour target a udienc e: a radio interview , a b riefing p ap er or ma ybe a slog an p a intedon a wa ll or ba nner? Conside r whoc ould b e a n effec tive m esseng er to deliver yourme ssage perhaps its som eo ne in a senior position in your organisa tion? But if youare raising awareness about the health impacts of polluted water resources on alocal community, i t may be a good idea to get a local doctor to deliver yourme ssage as she or he w ill have mo re c red ib ility. And think ab out any loc a l ce leb ritiestha t c ould support your ca use a nd ra ise its pub lic p rofile.

Chec klist: Deve loping the messag e Is your message simp le and ea sily und erstood ? Is your message culturally and socially appropriate as well as technically

correct? Is the format and content of the message suitable for the specific target

audience? Does your me ssage c onvinc e p eople to supp ort your ad voc ac y goa l and

ob jec tives? Does it insp ire a nd mo tivate p eo p le?



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Assessing resources and fundraising

You must ensure tha t you ha ve the resource s huma n, tec hnic a l and financ ia l toc a rry o ut your ca mp a ign. This involves the id entific a tion of your orga nisa tion sstreng ths and w ea kness, and exam ining ho w you c an overc om e a ny weaknesses.If your group do es not ha ve the know led ge , expe rtise o r c apa c ity to c a rry out aspe c ific c ompo nent of your camp aign, look to your allies and explore how they ca nsupp ort or com pleme nt your work.

WaterAid s guide to assessing resource s19

Financ ial Resources What m oney is ava ilable for this ad voc ac y projec t? Where will you a c quire the mo ney you ne ed ; from your orga nisa tion, pa rtners or

other fund ers? Is it likely you w ill fac e d ifficulties in ge tting the money you require?

Approxima tely, how m uc h do you think you w ill need to impleme nt the a c tivitiesyou a re c onsidering? Is your bud get rea listic, and based on ac tua l costs or quo tes?

People Who w ill be ava ilab le to wo rk on the d ifferent aspe c ts of the projec t?

Skills and exp erience



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Reputation

Do you o r your pa rtners have a strong rep utation am ong the ta rge t audienc es,with the pub lic or the med ia?

If not, have you d evelope d strate gies and tac tic s to g et a round this? Ca n you rec ruit influential spokespeop le o r celeb rities to spea k on your beha lf? Do you ne ed to w ork in partnership w ith anothe r, bette r-know n orga nisa tion?

Tim e Do you have enoug h time to impleme nt your projec t effec tively?

Are the re p a rtic ular de ad lines that you have to m eet? Are there external events tha t you w ish to use, suc h a s elec tions, nationa l or loc a l

politic a l mee tings, government p lanning c yc les or interna tional summ its?



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TOP TIPS: Fundra ising

If your advoc ac y ca mp aign need s to seek add itiona l financ ia l suppo rt, it couldtry raising funds by staging fundraising events such as a concert or charityevening , or c ollec ting dona tions from supporters. Alterna tively, you m ay needto seek out funders who c an c om mit a large a mo unt of mo ney. Try to b uildpersonal relationships with people who may be in a position to financiallysupp ort your ad voca cy c am pa ign a nd co nvince them o f its merits.

A g oo d p lac e to sta rt resea rc h into possib le fund ers who m ay support your

advocacy work is the International Human Rights Funders Group:http :// ww w.hrfunde rs.org. You m ay also resea rc h which group s have fundedother orga nisa tions or initiatives tha t c a rry out simila r wo rk to yours.

When deve lop ing a funding p rop osa l or conc ep t pa per, be sure to d evelop itac c ording to the spec ific c riteria of the individual fundraising bod y to w hic hyou a re a pp lying . This me ans c ond uc ting som e resea rc h to see wha t ac tivitiesand initiatives the funder has supported in the past and whether your

ad voc ac y ob jec tives ma tc h their go als. Tailor the langua ge of your propo salto ensure that you meet their criteria. Funders have specific reportingrequirements, so ensure tha t you have the c ap ac ity to report to d onors on timeand a c c ording to their need s.

Develop ing a fundraising p rop osa l takes time and effort. Ind ividua l fundershave their own ideas about what information they would like to see in aconcept paper but generally, a fundraising proposal comprises the following



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Selecting a dvoc ac y tactics

Onc e you ha ve identified the issues, c ond uc ted in-dep th resea rc h, identified youradvocacy goals and objectives, identified your target audience, developed yourkey me ssage a nd supporting messages and assessed your resourc es, you a re rea dyto c hoose the ap proac hes and ac tivities or tac tic s you will ca rry out to enable youto reac h your ob jectives. This c ould include lega l a dvoc ac y and litiga tion; lob bying;building netw orks and c oa litions; ca pa c ity building; med ia ad voc ac y; and b uildinga p ublic c amp aign.

Cha pte r 3 foc uses on a dvoc ac y tac tic s and gives examp les of a dvo c ac y initiativesfrom around the wo rld. It is likely tha t you w ill use a wide rang e o f tac tics in o rder toreac h your ad voca cy ob jec tives, depend ing on the c ap ac ity and m and ate o f yourorga nisa tion, the c ontext in wh ic h you a re w orking, the resources you ha ve a t yourd isposa l and your ta rge t aud ienc e. Monitoring a nd e va lua tion will a lso lead you tore-assess your advocacy strategy, thereby abandoning tactics that wereunsuc c essful, or introd uc ing new ones.

Cond uc t a risk assessme nt of potential ac tivities

It is essential to e xamine a ny p otentia l problems you m ay enc ounte r during yourcampaign in order to respond to them effectively. Most advocacy campaignsa ttrac t som e fo rm of opposition. But your ba c kground resea rc h will have identifiedany po tential opp onents, and e quipp ed you with how to co unter any argumentsthey may put fo rwa rd . You should a lso ha ve tho roug hly examined the soc ia l andpolit ical context in which you are working Never engage in any advocacy or



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alienate your audience. Make sure you have done a thorough assessment of the

safety of the c ontext you a re w orking a nd b e p rep a red for any sudd en uphea valssuc h as the outb rea k of con flict o r c ivil strife.

Som e issues you engage in may at trac t a c ertain amo unt o f cont rove rsy. Try not tobe a partisan in any po litic al deb a tes but rathe r address the fac ts, which you ha vechec ked for their c red ib ility, and ensure tha t your arguments are ob jec tive and b asedon international law. Getting angry with those who d isagree with you is not the b esttac tic to convince them to supp ort your po sition, so m ake sure you trea t the targetsof your ca mp aign with respec t, at a ll times. Understand their argument, break it down,and be p ersuasive in ma king your own case. Ma ke sure you have the resource s youreq uire for your ad voc ac y project, antic ipa te unexpec ted events and be prepa redto c hang e o r even c anc el your advoc ac y projec t all together if the risks be c omeunac cep table. Remember that being we ll prepared is the best wa y to avoid risk.

Checklist: Assessing risk Do your advocacy targets or opponents pose any danger to your

organisation, partners or communities? Have yo u a ssessed the c ultura l context you a re w orking in, and ensured tha t

your ad voc ac y c am pa ign is app rop riate or sensitive to tab oo subjec ts? Are you a wa re o f any de velop ments that ma y ma ke the c ontext you are

working in insec ure? Are you p rep ared to respo nd to any opp osition you may enc ounter? Are you we ll prepa red to c arry out your ad voca cy c am pa ign?



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In order to monitor your activities effectively, it is essential to develop strong

indica tors to m ea sure w hether or not you a re a c hieving your ad voc ac y ob jec tives.

It is usua l that the sta ff or key p eop le responsib le fo r imp lem enting the a dvoc ac yc amp a ign w ill a lso b e the ones responsible for pe riod ic mon itoring . This c ou ldinclude c ollec ting informa tion on suc c esses and fa ilures throug hout the c amp a ign,c ond uc ting impac t assessme nts or rep orting to d ono rs. To m onitor your ad voc ac yc am pa ign effec tively, alwa ys c ollec t a ny respo nses you ha ve rec eived from yourta rge t a ud ienc e, suc h as lette rs or newspaper artic les. Even if you a re no t on trac kto meet your objectives (policy change can be a slow and diff icult process)

suc c esses could inc lude increased visib ility with the me d ia or the b uilding o f a llianc esand coalitions.


ADVOCACY GOAL Ensure that people internally disp laced byconflict in Country X have ac cess to safe a ndsufficient water and adequate sanitation

facilities in IDP camps.

SMART OBJECTIVE INDICATORS

Increase donor funding for water Five key donors are provided with brief ing pap ersand sanita tion in IDP camps by regard ing the water and sanita t ion prob lems in IDP25% in the next th ree years. camps and the issues a re d iscussed by donors.

Follow up m eet ings with the do nors held.

Tab le 5: Adoc ac y c am pa ign indica tors


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Externa l orga nisa tions wo rking with or on b eha lf of loc a l comm unities ma y deve lop

a survey or feed ba c k form to e nab le the c om munity to a ssess the impa c t a ndbe nefit of the advo c ac y ca mp aign, and p rop ose w ays to streng then the initiative.

By assessing your suc c esses and fa ilures, at the end of the c ampa ign, an e va luationwill ensure tha t your orga niza tion or group has lea rnt from the e xperienc e, whic h w illstreng then a ny ad voc ac y initiatives you may unde rtake in the future. An eva lua tionca n b e c arried out b y the organization respo nsible for the a dvoc ac y ca mp aign,the c om munity involved or the do nor. You m a y then wa nt to p resent theeva luations find ings a t a m ulti-stakeholde r d ia log ue a nd solic it feed bac k.

Checklist: Eva luation

Did the ad voc ac y ca mp aign me et its ob jec tives? If not, why not? If policy change was achieved, was this a direct result of your advocacy

initiative? Were objectives accomplished with the available resources and within the

spe c ified time fram e?

What was successful? What d id not w ork we ll? What lessons c an b e d rawn from suc c esses and fa ilures? Did the advocacy campaign result in an increased awareness of, and

respec t fo r, human rights? If wo rking w ith or on be ha lf of a c om munity, how do they assess the imp ac t

of your ad voca c y cam pa ign? What do they be lieve c ould ha ve imp roved? How do pa rtners and donorsassess your advoc ac y c am pa ign?



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This sec tion aims to introduce the read er to a number of different ad voc ac y tac tic sor ac tivities that could be used on an advoc ac y ca mp aign.

The d ifferent ad voc ac y tac tics explored in this sec tion inc lude:

Lobbying Using me d ia a nd c ommunica tions Public campaign/Popular mobilisation Ca pa c ity building Lega l a dvoc ac y/lit iga tion

Build ing netw orks and c oa litions

In the c ourse of a c am pa ign, you might emp loy a wide range o f ad voca c y tac tic s,depending on what you want to achieve and who you want to inf luence.Advoc ac y ca n often be e ffective if you a re ta rge ting a num be r of different levels(loc a l, reg iona l and internationa l) at the same time . But the tac tic s you c hoo se m ustbe appropriate to reach your target audience. Different approaches may besuitab le for different c on texts and situations; it isno t a one size fits a ll .

3

Advoc ac y tac tic s for promoting a nd p rotec tingthe right to water and sanitation, and c asestudies of water and sanitation advoc ac y fromaround the world


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Lobbying

Lob bying is the p roc ess of t rying to influenc e d ec ision makers d irec tly at a ll levels. Itis a ime d a t informing them a bout a partic ula r issue to persuade them to support orop pose a position. Lob bying is not a one off event it is a stra teg y and is mo steffective when you build up a relationship with the people you are trying toinfluenc e. You w ant to g a in dec ision m akers trust and c onfidenc e so tha t they a reprepared to use your organisations expertise when it comes to decision making.Lob bying c an ta ke a variety o f forms suc h as:

Holding short fac e to fac e me etings with gove rnment offic ia ls Writing lette rs to dec ision makers Providing fa c t shee ts or po licy b riefing p apers to g ove rnment o ffic ia ls Phoning a n offic ia l Inviting offic ials to a panel disc ussion

Top tips for lob by ing

Fac e to fa c e mee tings are often the m ost effective wa y to ge t a m essageac ross and build a relationship with your targe t

Be w ell p rep a red for meetings: know wha t your targe t s position is on anissue; what message you w ant to get a c ross; and c ounte r-arguments to theirpositions

Enga ge in d ia log ue a nd respec t othe rs op inions even if you do not a greewith them

Be p rep ared to ne go tiate ; provide win win solutions to p rob lem s; show how



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CASE STUDY

The struggle to increase political com mitment to the rightsto wash in Nepal: The Peoples Agenda

Civil Soc iety O rganisa tions in Nepa l have c ontinued with the ir efforts to influenc epolic ies and p rac tic es to red uc e WASH depriva tion. Influenc ing initia tives haveresulted in som e p ositive c hanges.

Deprivations and po litica l transforma tions

Nepa l is used to mo nitoring d ia rrhoea and c holera outb rea ks in d ry sea sons. Anoutbreak in 2009 adversely affected more than 46,000 and killed nearly 310peo p le in 17 d istric ts with low sanitation c ove rage throug hout July and Aug ust.This is no t an isola ted news sto ry: there ha s bee n a genera l trend where a round10,500 c hild ren und er five d ie every yea r simp ly be c ause the y are d ep rived ofsanita tion a nd sa fe d rinking wa ter.

Nep a l is a c oun try in transition . The p op ula tion ha s strugg led to b ring aboutpolitic a l transforma tion a nd rea lise its asp ira tions to c rea te a p rosperous andinc lusive sta te. After the peop les mo vem ent restored dem oc rac y in Ma y 2008,the country is in the process of drafting a new constitution with the aim ofinco rpo rating the p eop le s ag enda in the na tional po licy d oc ument.

I thi i th ti i f t t d t d l bb f i ti

Advoc ac y tac tics for promoting and protecting the right to water and sanitation


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The SACOSAN III dec laration, in wh ich sanitat ion and w a te r ha ve b ee nrecognized as fundamental human rights, was a major milestone for thead voc a tes. It formed a strong ba sis for inc orporation o f the p eop le s ag end afor rights within the na tiona l leg a l frame wo rk.20

The me dia p roved to b e a n invaluab le m ea ns to a mp lify the p eople s voice.Period ic rad io d eba tes c oupled with print med ia co verag e p layed a pivotalrole in changing the mindsets of p olitic a l lea ders.


Credit:PrakashAmatya

Ad t ti f ti d t ti th i ht t t d it ti


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Results

There ha ve b een g ood indica tions that sanitation a nd wa ter are to beincorporated as constitutional rights in the draft content shared by theFundamental Rights and Directive Principles Committee of ConstitutionalAssem bly in Nepa l. The Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Polic y ha s a lso bee nap proved b y the c ab inet.

In add ition, the Master Plan fo r Sanitat ion has bee n finalised and is beingend orsed . The b udg et is ano ther fac tor influenc ing widesprea d c overage o f the

projec ts and sc hemes. The sec tor ha s rec eived a lloc a tion of Rs 9.15 a rawbbudget with a sep ara te sanita tion budge t a mo unting to Rs. 7.9 c rores. Theseincreased political commitments and policy enhancements add moremo tivation and ene rgy to the stakeholde rs wo rking on the sec tor.


Top tips for letter writing

Use the p rop er te rm o f a dd ress: Ms, Mr, Your Exc ellenc y etc . Sta te yo ur rea son fo r writing and deliver your me ssage a nd the ac tion

req uired by the person you re a ddressing in the first p aragrap h Explain who you a re a nd how you a re c onnec ted to the issue Provide informa tion about your issue a nd som e key fac ts Be c lea r wha t ac tion you wa nt the po lic yma ker to ta ke Keep lette rs short and to the p oint: dec ision ma kers do no t have time to rea d

pages and pages of information (additional information or supportingd t b tt h d t th l tt b t i k thi h t)



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Using med ia and c omm unic ations

Med ia a nd c om munica tion w ork a ims to raise p ub lic awa reness about a n issue a ndcha nge attitudes by e ncouraging broad -ba sed supp ort for your advoc ac y goa l.

It c ould include: Giving a n interview on loc a l rad io Issuing p ress-relea ses or fa c t sheets to journa lists Inviting journalists on a site-visit to see the situat ion first hand for the mselves Holding a p ress c onfe renc e Writing a n op -ed (an o pinion or comm ent p iec e for a ne wspa pe r) Writing a blog Setting up a we bsite Video new s relea ses or aud io d ia ries Using Fac eb oo k/Twitter or othe r soc ial networking sites to post sta tements, alerts

and mo bilise p eop le The m ed ia a re o ften interested in repo rting on e vents tha t involve p rom inent

ind ividua ls. Ca n you g et a politician, relig ious lead er or loc a l ce leb rity interested

in your wo rk?




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CASE STUDY

A press conference to d raw internationa l attention to theimpac t of the b loc kade on wa ter and sanitation in Gaza

On the 3rd of Sep tem ber 2009, the EWASH Advo c ac y Task Force (a c oa lition ofalmost 30 organisations working in the water and sanitation sector in theoc cup ied Palestinian territory) in cooperation w ith the UN Huma nitarian CountryTea m he ld a press c onferenc e to d raw a ttention to the imp ac t of the Israeliimp osed bloc kad e o n wa ter and sanitation in Gaza. The b loc kad e ha s had asevere impac t on the func tioning o f wa ter and sanitation servic es and fac ilitiesin Ga za, due to restric ting entry for muc h needed c onstruc tion m aterials andaid. Organisations working in the water and sanitation sector jointly called foran immed ia te o pe ning of Gaza s bo rder crossings to a llow the e ntry of c ritic a lspare parts and ma teria ls for restoring Ga zas water and sanitation servic es andto respond to the hum anita rian c risis and growing environm enta l hazard .

The eve nt w a s he ld a t Beit Lahiya Waste Wa ter Trea tment Plant so tha tjourna lists could witness the impac t of the Israeli b loc kade on the func tioningof e ssential services. The eve nt w as well attended by journa lists from over 25media outlets and statements were read out by the UN HumanitarianCoordinato r, rep resenta tives from UN Ag enc ies, Interna tiona l NGOs, the loc a lservice provider (CMWU) and housewives who shared their personalexpe rienc es of strugg ling to m anage on limited supp lies of c lean w a ter




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Advantages

Using m ed ia and c om munica tions has the p otential to g et your message to avery wide a udienc e Dec ision makers may be more likely to respond if your issue is made no tice ab le

Limitations Som e forms of med ia a nd c om munic a tions, suc h as setting up a w eb -site, can

be c ostly to use and req uire spec ific expe rtise Rem em ber tha t it is NOT true tha t there is no suc h thing a s bad pub lic ity . If you

put your organisation or cause in the public spotlight make sure that you donothing tha t will da ma ge your ima ge or rep utation.

Crea ting a web site

Having your ow n web site to p rom ote your c am pa ign a nd p lac e information, c ouldbe a va luab le too l to rea c h a w ide aud ienc e. You c ould also c ond uct c lic kc am pa igns online to enc ourage pe op le to send letters to d ec ision m akers c allingupon them to take action to support your cause, or online petitions. If you do nothave the technical expertise within your organisation or group, outsourcing thedesign and maintenance of a website could be costly. In this case you couldc onside r setting up a Fac eb ook pa ge for your c am pa ign o r a p ag e on a nother freesoc ial networking site.

A good example of effective online messaging is End Water Povertys website:www.endwaterpoverty.org (see below). It has a catchy slogan in End WaterPoverty: Sanitation and wa ter for all , explains the issues bac ked up by solid




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Top tips for writing a press release:

When writing a press release, keep it short and snappy. Ideally it should fitonto one p ag e, but dont b e a fraid to a ttac h more d etai led informationsuc h a s a b riefing p aper or a link to your web site

Give journa lists informa tion tha t they can use; many journalists simp ly c op yand paste from p ress relea ses!

Inc lude som e c a tc hy p hrases tha t journalists like to p ic k up on, som e ha rdfacts and figures, and a few good quotes from relevant experts orimportant officials

Ma ke your me ssag es and the ac tion you wa nt taken clea r Provide a c onta c t which journa lists c an phone or ema il for mo re information You m ay wish to send your p ress relea se a day befo re it is due to g o into the

press so that journalists have time to approve and write a story. If so, writeEMBARGOED UNTIL: DATEAND TIME c lea rly a t the top , so journa lists do notrelease your story be fore the app ointed d a te

An example o f a p ress relea se is given in the Ap pend ix.




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Public cam pa ign/ pop ular mobilisation

Launc hing a public c am pa ign is useful whe n you want to enga ge the pub lic a ndmob ilise visible support for a particu lar issue. It c ou ld inc lude :

Prod uc ing pamp hlets for d istribution Ma king b anners to d isp lay in pub lic p lac es Giving out t -shirts with your slogan o n it Organising a pe tition/ letter writing c am pa ign Organising public events such as theatre, film showings, photo exhibitions, or

inviting spea kers to ta lk about a n issue follow ed by a p ub lic deb a te Orga nising protests/ marc hes/ vigils

The m ost imp ortant aspe c t of o rga nising a pub lic c am pa ign is to b e c rea tive a ndfind w ays tha t will eng age and m ob ilise peo p le to take ac tion. This is a lso essent ialif you w ish to ga in med ia attention.

Top tips for a p ublic cam pa ign Know the issues tha t w ill mo tiva te peo p le Keep me ssage s positive and ma ke events fun Know who c an rea c h the g rassroo ts and mo b ilise large group s of p eo ple

and engag e their supp ort Be w ell organised it c an be diffic ult to c o-ordinate la rge groups of p eople Keep co ntac t de tails of pe op le w ho c ome to supp ort an e vent as you ma y

be ab le to mo tivate them to b ec om e involved in future ac tivities

g



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CASE STUDYPublic campaign for World Toilet Day the p resident ofMa li signs petition

Water ca mp aigne rs in Ma li prod uced a giant ve rsion o f a p etition c a lling for mo reattention to water and sanitation issues for the African Union and G8 Summits andeven ma nag ed to p ersuad e the President o f the Rep ublic , Amadou Toumani Tour

to sign it, just in time for World Toilet Day on November 19, 2009. At the event, inthe presence of the President, WaterAid launched a national campaign withma ny people from the development sec tor attending, inc luding d iploma ts andrep resenta tives from a ll the ma jor em bassies and internationa l departme nts.

During the End Water Poverty campaign launch, the great Malian musiciansEnsemble Instrumental du Mali performed a song about sanitation writtenespec ia lly for the oc c asion. After the launc h, offic ia ls we re taken on field visits

and shown the differences between sanitized areas and non-sanitized sites.La ter in the a fternoon a c onc ert took plac e, featuring som e o f the most we llknown singers in the c ountry, inc lud ing Sa lif Keita, Am ad ou and Ma riam,Abdo ulaye Diaba te, and Bab a Salah.

In the run up to World Toilet Day, ima ms from mo sques throug hout the c ap italBamako d isc ussed sanitat ion. This is thought to be a pa rticula rly effec tivechannel to spread the message as religious leaders can reach many people



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Advantages

Mobilising large numbers of people around an issue and demonstrating publicc onc ern ma y pe rsuad e d ec ision m akers to ta ke notice of your ca use A p ublic c amp aign is inc lusive no t exc lusive a nd me ans that the vo ic es of the

people are projected onto centre stage, which can be preferable to havingNGO e lites ta lking a bout a n issue on beha lf of othe rs

A pub lic c amp aign enc ourages people to bec om e involved in issues that d irec tlyaffect them

Limitations Some times op ening up your ca mp aign to a w ide -rang e of peo ple ca n mea n that

it is hijac ked by certain groups or orga nisa tions who have a very different ag end ato your orga nisation or group, whic h c ould p lac e the c red ibility of your ca mp aigna t risk

Many public campaigns require significant organisational skills and it can bed iffic ult to c oo rd ina te a c tivities involving a la rge number of peo p le



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Capac ity building

Ca pac ity build ing means inc rea sing the know led ge and skills of those a ffec ted bya particular issue a nd deve lop ing their struc tures to e nab le the m to c a rry out the irown ad voc ac y, and de ma nd a nd d efend their own rights. It c ould include p rovidingtrainings or holding workshops with community groups to support their efforts andsha re skills and experienc es. It c ou ld a lso includ e t ra ining in human rights stand ards,me dia a dvo c ac y or fundraising. Rem em be r that c ap ac ity building is a two -wayproc ess; the tra iners a lso ha ve m uc h to lea rn from the e xpe rienc e o f the tra inees .How ever, c apac ity build ing d oes not only have to ta rge t co mm unity group s or othe r

NGOs. It can be directed at government officials or policymakers, and be aneffective form of a dvo c ac y, by informing them of their duties and ob liga tions unde rthe right to water and sanitation or assisting them to improve laws, policies andprogrammes.

Advantages Capacity bui lding can support communit ies to engage in advocacy for

themselves and not be d ep endent on external ac tors, thereb y making a dvoc ac y

mo re sustainab le a nd mo re c onnec ted to the need s of c om munities themselves Ca pa c ity building aimed at p olic y makers c an lead to c onstructive enga ge ment

and build the trust of the ta rge t aud ienc e

Limitations Capacity building may require a long term commitment on behalf of the NGO

and ma y be resource intensive



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CASE STUDYThe Right to Water as a too l for mobilizing women to c all forimproved water access: empowering marginalisedcommunities

The p roc ess of emp ow ering the rura l poor to o rganise the mselves and ac c essthe ir right to wa ter is a n imp ortant a rea for Centre of Rural Stud ies and

Development (CRSD), Ind ia, a rights based organisa tion esta b lished in 1991.CRSDs mo del of fa c ilitating c om munity organisa tion, as we ll as c arrying outdeve lop me nt interventions, provides a c ohe sive p erspec tive roo ted in a rights-ba sed ap proac h that enc ourage s pa rtic ipa tion and loc al lea de rship.

With a pop ula tion of o ver one b illion, Ind ia is well known for be ing the la rgestdem oc rac y in the w orld . The p rima ry responsib ility of p roviding d rinking wa terand sanita tion fa c ilities in the c ountry rests w ith sta te g overnm ents. The 73rd

and 74th a me ndm ents to the Co nstitution p rovid e tha t the loc al g overningbod ies have a role in p rovision of d rinking wa ter.

Although

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