Using events to influence

Voices learning event 15 NovemberRashmi Mistry

AGENDA

• Intro

• Policy and research – SADC process

• Public campaigning and mobilisation – COP17

• Movement building – Rural Womens Assembly

• Oxfam’s approach

• Exercise

• Discussion

WHAT ARE EVENTS?

• Policy makers and decision makers meet to take decisions that could impact on the issues you care about, eg…

• Global and regional: G20, G8, COP, SADC, BRICS, African Union, World Economic Forum etc…

• National and local: Mangaung, provincial councils, business conferences, etc…

WHY DO OXFAM USE INTERNATIONAL EVENTS• Some of the reasons people are kept in poverty

are structural, political decisions that happen at global levels

• Debt relief and aid – G8

• Trade – WTO, bilateral, regional

• HIV/AIDS – MDGs, UNGA, G8 etc

• Climate change – UNFCCC / COP, G20

INTERNATIONAL POLICIES CAN LEAD TO CHANGE• Oxfam theory of change identifies some

international processes as having potential to create change at national level

• Used to put the spotlight and pressure on issues

• For citizens to hold decision makers to account where national processes fail

• But they only happen if there is national level action!

CASE: HOLDING GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS TO ACCOUNT

Philippines – indigenous community used the Commission for Elimination of Racial Discrimination

WHAT EVENTS CAN DO

• Keeping poverty on the political agenda – e.g. G8, G20, UNGA, WTO – aid, trade, debt

• Keeping poverty in the public eye• Added pressure on decision makers• Fundraising• Mobilisation

• Facilitate civsoc networking and movement building

SOME OXFAM ACHIEVEMENTS

• Instrumental in putting poverty on the G8 agenda

• Alliance building – e.g. Rio • G8 in Germany 2009 produced $750m extra aid

money• Finance on the EU agenda in climate

negotiations• G8 in Canada – recommitment to Global Fund

for HIV, TB and Malaria

OUR APPROACH

TARGET

RESEARCH EVIDENCE

PUBLIC CAMPAIGNINGMOBILISATION

MEDIA

LOBBYING

COP 18 IN DOHA – THE PLAN

• Policy and research – produce a brief outlining problem and key asks

• Lobbying – team of advocacy specialists lobby officials directly before and during event

• Alliances – working together with global and local civsoc

• Media – media coordinator to communicate to officials and public

• Campaigning – actions and stunts to officials and public

QUESTIONS?

L

THE EXERCISE

• The BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa are meeting in March in Durban

• Our objective:

• How would you approach this?

THANKS!Rashmi MistryOxfam, rmistry@oxfam.org.uk