Advocacy in Development

This subject focuses on the practice of advocacy in development. The subject explores how development practitioners can meaningfully contribute to and support grassroots activism and social movements; in areas including gender justice, social inclusion, access to education and healthcare, and environmental justice. We examine the different forms advocacy actions can take, from small local initiatives to improve access to services, to campaigns to influence national and international policy. The subject engages with debates about the roles of local and international actors, and the strengths and limitations of ‘inside vs outside’ (or collaborative vs. confrontational) advocacy in different political and cultural contexts. Students will examine the strengths and limitations of different advocacy strategies and tactics, and consider how these can be combined to influence change. They will be invited to critically reflect on their own roles as advocates and development practitioners. The subject will include case studies from advocacy practice in Australia and internationally, including participatory action research, community arts, civil society networks, and policy influence. Students will select their own case study of an advocacy issue to analyse in their final research essay.