Natural resources governance and biodiversity conservation are facing a period of crisis as a result of surging land acquisition, commercialization of wildlife, poaching, extractive industry impacts, and the steady pressures of demography.
The need to design models of sustainable natural resources management and change policies through effective civil society action has become increasingly urgent.
In order to foster participatory decision making by natural resources users, within the rights-based approach, the Leading the Change project is supporting CSO coalitions/platforms to develop and implement policy advocacy strategies and plans on thematic NRM-related issues. In this regard FORUDEF organized a workshop to train coalition members on advocacy that will help to bring about necessary changes to address the concerns of right holders in the management of natural resources. This workshop brought together CSOs Coalition members that focus on natural resources management in the Southwest Region.
The aim was to build the capacity of CSO partners of the LtC project on advocacy.
Specifically, to:
- Present the generalities on advocacy
- Formulate an advocacy strategy for the CSO Coalition
- Outline the advocacy campaign activities of the CSO Coalition.
Participants for the workshop came from some Civil Society Organizations that are involved in Natural Resources Management in the Southwest Region of Cameroon and included: FORUDEF, CAD, Nature Cameroon, PEW, NADEV, IRUWAFO, MUDEC, RECODEC, YDC, AJESH and GDA as the workshop facilitator.
Key aspects of the workshop
- Harmonizing understanding of Advocacy/Lobbying
In very few words, Advocacy means a change in policies, laws and rules.
- Identifying, Clarifying and Analyzing Problems/Issues
The purpose of Advocacy is to bring about change, attract people and touch the sensitivity of others. To properly analyze and solve problems, it is pertinent to identify the real problem. Problems can be solved through influencing or direct action.
- Power-map and Identification of Appropriate Chain of Influence
After identifying the key problem(s), causes and effects, the next step is identifying the appropriate institutions that can intervene in solving the problem and do a power-map. A power-map helps identify the most significant and influential institution to tackle first.
- Approaches to Address the Problem (How)(Recommendation)
- Documentation of
- Problems
- Causes
- Consequences
- Recommendations
- Write letters to powers to be influenced
- Press release and conference media
- Activism
