A Voice For the Voiceless
The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.
The Impact of Service
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Disseminate information
This service was first offered by AP in 2003, when we worked with the Kosova Women’s Network (KWN) and the Afghan Women’s Network (AWN). Both networks were determined to help rebuild their countries. They asked AP for helping in developing a website and newsletter, and in connecting their members. Their hope was to use these tools in promoting social justice and advocating for social change.
With funding from the Open Society Institute, AP recruited two experienced information experts to work in Kosovo and Afghanistan. They helped produce the initial websites and newsletter templates, and - more importantly - create demand for information among members. Within a year, the two networks had developed their own tools, in their language. They have gone on to play a leading role in protecting women's rights through a difficult and turbulent period.
 Women at an Internet cafe in a Palestinian refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. IT is particularly useful to Palestinian women, who are doubly constrained by a closed society and the Israeli occupation. |
1. Disseminate information and use Information Communication Technology (ICT)
Goals: Help partners to develop ICT skills and exploit social networking, thus enabling them to disseminate their information and build a constituency for their social justice campaigns:
Accidental techie: Peace Fellows work with one of more staff members or volunteers who are comfortable with IT and will help to institutionalise IT within the organization. Fellows shadow their accidental techies during the summer, and share their own enthusiasm for IT and social networking.
Website: Peace Fellows help their host to develop a new website, if one is needed, or to redesign their existign site. AP works with Wordpress.
Tech support: AP can help their host to assess their IT needs and create an IT plan. Depending on their own background, they may also be able to advise on connectivity, working from Internet cafes, and developing radio skills. All AP partners are advised to compile a “tech binder” of essential IT information and passwords.
IT support from Washington: AP's staff can advise and support the partner organization remotely through Fellows. Occasionally, we may cover the cost of web hosting for new web sites.
Social networking: Help partners to use ICT tools such as Flickr, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to collect and store photos; post video; and connect to other activists using social networks.
Track visits: Peace Fellows help their hosts to use Google Analytics in tracking visits. This is important for fundraising and helps the group to plan strategically.
2. Disseminate material through AP - Web page and news service
Campaign pages: AP can support a small number of field projects. These are each given a separate set of campaign pages on the AP site.
AdvocacyNet news service: AP produces around 3 news bulletins on each partner during the year. These are disseminated by email to subscribers (5,500) and posted online. These bulletins are intended to be re-used by other online services, and used by partners in their advocacy. Past bulletins and newsletters are archived on the AP site. Back