IEF Advocacy Workshops October 2015 Welcome Agenda Session 1 - - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

IEF Advocacy Workshops

October 2015

Welcome

Agenda Session 1 - What is Advocacy? Session 2 - The NI Political landscape Session 3 - Practically speaking

Why are we here today?

• 1. To realise the importance of engaging with politics and

politicians ahead of the NI Assembly election 2016.

• 2. To help you better engage with your elected representatives.
• 3. To give you the tools to help you advocate for your school

and for integrated education.

• 4. To learn from each other.

Session 1

What is Advocacy?

“ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Advocacy

Oxford dictionary definition: Public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy Barnardo’s describe advocacy as “… a way of working that helps young people put their views forward. It is there to help young people be involved in decisions about their future. Advocacy is about the young person's views and rights.” Ritu Sharma (Author; An Introduction to Advocacy) “Advocacy is putting a problem on the agenda, providing a solution to that problem and building support for acting on both the problem and the solution”

Why is advocacy important?

1. To achieve widespread, sustainable change; 2. To defend communities and programmes from adverse policy changes; 3. To strengthen civil society and expand democratic space by: encouraging consultation and the participation of citizens in all levels

• f policy-making
• Advocacy provides an opportunity for integrated schools to:

– overcome barriers and obstacles to integrated education – educate politicians – dispel myths

C Hughes case study

What is the difference between advocacy and lobbying??

When non-profit organizations advocate on their own behalf, they seek to affect some aspect of society, whether they appeal to individuals about their behaviour, employers about their rules, or the government about its laws. Lobbying refers specifically to advocacy efforts that attempt to influence

• legislation. This distinction is helpful to keep in mind because it means that

laws limiting the lobbying done by non-profit organizations do not govern

• ther advocacy activities.

Adapted from Lobbying and Advocacy—Similarities and Differences, published by Charity Lobbying for the Public Interest

Examples

• Examples of advocacy
• Demonstrations
• Petitions
• Press releases
• News paper articles/letters/
• pinion pieces
• Media campaigns
• Legal cases
• Examples of lobbying
• Personal letters
• Face-to-face meetings with

decision-makers (such as MLA’s)

• Informal contacts at receptions
• Personal exchanges over the

telephone

• Responding to consultations

For example

Successful advocacy campaigns:

• 1. Gay marriage vote (2015) – ROI
• 2. Local speed limits reduced from 30mph to 20mph
• 3. Kick racism/sectarianism out of football - IFA

Break (15mins)

Session 2

The NI political landscape

NI Political Structure

108 MLA’s 18 MP’s 11 Councils The NI Executive 3 MEP’s 2 Junior Ministers 462 Councillors 12

Departments

12 Ministers

The Northern Ireland Executive

First Minister Deputy First Minister Junior Minister Junior Minister Agriculture and Rural Dev Culture, Arts and Leisure Education Employment & Learning Enterprise, Trade & Investment Environment Finance & Personnel Health, Soc Serv & Public Safety Justice Regional Development Social Development

Peter Robinson Michelle O’ Neill Jennifer McCann Michelle McIlveen Martin McGuinness Mark H Durkan Jonathan Bell Dr Stephen Farry John O’Dowd Danny Kennedy Arlene Foster Simon Hamilton David Ford Mervyn Storey Carál Ní Chuilín

MLA’s are members of Political Parties

Total = 108 MLAs

Claire Sugden MLA and John McCallister MLA - Independent

38 29 14 13 8 1 1 1 1

Unionist community Nationalist community

UUP SDLP DUP SF APNI NI21.

Political parties

Current Political Party Designations

Speaker

TUV

GP Ind U Independent Unionist: Claire Sugden MLA and John McCallister MLA

UKIP.

Constituency Map

Constituencies elect 6 MLAs each - STV (Single Transferable Vote) system.

Proposed new departments

(from 12 to 9 under Stormont House Agreement)

• 1. The Executive Office
• 2. Department for Communities
• 3. Department for the Economy
• 4. Department of Health
• 5. Department of Education
• 6. Department of Finance
• 7. Department of Justice
• 8. Department for Infrastructure
• 9. Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Party Perspectives on IE

Party Perspectives on IE

Party Perspectives on IE

Party Perspectives on IE

Party Perspectives on IE

Party Perspectives on IE

The importance of engagement

Reasons to engage with politicians:

• Dispel myths
• Educating politicians
• Building relationships
• Crisis management
• Access to information
• Growing your school
• Reaching out to the community

Case studies – From the schools

What benefits has your school encountered through having good relationships with politicians???

Session 3

Practically Speaking

Building Relationships

How??

• Write a letter, introduce yourself and your school (cross party)
• Invite them in – a new classroom, a new principal, etc
• Engage on social media – Facebook/Twitter
• Call their local constituency office
• Late night constituency surgeries

When??

• Special occasions -

– Sports days, prize days, nativity plays, etc

Establishing Coalitions

Work with your local community to raise awareness of your school, highlight challenges and issues and establish grassroots support networks:

• Local media
• School community
• Wider community
• Youth groups
• Sports clubs

What can your school do??

Get politically active ahead of the Assembly Elections 2016. For example: Host a Hustings event Challenge Party’s on their education policy Opinion pieces in the local press Invite in your local MLA, MP, MEP Engage on social media Get your Sixth form students involved

Importance for the wider movement

• 1. You can contribute to the Shared Education Bill

1. Explain the impact the Bill will have 2. Help to shape the Bill 3. Demand IE is included in the Bill 4. Demonstrate the difference between integrated and shared education

• 2. When we work together it can be done

1. Shared and integrated education inquiry

Shared and integrated education inquiry

• Integrated schools and supporters of integrated education mobilised to

contribute to the Shared and Integrated education inquiry which the Education Committee conducted.

• The movement was responsible for 31 out of 108 submissions.
• It has helped address myths and show the education committee what

integrated education is all about.

• The Education committee held evidence sessions in integrated schools –

Shimna IC.

• This was an opportunity for the politicians to see first-hand the excellent

works which happens and to hear directly from pupils.

Help from the IEF

• Information pack (will also be emailed to you)
• Political hub – www.ief.org.uk
• Letter template
• Local events/hustings

“ A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao-tzu

Q&A

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