<B>Definition.</B> The art of getting together either

(a) to get specific policy approved, or

(b) to compel decision-makers to reverse or otherwise modify already approved decisions considered to be flawed. Without any doubt such an ?art? is a desirable feature of a complete education in this day and age!

One of the best recent examples of recent successful advocacy was the student movement in France which forced the Chirac/de Vuillepin government to back down on the C.P.E. law regarding employment, unlike the theoretically strong but advocacy-weak movement against the A+ at our CPE exams, which failed to obtain results.

<B>What is good advocacy? A major characteristic of good advocacy is the ability to get results. </B>Pure talk however good, plus any amount of word processing, posturing and marching which have no chance of concrete results are simply useless!

I wonder what results the ?lobby? against the Campement Site Tax will achieve? The case is excellent since the bill carries clear elements of discrimination and grossly exaggerated taxation levels, but so far the advocates against have not captured the popular imagination, nor moved a great number of people. If the case against fails, this could well be a stern judgement on Mauritians as a people for failing to oppose an unjust regulation, even if it does not directly affect the majority of citizens. In the recent past we have, as a nation, showed strong advocacy in favour of one lady who was raped by the very person to whom she had appealed for help or for a witness who died in police custody, to cite but 2 examples. In both cases the main objective of the advocacy was ?never again? , easier said than done !

<B>So let us now look at the recognised features of successful advocacy. A good advocate will : </B>

? develop a thorough grasp of all aspects of the issue ;

? become conversant with the social, political, financial, legal and technical implications ;

? try to move people (it?s a question of numbers-advocacy cannot be done alone, multi-disciplinary skills are required) ;

? be willing to talk to many people, to listen, to build a wide network ;

? develop skills of presenter, of team-leader, skills of mediator, always keeping a positive attitude aimed at achieving the sought results ;

? develop an understanding of corrupt practices (of how the corrupt mind works), of how decision makers and big business get together to their ?mutual? benefit, often in total disregard of the common good and the weal of the poor and weak in society; similarly finding the soft spots in the power centres which are being taken on is useful;

? build a full and regularly updated data-base on the issue, build expertise, keep good records of meetings, e-mails, telephone calls, press articles, declarations from concerned individuals etc ;

? be persevering until concrete results are obtained-the lobby against nuclear war which was started in 1944 by a few thinkers/scientists well before Truman?s decision to explode that bomb on people?s heads, is still alive but with a gigantic nuclear arsenal later!

In the end when the case has been won recognise publicly and thank all those who have helped achieve results as well as the powers that be for their ?reasonable? stand in favour of equity and fairness.

<B>Methods of advocacy. </B>These are quite well known here and often practiced in Mauritius, but maybe with much less violence that is usual on the Indian sub-continent or in Europe! They include use of the press, slogans, posters, gatherings, public debates, marches, petitions. Hunger strikes which had some limited impact in the past seem to be rather ineffective these days, the reaction being ?if you wish to starve that?s your choice?. More serious and demanding methods of advocacy are legal proceedings (totally useless against the State in rogue regimes such as Mugabe?s, and until late 1990 in all ?socialist? states!) and non-co-operation (such as Gandhi?s non-violent but million-strong actions or the British people?s refusal to pay the poll- tax which led to the resignation of Margaret Thatcher).

Negotiation with the decision-makers from a position of strengtht can often lead to acceptable compromise solutions. For example, conflict between a local community and the authorities concerned about access to or use of an environmental feature can be resolved by establishing a form of joint management. A case to point was the recent differences about free access to the Botanical Garden at Pamplemousses, not yet resolved. A major independent event can of course hugely advance a given cause- if accurately forecast and utilised it may become a turning point in a struggle.

My own crusade for the environment (started timidly in 1972) and more recently in favour of renewable energy in lieu of fossil fuels will get a huge boost locally when we are hit for the first time by an interruption in the supply of imported petrol, unless of course the authorities wake up for real before that (not make mere timid declarations and projections.). Is it necessary to state that, in the real world of protecting life on this planet, intentions and ministerial declarations alone are totally useless, they do more harm than good as they put some activists to rest for a time! Only scientifically accurate, sustained and universal action will make a difference.

<B>Advocacy journalism. </B> Unlike blatant propaganda, advocacy journalism is based on facts and data but ?supports a specific point of view on any given issue?. According to the Canadian Association of Journalists, ?it is meant to serve public interest not self or partisan lobbies?, hence the strong opposition to the trend for some newspapers to use, as headlines, an opinion rather than a fact. A successful advocacy campaign here has been that of Veronique Poupard and team against smoking, which the entire press has supported. The legal disposition banning adverts for cigarettes tilted the balance in favour of the campaigners, which have now been joined by a world-wide trend against smoking in public.

<B>Advocacy for students. </B> The best advice available suggests that broad or diffuse objectives (e.g. we want better education/more appropriate curricula/guaranteed employment after schooling/against war/ for the respect of life etc) are less likely to achieve success than specific, often unique aims. The practice of getting together for advocacy (when there is a felt need for it) is an excellent school for life, even for political action later. A case to point was the considerable fall-out from the ?Club des Etudiants Militants? of the seventies.

Where are the student leaders and organisers of today?

<B>Dr. Michael ATCHIA</B> [email protected]