Advocacy and Networking

The main objective of the Advocacy and Networking Department (AND) is to identify emerging issues and issues relating to the thematic areas, and to influence national and international policy change. In order to influence policy change, the AND will launch mass awareness activities and advocacy campaigns to raise awareness at the local level and to capacitate local people to undertake policy change initiatives. The AND serves as a bridge between other departments, thus ensuring that issues are debated and that knowledge and experience is shared. The NFN will channel the perspectives of the people to local and national level
policy makers and lobby for pro-people policy change initiatives. Some of the major activities of AND include:

• Identifying issues, scope and stakeholders for advocacy
  
• Improving relationships and networking with national and international stakeholders and networking organizations
  
• Mobilising mass media for effective advocacy
  
• Bringing conceptual clarity on networks, networking, NFN policy, good governance and democratic working procedures
  
• Developing effective advocacy policies and networking guidelines
  
• Conducting issue-based networking meetings, workshops and campaigns
  
• Building relationships with other networks with similar interests
  
• Launching issue-based advocacy using a rights based approach
  
• Celebrating nationally and internationally important days (like International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, May Day, Women's Day, International Human Rights Day) with the involvement of the people
  
• Conducting seminars, interaction meetings and interlace discussions on contemporary issues
  
• Establishing networks and building alliances with other stakeholders and social groups
  
• Lobbying policy makers for pro-people policy change initiatives