The A Spot

Teresa’s Making Do With What You’ve Got entry raised an interesting question, one that’s been nagging me for a long time: how do advocacy proponents and advocacy trainers approach the issue of who is benefitting from their work, and what those beneficiaries are advocating for?

I used to work at an umbrella organization that assisted NGOs interested in gaining access to events and committee meetings at the United Nations. My group was issue neutral — we supported the right of all NGOs, regardless of mission or orientation, to have access to the proceedings of the UN and have their say on issues before decision-making bodies. One of our member organizations happened to be the National Rifle Association, a group whose mission I happen to disagree with. But it was my job, as much as it was in my power to do so, to make sure that they had access to key delegations and committees at the United Nations — the better to persuade UN representatives that the right to own guns was important and should be safeguarded at the international level.

(more…)

So tomorrow I am heading out to the Nonprofit Technology Network - Nonprofit Technology Conference in New Orleans. This will be my…8th conference since 2000 (I missed Seattle when the kids were born) and I will get a chance to see alot of friends, sit in on interesting sessions, present on a panel with Bill Lester and eat some good food. I will also be on the look out for groups and individuals to connect with on behalf of ISC and our Gulf Coast work. (more…)

Interesting new initiative to make sense of the world’s cities. The project - 19.20.21 attempts to make sense of the world’s largest cities and their impacts on the rest of the world and the people who inhabit them. The project:

“The mission of 19.20.21 is a multi-year, multimedia initiative to collect, organize and package information on population’s effect regarding urban and business planning and its impact on consumers around the world. This 5+ year initiative will deliver results via 5 channels: online, television, print, exhibits and seminars. This project will include 10 worldwide partners and appropriate affiliates.” (more…)

Two recent articles caught my eye - using small, flash memory sticks to transmit viral videos in Cuba and the use of SMS in Zimbabwe for election and voter advocacy. In both cases citizens are making use with the technologies on hand and not relying on overly burdensome or complex systems they would have to create and maintain themselves. There is great potential in people making do with the types of technologies that already exist. What do these examples tell us about the potential for cyber activism in other countries with repressive regimes? How can we help community based advocates develop the most compelling campaigns, collect the information they need, understand their target audiences, craft their message and use tools such as these in their campaigns?

ZIMBABWE: Election campaigns go hi-tech

BULAWAYO, 5 March 2008 (IRIN) - Savvy text messaging and cheeky ring tones are the new face of cost-effective political campaigning in Zimbabwe in the run up to the 29 March election, despite the creakiness of country’s cell phone networks. (more…)

I really enjoy reading the Nonprofit Online News when it pops into my inbox. Michael Gilbert always provides an eclectic mix of references, links and observations. He uses a process and style of for the newsletter which is a million times easier to read then the HTML laden versions I get from other sources. Simpler is definitely better. Check out the post he wrote on the process. Now if he would just improve the searchability of the newsletter archive!

Last week he had several tidbits that jumped out at me as interesting including reference to a recent Casey Foundation guide to measuring advocacy and policy. You can find their guide here. It contains a strong focus on the development of a theory of change, and lays out alternative ways to measure the same outcomes…which helps organizations choose the best methods to fit their organizational culture and competency.

(more…)