Advocacy in Action: A Guide to Influencing Decision-making in Namibia

Advocacy in Action is a 336-page manual designed primarily for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and grassroots-based groups that are interested in increasing their advocacy skills. It contains concrete, practical information about advocacy strategies such as petitions, press conferences, public demonstrations, and letter-writing campaigns, as well as detailed information on government structures and parliamentary procedures - and how to influence decision-making bodies and processes. The manual is written in simple English, with many photographs, illustrations, and examples. It includes actual case studies of advocacy efforts in Namibia. The manual is intended primarily for civil society, but the publishers say it will also be of interest to office-bearers at the local, regional, and national levels. It is best used as "textbook" for workshops on advocacy skills.

The manual contains 3 sections that provide practical information about how to plan and implement advocacy campaigns, as well as a background of the Namibian government and how it works.

Section A contains the following sections:

• Introduction
• Planning an advocacy campaign
• Meeting with decision-makers
• Writing letters
• Petitions
• Public events and protests
• Using the media

Section B discusses the history of government in Namibia. This chapter briefly summarises different kinds of government that have existed in Namibia and the different methods of transition which have taken place:

• The pre-colonial period
• The colonial period
• The struggle for independence
• Namibia's first free and fair election

Section C explains the different sources of law in Namibia. It also explains how Parliament makes new laws, step-by-step. The manual also contains a dictionary of key advocacy terms and contact information.