In this session, students study some successful cases of issue-based advocacy. As a form of civil society activism, change-driven advocacy is a core civic duty. Through issue-based advocacy, the voters and the candidates develop a mutual understanding of one another’s expectations. Accordingly, the voters’ support of candidates is contingent upon the fulfilment of voters’ demands. Students then examine two successful cases of issue-based advocacy: defending the rights of the disabled in the United States and combating sexual violence in India. Through examining these cases, students learn how advocates in the United States and India successfully achieved their goals through issue-based advocacy campaigns, and how, in light of the above examples, issue-based advocacy can be a useful model for civil society groups of other countries.
This session introduces issue-based advocacy in four sections. The session opens through a few introductory...