In this course Iranian advocates and organizers for transparency and responsive government, the rights of women, minorities, labor, students and civil and political liberties broadly will gain thorough knowledge of opportunities to press for accountability throughout the election cycle. In the run-up to elections, Iranian advocates have seized the opportunity to educate candidates about their causes while also engaging in voter education, pressing their issues to the forefront of the campaign trail. During elections themselves, they play a key role in mobilizing voters who support their cause and then later applying pressure for government accountability and fulfillment of campaign promises.
Course participants will learn to take this to the next level, using SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analyses and comparisons to international best practices to chart their successes, shortfalls, and areas for growth. Participants will analyze the tactics and outcomes of election-time advocacy campaigns in other countries, such as the online #CriptheVote movement for inclusion of disability rights in the 2016 US presidential elections and India’s 2014 Womanifesto movement to make politicians take action against gender-based violence and women’s disempowerment. Participants will directly explore the possibilities for advocacy around their issues in light of the upcoming 2017 local and national elections. Using many existing Tavaana resources in Persian on advocacy and activism – such as our exclusive Create Your Activism Plan curriculum — Iranian activists will more effectively advocate their specific issues throughout the electoral cycle and especially during peak election periods.