advocacy campaigns to mainstream HIV and AIDS

A dvocacy i s s u e s
On a sector-wide level, the following are
some of the main issues that need to be addressed in
advocacy campaigns to mainstream HIV and AIDS:
Ensuring that schools and other learning environments/
programmes play a role in providing children
and young people with the information they need
to protect themselves from HIV infection.
Improving coordination with other organizations and
funding agencies so that resources are channelled
to existing priorities.
Addressing the potential declining supply of
educators and other school staff.
Keeping students in school and giving them what
they need; reaching out-of-school youth, especially
children orphaned by AIDS.
Involving the community, especially parents and
other caregivers.
Addressing any potential strain on fi nancial and
human resources.
Key components of a comprehensive approach to
school-level issues include:
A school environment free of stigma, discrimination,
gender inequity, sexual harassment, homophobia
and violence.
A curriculum that uses participatory learning strategies
to translate knowledge into healthy behaviours
– implemented by adequately trained educators.
Services such as VCT for HIV, psycho-social health,
nutrition, treatment, care and support.
Workplace policies that protect workers rights
across the board including affected and infected
individuals.
In some cases, you will be advocating for these issues
yourself, for example, by bringing up HIV- and AIDSrelated
issues in donor coordination meetings. In other
cases, you will be working with others to advocate,
for example, if your agency provides fi nancial support
to the organization of a thematic meeting around
HIV and AIDS where the results of key studies will
be presented. In both cases, you will need to think
carefully about the main message you are trying to
convey, keeping in mind that clarity is essential. You’ll
need to remember that working through others adds
a layer of complexity that will require you to think
creatively about how you can infl uence others to
advocate.
C r e a t i n g
a cl e a r m e s s a g e
A successful message targets the concerns, issues,
needs and interests of your audience. Your message
will be effective if you can answer three key questions:
What difference does your issue make to the person
or people you are addressing?
Why should they care?
What action do you want them to take?
Below are some tips for making your message
accessible and meaningful to your audience:
Clarify the issue. Convey the problem you are addressing,
the change you want, why the change is
important and who will benefi t from it.
Stay focused on key points. If your message is
too complex, your audience will get confused and
tune it out.
Make your message immediate and persuasive.
Convey a level of urgency that the audience
can identify with. Support your case with facts as
well as the consequences of not taking action.
Be compelling. Balance facts with stories that
show the human side of the issue. Convey that
schools are places where educators and learners
live, learn and work.
Use specifi c examples from your own or your
audiences’ experience.
Use vivid language and images that your audience
will be able to picture easily.
Avoid jargon and complex data. Break down
necessary data into terms that are easier for your
audience to grasp.
Focus on the audience’s interests that relate
to your approach. Begin with what your audience
knows and believes. Then build on these points
and show how a change can create a win-win situation
for everyone.