ENews April 2022

Advocacy in the Spotlight

Welcome to the Public Health Advocacy Institute’s new publication, Advocacy in the Spotlight. You can expect to hear from us with this e-newsletter every month. We will showcase contemporary examples of advocacy to influence and persuade across sectors.

There is a lot happening around food, and our Food for Thought editions will explore important topics such as food security, food systems and priority actions.

If you want to know who’s advocating and striving for policy change and how, this publication is for you.
We invite you to share your experiences and innovations with us to share with others at PHAI@curtin.edu.au

What is Advocacy?

Advocacy is the active support of a cause. The word ‘advocate’ has been used since ancient times and comes from the Latin word ‘advocare’ meaning ‘to be called to stand beside’.

Advocacy involves persuasion. It aims to influence perceptions around an issue and encourages people to care about that issue. Advocacy is about coalitions who share and disseminate the same message.

It’s about having a voice and standing beside those who do not. Advocacy entails being at the table when decisions are being made. It involves recognising who and what your opposition is and overcoming resistance.

Advocacy is challenging and aims to seek policy change.

This Month's Campaigns

Safety Respect Equity #SafetyRespectEquity #EnoughIsEnough
A powerful group of women spoke out on this YouTube campaign. It is an exceptionally powerful presentation because of the diversity of the women's voices sharing a collective message. Watch it now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSGEbuhMQl4

Food Fight!
Cancer Council Victoria has a new campaign to raise awareness of unhealthy food and drink advertising by the processed food industry. Called Food Fight!, it includes new data, a call to action to sign a statement to protect kids from unhealthy food and drink advertising, and a portal where you can share examples of unhealthy food and drink advertising. Check it out here: https://www.cancervic.org.au/foodfight

Affordable Medicines Now
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia launched an advocacy campaign in January, to coincide with an election year. The ask was for the government to cut the cost of prescription medicines. The campaign includes a website, https://affordablemedicines.com.au/home/, a petition, testimonials, proforma letters to local Members, and evidence. You can read more about this advocacy campaign here: https://www.fpmagazine.com.au/winning-advocacy-pharmacy-guild-382914/

Humour Underpins Political Advocacy
The Hunger Free America campaign used humour on April Fool's Day to both entertain and provide some very heavy facts about food insecurity in the World's largest economy.
https://www.hungerfreeamerica.org/en-us/press_release/new-political-action-committee-brokepac

Reports & Resources
For advocacy tips and ideas, go to PHAI's Advocacy Toolkit:
https.phaiwa.org.au/the-advocacy-toolkit/

Forward

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