Campaigning for International Justice
The international development movement has been one of the most successful in the world, creating truly great campaigns and changing the daily lives of millions of people.
However, in the last five years the sector has been unable to replicate the scale of previous successes.
This is due in part to a change in the international context, but it is also because the sector has become increasingly bad at learning the right lessons from its past successes.
Campaigning for International Justice (2011) is a report written by Brendan Cox: a resource and input for improving future campaigning. It is based on more than 300 interviews with politicians, civil society campaigners, civil servants, academics, celebrities, trade unionists and private sector leaders from around the world.
The report is one document with two parts.
Part one
'Learning Lessons (1991-2011)' looks at eight high-profile international campaigns to try and identify transferable lessons.
in the last five years the sector has been unable to replicate the scale of previous successes
Based on the lessons of the campaigns studied, this report makes recommendations that offer opportunities to nurture future effective campaigns.
Part two
'Where Next? (2011-2015)' identifies a group of issues that fit some of the core criteria of viable potential campaigns. It does not seek to be prescriptive, rather it puts forward a range of options to provide a basis for structured conversations between key actors interested in global change.
This part is split into three sections: an analysis of what has changed for campaigns in the last five years, a chapter setting out six themes with significant campaigning potential and a brief set of conclusions.
Reports like this cannot create effective international campaigns. Only a process of dialogue among competent and committed organisations and individuals can do that. This report is, therefore, designed to be a building block in that process and a catalyst to help make it happen.
About the author
Brendan Cox has worked in international development for the last 10 years, including periods working for Oxfam, as executive director of Crisis Action, and as special advisor for international development to the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He is now Director of Policy and Advocacy of Save the Children UK.
Bond is pleased to make Campaigning for International Justice available here. The report is contributing to discussions in the UK NGO community as plans proceed on creating powerful momentum in campaigning through 2012, 2013 and beyond, both in UK and internationally.
For more information about related conversations and decision-making in spaces such as the Bond Advocacy Leadership Forum, Bond Campaigning Coordination Team and Bond Policy and Lobbying Group contact the Bond Advocacy team.
