ONTRAC 19. Advocacy from the grassroots

An advocate can be defined as someone who organises for a cause; a supporter or defender who argues on another’s behalf. Advocacy is undertaken on behalf of the voiceless; the voice in ad-voc-acy needs to be broadcast, heard and acted upon. This appears quite simple initially, but when the concept of advocacy is applied in practice its complexity grows. On behalf of whom do we advocate, to whom do we advocate and what implications does this have for practice at community level? Advocacy takes place in different contexts, but the grassroots is potentially the most powerful arena.

This edition of ‘ontrac’ explores the concept of advocacy from the grassroots. In particular, it looks at the respective roles of NGOs in North and South and analyses ways in which advocacy can become integrated within development practice. INTRAC is currently carrying out a research project ‘Advocacy from the Grassroots’, and the findings from the research will continue to inform our thinking.