Topic

Lobbying & Advocacy

Whatever our path to building people power there comes a time in most campaigns where we need to engage directly with decision makers. Here you’ll find the practical information you need (like how to contact MPs), tips for effective advocacy, training materials and policy reports.

Change Makers (Text on orange background)

ChangeMaker Chat with John Robertson (Labor Party Minister): Inside Politics

Hear from John Robertson, ex Australian Labor Party leader, about the real pressures and backroom deals that make change so hard.

window with white curtains slightly open revealing a plant on the windowsill

Windows and Cycles: How Policy gets Made

This article helps advocates understand and intervene in policymaking more effectively by understanding the two main models of policymaking.

Problem Diagram

Use this diagram from Mobilisation Lab to chart the causes of the problem that your campaign aims to address and how that problem affects people differently. This tool helps identify the “root cause” to tackle in a campaign or even in a set of campaigns.

close up of two hands holding each other. The hands are from different ethnicities.

Participatory Policy Making

Facilitate the inclusion of individuals and groups in the design of policies via participatory means to achieve accountability and transparency.

a collage of covers of films about women and social change

Films about Women and Social Justice and Change

An inspiring list of feature films and documentaries about women and social change including Women of Steel, Suffragette, Mission Blue, She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry and more.

Principles for a policy response to COVID-19

Five principles that must guide policymakers in the face of the unprecedented public policy challenges posed by COVID-19.

Photograph of a hand holding a wooden picture frame, with a cliff, beach and sea showing in the backgroun. 'COVID-19' is written inside the frame.

Tracking Covid-19 Laws and Human Rights

Three websites related to Covid-19 laws, policing and human rights in Australia and internationally. The coronavirus is a threat to public health; it does not need to be a threat to civic freedom.

close up of pegs hanging on a washing line holding up baby clothes

Rights for Moms [Bravo Za Mama]: Serbian campaign case study

An empowering case study of how hundreds of mums in Serbia lobbied their government MPs to fix a maternity leave payment problem.

Mug sitting on laptop that says 'Not all super heroes wear capes'

Activist Inspiration and Learning in Lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic is keeping many of us at home. Without the usual forums, film nights, and other campaign activities how can we connect to inspiration and continue learning? Here are films, podcasts, webinars and online courses.

A group of community members and politicians hold placards including '10,725 demand specific policies to address homelessness'.

How to Present a Petition to Parliament

A guide developed by ActionStation to support community members with petitions. Some information is specific to the New Zealand parliamentary system and OurActionStation petition platform but many of the steps are relevant for other circumstances.

How to Get More Petition Signatures

A guide developed by ActionStation to support community members to run successful petitions, including notes on strategy, tips for getting more signatures, and example campaigns.

Changemaker Chat with Fiona Lee: Bushfire survivor and Climate Change Advocate

When the 2019 Bushfires burnt her home, Fiona Lee did what most would find hard – she became an advocate for climate change. Three days after her house burnt down, Fiona and her family stood at NSW Parliament House calling for serious action on climate change as creating the context for these catastrophic fires. What is her story? How did she do this? And what did she learn about the power of her own voice in this moment.