The Art of Campaigning

11 simple steps to run a successful lobby and advocacy campaign

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The Art of Campaigning

Here is a little sneak preview of what to expect from this course.


The power of lobby and advocacy campaigns

Are you working on social justice issues? Do you have the feeling that the power relations are stacked against you? Do you know that you are likely to face an uphill struggle?

Then an effective lobby and advocacy campaign can help you level the playing field and make your work more effective.

,The Art of Campaigning - 11 simple steps to run a successful lobby and advocacy campaign‘ is an online course that will equip you with the necessary skills to plan, implement and evaluate creative and highly influential lobby and advocacy campaigns. Step by step I will guide you through a tested process that allows you to influence policies and affect their implementation.


By the end of the course you will…

  • ...be able to analyse a given situation and spell out what needs to change.
  • …be able to clearly formulate a relevant, actionable, realistic and achievable campaign goal.
  • ...be able to assess the respective policy processes, identify the main decision makers and understand what influences their behaviour.
  • ...be able to develop a comprehensive lobby and advocacy strategy, chose the most appropriate approaches for your target audience and develop high quality campaign materials.
  • ...be able to harvest the power of effective networking to increase your bargaining power.
  • ...be able to monitor progress, adapt your strategy and evaluate the results.


The course includes:

  • More than three hours of video, presenting a comprehensive step-by-step guide to develop, run and review a successful lobby and advocacy campaign.
  • 15 hands-on exercises and downloadable worksheets to put theory into practice.
  • The opportunity to apply the new learnings to a real-life case study.
  • Additional background information to further deepen your understanding.
  • Access to a comment section to share your experiences with other students and the course facilitator.


Your Instructor


Bjoern Eser
Bjoern Eser

Bjoern Eser

Hi, my name is Bjoern. I am a creative, highly committed and confident peacebuilding practitioner with a proven track record of training people effectively, even when working in highly complex conflict environments and in demanding project settings.

Over the last twenty-odd years I have been involved in educational, conflict transformation and peacebuilding work in several dozen countries, assisting people from all walks of life. Participants in my courses ranged from youth leaders in East Timor over cultural and religious leaders in East Africa, Human Rights Defenders in Nepal to representatives of big international organisations in several European countries, just to name a few.

I am also a father of three amazing children, a husband of an equally amazing wife, an outdoor enthusiast, a cancer survivor, a book lover, a creative chef, an active amputee and a disability rights activist.



"You want to plan a campaign or lobby your government on climate change or gender inequality? And your are looking for inspiration and guidance ? Look no further - Björn has put together all the tips and tricks to design a successful campaign. The online course offers you a hands-on, easy-to-use and comprehensive introduction and application tool box combining international experiences and the state-of-the-art of campaigning."

- Dr. Cordula Reimann, Bern/Switzerland

Founder and director of Core - Consultancy & Training in Conflict Transformation


"The best bit about this course was learning to work strategically, through all stages of planning, running and reviewing an advocacy and lobbying campaign. There were so many practical guidelines and exercises to guide me through making good decisions to run an effective campaign, including elements I hadn't thought of before. I recommend it to both experienced campaigners and newcomers to social justice work - it is so comprehensive there are great things for all of us to learn."

- Dr. Beth Gilfillan, Hanoi/Vietnam

Development practitioner, author of 'Coercion and resistance - International Aid in Cambodia' and co-founder of Biblioteka Ermera

Course Curriculum


  Introduction
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  Step 01: Be clear why your organisation exists
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  Step 02: Know the people on whose behalf you work
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  Step 03: Develop your campaign goal
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  Step 04: Know the decision-making process
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  Step 05: Assess your organization for the campaign
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  Step 06: Identify others working on the same campaign issue
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  Step 07: Take key decisions for your strategy
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  Step 08: Develop your action plan
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  Step 09: Develop your campaign material
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  Step 10: Implement your lobby and advocacy campaign
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  Step 11: Monitor the progress, evaluate the results
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Get started now!



Frequently Asked Questions


For whom is the course?
The course is for anybody working on peacebuilding, conflict transformation, human rights and social justice issues with an interest to improve their lobby and advocacy skills. No matter if you are completely new to the topic or if you have been engaged in lobby and advocacy campaigns before, I am sure everybody will benefit from this course. And the best thing: No prior lobby and advocacy experience is needed. During the course I focus on conflict transformation and peacebuilding issues. That’s my core expertise. But don’t worry if you are focussing on other issues. The learnings can easily be applied to other fields of work. When preparing the course I worked with two assumptions. The first one is that people planning, implementing and evaluating lobby and advocacy campaigns are part of an established group or an organisation; i.e. a solidarity group, a charity, a non-governmental organisation etc. The second one is that you try to influence policies; i.e. demand a new policy, the improvement of an existing policy or an adequate implementation of a given policy. I am aware that not all people active in campaigning are part of an organisation; neither are all campaigns working on policy change. But working from these assumptions allowed me to cover an even wider area of issues. If this is not applicable to you, do not worry. The process can easily be applied to other settings.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
If you complete the course, go through all the exercises and still feel you haven’t gained the skills to run an effective lobby and advocacy campaign, you can email me within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. The refund does not apply to the combined course/coaching call package. Once we have agreed a time for the coaching call, I will no longer be in a position to refund you for your purchase.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does ,Forever!‘ sound? As long as The Peacebuilding Practitioner exists, you can access this course. You can take it at whatever pace, whenever, wherever, as many times as you’d like and across any and all devices you own.
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
Will I be able to access the full course at once?
Yupp! Once you are enrolled, it‘s all there waiting for you!
What if I have any questions?
Np problem. Just email me at [email protected] and I will see that I help you out.
 
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