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Democracy Skills Workshops: Managing Issue Campaigns

Join this workshop series to learn about effective issue campaigns. This 8-week course is designed to be co-taught by an educator and an activist in each community, neighbourhood or school.

Learn to:

  • Create a winning issue campaign
  • Recognize entry points to decision making
  • Work in coalitions
  • Develop a media strategy
  • Use access to information laws
  • Conduct a credible poll

Course Outline:

Week 1:
Introductions
  • Review Course outline
  • Introduction to issue campaigns-setting the context of issue-based campaign
Week 2:
Decision-making processes in public sector organizations
  • Understand the processes or mechanics of decision-making in various public and private sector organizations
  • Identify places where advocates can influence decision-making
Week 3:
Decision-making processes in private sector organizations
  • Understand the processes or mechanics of decision-making in various private sector organizations
  • Identify places where advocates can influence decision-making
Week 4:
Issue campaigns and organizations Part 1
  • Understand how to organize and issue campaign strategically
  • Develop a media strategy
  • Develop a public education strategy
Week 5:
Issue campaigns and organizations Part 2
  • Develop a Lobbying Strategy
  • Identify ways to work with other groups building alliances; how to organize a network or coalition
Week 6:
Specific Tools Part 1
  • Learn about access to information laws and how to use them
  • Learn how to find and work with a lawyer
Week 7:
Specific Tools Part 2
  • Learn how to research and create a credible policy platform paper
  • Learn how to do a credible survey/poll
  • Learn how and when to fundraise
Week 8:
Pulling it all together
  • Summarize learning and identify areas for further development
  • Evaluate course