How to advocate for change: a training for the LGBTQI+ community and allies took place in Zaporizhzhia

On September 21, the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, with the support of Freedom House, held an educational training “Advocacy campaign: how to be successful in conditions of constant change” in Zaporizhzhia. This was the fourth training session of the “United for Democracy: Strengthening Inclusion in Ukraine” project implemented by ZMINA. Previously, such events took place in Lviv and Kyiv.

The event was attended by representatives of civil society, teachers of the Zaporizhzhia National University and employees of the Zaporizhzhia City Center of Social Services, as well as journalists from local media.

The training was conducted by the advocacy trainer Oleksandr Solontai, an expert at the Institute of Political Education, and Head of the NGO “Recovery and Development Agency”. The expert taught how to conduct advocacy campaigns and work with authorities at various levels, create coalitions and communicate with opponents. As always, the trainer paid special attention to practical cases, suggested the audience choose real topics for advocacy and to draw up a plan for an advocacy campaign.

“In the document that you are advocating, not only the principle and purpose but also the mechanism should be written down. Because otherwise, they will make it so that it will not be fulfilled or implemented. And therefore, the change will not happen,” Solontai said about the nuances of advocacy processes.

“Learning from Oleksandr Solontai shows his extensive practical experience: at different times he was a part of both local self-government and the public sector. Theory is organically combined with practical cases, after posing a problem, a solution appears. Each of our educational trainings is a strengthening of civil society,” said Iryna Yuzyk, Project Manager of the Human Rights Centre ZMINA.