Date: 2017-06-08

From week to week we always try to add something new yet worth learning to the training schedule because we know youth are enthusiastic about absorbing new knowledge. To the most youth, Media Advocacy is a brand new topic and it is a topic for this week. Mr.,  Meas Chandy our key speaker introduced us about its definition, elements, criteria, mapping, strategies, channels of communication, and so forth. Specifically, Advocacy is a set of targeted actions directed at decision makers in support of a specific policy issue. To advocate is to bring change. People voice can be heard through various methods whether it is through media or non-media. They choose advocacy to update, develop, or bring change to the current situation. However, according to Mr. Chandy, advocacy needs to consider on who will affect from the change? and who will benefit from the change? “Advocacy also needs to focus on who is the policy Actor or Decision Maker, policy Action or Decision, specific timeline and degree of change, especially right people to play the roles in each step. ”, the key speaker added. This helps to alert youth that in order to have an effective advocacy campaign they need to understand the policy making system and legislative process that it should be mapped and specifically planned because it allows them to identify advocacy opportunities and guide selection of the advocacy issue. One more thing, in order to communicate the core message of the problem as effective as possible, advocator also needs to choose the potential communication channel whether it is media, non-media, public forum, or direct engagement to mobilize the public to influence decision makers. After learning the concept, youth also got to practice to comprehend their understanding on the topic through role play related to the policy of adequate clean water supply to rural area and policy of prohibition of selling beer to those whose age under 18 years old. They got to act as the Decision makers (parliamentarians), potential organizations who want to advocate and ministers who have the conflict of interest. The activity that we conducted helped them to reflect what they had learned as well as to encourage them on being active and potential youth for the sustainable definitions of youth engagement practice. However, the Media Advocacy topic needed to be linked to the Public Relation topic which will be held on another week of our training schedule. So, stay tune!