Advocacy in Cambodia: Increasing Democratic ... - Pact Cambodia
Advocacy in Cambodia: Increasing Democratic ... - Pact Cambodia
Advocacy in Cambodia: Increasing Democratic ... - Pact Cambodia
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<strong>in</strong>troduction<br />
This report aims to identify lessons learned from the advocacy experience<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>Cambodia</strong> that can be shared with advocates work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> various sectors.<br />
Analysis is based on review of advocacy activities <strong>in</strong> eight sectors: fisheries, land,<br />
labor, commune council elections, women’s movement, urban poor, HIV/AIDS,<br />
and child rights. This selection is <strong>in</strong>tended to be illustrative rather than<br />
comprehensive. The selection of a limited number of illustrative case studies<br />
has led to the omission of some issues, which are no less important such as<br />
lobby<strong>in</strong>g of multilateral banks and donors, forestry reform, lobby<strong>in</strong>g for judicial<br />
reform, the anti-corruption campaign, and the health and education sectors.<br />
Campaigns to reform the land law, <strong>in</strong>troduce a community fisheries subdecree,<br />
commune council election law, or domestic violence law have much to<br />
teach all advocacy stakeholders about successful advocacy strategies and<br />
mistakes made <strong>in</strong> design<strong>in</strong>g and implement<strong>in</strong>g advocacy campaigns. Among<br />
the case studies presented, advocacy <strong>in</strong> the fisheries sector illustrates a<br />
streaml<strong>in</strong>ed approach that extends from the grassroots to the national policymak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
level and benefits from the arguments collected dur<strong>in</strong>g the preparation<br />
of the land law legislation. The organized garment labor movement <strong>in</strong>volves<br />
three sectors of society: a government monitor<strong>in</strong>g and mediation agency, the<br />
garment factories, and the labor unions. The commune council election law<br />
lobby<strong>in</strong>g presents a concerted approach and high profile lobby<strong>in</strong>g, as does the<br />
domestic violence law campaign with<strong>in</strong> the women’s movement. HIV/AIDS and<br />
child rights sectors illustrate strong network<strong>in</strong>g techniques and provide examples<br />
of advocacy that allows people affected by the issues to participate more <strong>in</strong> policy<br />
decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
In addition to identify<strong>in</strong>g general successes and failures <strong>in</strong> advocacy, this<br />
report aims to ascerta<strong>in</strong> how civil society organizations and elected<br />
representatives can assist <strong>in</strong> the process of strengthen<strong>in</strong>g democratization and<br />
<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g accountability with<strong>in</strong> the <strong>Cambodia</strong>n government. Facilitat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
stronger democracy will <strong>in</strong>crease the likelihood that future advocacy efforts will<br />
result <strong>in</strong> responsive policy changes that consider the needs of the people affected<br />
by policies.