The Big Lesson: what lessons for The Big Lesson: what lessons for EFA?EFA?

Niger’s president takes 15 steps for 2015

Record breakers in Greenland

Hands up in Bangladesh

1.8 million joined in …1.8 million joined in … including Kofi Annan, Carol including Kofi Annan, Carol

Bellamy, Matsuura, Mia Bellamy, Matsuura, Mia Hamm, Ms. Dynamite, two Hamm, Ms. Dynamite, two Heads of State and many Heads of State and many senior Ministers … as well as senior Ministers … as well as penniless child workers and penniless child workers and out-of school kidsout-of school kids

The event was intepreted and The event was intepreted and exploited in dozens of ways, exploited in dozens of ways, in line with local advocacy in line with local advocacy priorities and traditions of priorities and traditions of social mobilisationsocial mobilisation

Counting still going on … Counting still going on … certificates and follow-up certificates and follow-up letters to be sent to all letters to be sent to all schoolsschools

minimal resources (approx minimal resources (approx US 75,000 and core team of 3 US 75,000 and core team of 3 part-time staff), but lots of part-time staff), but lots of help from othershelp from others

President of Sierra Leone leads the Big Lesson in Freetown’s stadium

It worked becauseIt worked because It was funIt was fun It was not just a stunt – genuine learning took It was not just a stunt – genuine learning took

placeplace It was not just an awareness raising exercise – it It was not just an awareness raising exercise – it

was highlighting a dire crisis but also advocating was highlighting a dire crisis but also advocating serious and plausible solutionsserious and plausible solutions

It married the relevance of the local to the It married the relevance of the local to the momentum and excitement of a global effortmomentum and excitement of a global effort

It took advantage of the urgency of the 2005 It took advantage of the urgency of the 2005 targettarget

It focused on a simple issue with a human faceIt focused on a simple issue with a human face It was decentralised and accommodated loose It was decentralised and accommodated loose

collaboration among NGOs and btw NGOs and collaboration among NGOs and btw NGOs and GOsGOs

What’s a campaign?What’s a campaign? Top down … when those in power in order to change specific Top down … when those in power in order to change specific

attitudes and behaviour of ordinary people (e.g. campaigns to attitudes and behaviour of ordinary people (e.g. campaigns to get all children immunised, to make everyone literate, to get all children immunised, to make everyone literate, to promote hand-washing). promote hand-washing).

This type of campaign tends to focus on awareness-raising and This type of campaign tends to focus on awareness-raising and propaganda. It targets people as passive recipients of advice propaganda. It targets people as passive recipients of advice and education (they should passively adopt what the campaign and education (they should passively adopt what the campaign recommends). recommends).

Centralised and quite tightly controlled. It may be effective, but Centralised and quite tightly controlled. It may be effective, but will not generate activism.will not generate activism.

• Or bottom up … when ordinary Or bottom up … when ordinary people seek to change specific people seek to change specific priorities, policies and practices of priorities, policies and practices of those in power.those in power.

• Seeks to mobilise ordinary people as Seeks to mobilise ordinary people as activists activists who should challenge power who should challenge power and instigate change. It tends to and instigate change. It tends to develop in a messy, decentralised way develop in a messy, decentralised way out of new alliances between diverse out of new alliances between diverse interest groups. interest groups.

Why was the GCE founded?Why was the GCE founded?

Generate public and media pressure on decision-makersGenerate public and media pressure on decision-makers Expose government and multilateral decisions to independent scrutinyExpose government and multilateral decisions to independent scrutiny Replace consensus with controversy, but also offer constructive Replace consensus with controversy, but also offer constructive

solutionssolutions Demand the impossible until it becomes possibleDemand the impossible until it becomes possible Build stronger alliances and nurture effective activists and advocates Build stronger alliances and nurture effective activists and advocates

(‘capacity’), especially at national and regional levels(‘capacity’), especially at national and regional levels Create political space for reformers to actCreate political space for reformers to act

Philippines

The capacity gapThe capacity gap

Lack of information and technical Lack of information and technical skillsskills

But more importantly …But more importantly … Lack of organisationLack of organisation Lack of accessLack of access Lack of influenceLack of influence

How GCE seeks to How GCE seeks to overcome the influencing overcome the influencing

gapgap Encourage and support national coalitionsEncourage and support national coalitions Enable coalitions to link to similar groups Enable coalitions to link to similar groups

regionally and internationallyregionally and internationally Help these groups to develop common Help these groups to develop common

positions and translate their concerns into positions and translate their concerns into policy-makers’ languagepolicy-makers’ language

Create space for CSOs to articulate common Create space for CSOs to articulate common positions in regional and international forumspositions in regional and international forums

Access to international forums important for Access to international forums important for credibility, legitimacy as well as information, credibility, legitimacy as well as information, relevancerelevance

Share advocacy skills Share advocacy skills

One ‘week of action’ does not One ‘week of action’ does not make an impact …make an impact …

Popular action helps to enlarge the space open for successful Popular action helps to enlarge the space open for successful lobbying, which must in turn be grounded in local priorities lobbying, which must in turn be grounded in local priorities and based on sound evidences and cogent policy analysis. and based on sound evidences and cogent policy analysis. The GCE aims to build a systematic, sustained movement and The GCE aims to build a systematic, sustained movement and this requires:this requires:

internal transparency and democracy (mechanisms for internal transparency and democracy (mechanisms for achieving consensus and sustaining collaboration)achieving consensus and sustaining collaboration)

a clear definition, backed by evidence, of what the problem is a clear definition, backed by evidence, of what the problem is and how it can be solved and how it can be solved

a convincing solution around which the international a convincing solution around which the international community unites, and is seen to be unitedcommunity unites, and is seen to be united

a solution that is ambitious and innovative enough to change a solution that is ambitious and innovative enough to change the world – that will capture people’s imaginations the world – that will capture people’s imaginations

champions to make political breakthroughs when debate is champions to make political breakthroughs when debate is stalled, and to get our issue onto the agenda at key forums.stalled, and to get our issue onto the agenda at key forums.

success stories to prove that the cause is worthwhilesuccess stories to prove that the cause is worthwhile

How 2004 plans are How 2004 plans are developingdeveloping

GCE has evolved a highly consultative and GCE has evolved a highly consultative and participatory planning style for Action participatory planning style for Action WeekWeek

Ideas are developed by an international Ideas are developed by an international working group and approved by the working group and approved by the elected GCE Boardelected GCE Board

In most countries, participating CSOs put In most countries, participating CSOs put together their own planning committeetogether their own planning committee

Working group has presented initial Working group has presented initial proposal to the Board based on lessons proposal to the Board based on lessons learned from 2003 Action Weeklearned from 2003 Action Week

Assessing impactAssessing impact Growing participation in the Growing participation in the

North (US, Europe, Japan)North (US, Europe, Japan) Convincingly demonstrated Convincingly demonstrated

global nature of GCE and global nature of GCE and breadth and depth of popular breadth and depth of popular support for action on EFAsupport for action on EFA

Good for direct outreach to Good for direct outreach to politicians and officialspoliticians and officials

Good for profile and building Good for profile and building momentum and motivationmomentum and motivation

Media exposure mixed – good Media exposure mixed – good South, poor NorthSouth, poor North

Policy impact mixed – some Policy impact mixed – some success stories, but also some success stories, but also some strategic opportunities missedstrategic opportunities missed

What needs improvingWhat needs improving

Sharpen the policy change messages – avoid Sharpen the policy change messages – avoid awareness-raising for its own sakeawareness-raising for its own sake

Be more strategic about using the Action Week to Be more strategic about using the Action Week to increase lobby space, both internationally and increase lobby space, both internationally and nationallynationally

More emphasis on involving senior politicians and More emphasis on involving senior politicians and celebrities, esp. at national levelcelebrities, esp. at national level

Continue to increase participation and profile in the Continue to increase participation and profile in the North and work much harder on Northern media North and work much harder on Northern media coveragecoverage

More resources (people/funds) needed to improve More resources (people/funds) needed to improve preparation, communications and follow-uppreparation, communications and follow-up

Global Lobby for EFA: Global Lobby for EFA:

The focus will be on the kids missing out on a quality education The focus will be on the kids missing out on a quality education and what steps decision-makers must take to help themand what steps decision-makers must take to help them

Children will deliver messages from other children:Children will deliver messages from other children: action cards that have been written/drawn by other action cards that have been written/drawn by other

children, e.g. as part of a classroom activitychildren, e.g. as part of a classroom activity a dossier of the ‘missing children’ in their community – a dossier of the ‘missing children’ in their community –

who is missing out on education and whywho is missing out on education and why

No child left behindNo child left behind

On the day of the global lobby, On the day of the global lobby, children all over the world will children all over the world will articulate their needs and articulate their needs and concerns in face-to-face concerns in face-to-face dialogue with legislators and dialogue with legislators and other elected officials: national other elected officials: national and provincial parliaments, and provincial parliaments, district or local councils, etc.district or local councils, etc.