Advocacy in the Face of Crises and Culture Wars

Participação de Alexandra Silva a convite do Programa Cidadãos Ativos. Em Druskininkai, Lithuania.

In recent years, all European countries have encountered an extreme and uncharted set of circumstances. The multi-layered international crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; rising energy prices, high inflation, to name
just a few. Each country also faces its unique internal challenges, like, in the case of Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, a wave of third-country migrants across the shared border with Belarus as part of Russian-Belarusian hybrid warfare.

During these times of uncertainty, social polarisation has grown exponentially in many countries worldwide. As a result, discussions about values and identity (modern democracy vs. ,,traditional” values) among different social groups and organisations increased noticeably become heated and often turn radical. The impact of misinformation through various channels in this public discourse also plays an increasing role.

These turbulent times present additional challenges not only for crisis management itself but also for advocacy-oriented non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that promote international human rights standards, empower and cultivate civil society,
and contribute to transparency, accountability, and legitimacy in public policy, encompassing different social groups.

The international event “Advocacy in the face of crises and cultural wars”, organised by the Open Lithuania Foundation and partner organisations Civil Society Development Foundation (Romania), CNVOS (Slovenia) and Stefan Batory foundation (Poland), will assemble advocacy practitioners on national and international levels, researchers, lawyers, and other interested individuals working in this field.

One of the main goals of our event is to examine the challenges faced by NGOs in defending their ideas in different European countries, tools and measures used in the search for solutions. By connecting the experiences of NGO practitioners, researchers, and lawyers from the entire region, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the specific problems organisations face in different contexts, identify common trends and models, and develop practical solutions and strategies applicable to both national contexts and collaborative work throughout the region.

During discussions, presentations, workshops, and the sharing of good practices, we will examine the social, political, and cultural factors that influence advocacy work carried out in different European countries, considering the unique perspectives on challenges and opportunities in each context. We will explore ways in which NGOs can collaborate across borders, strategies and tactics they can effectively use to achieve their goals during this period of uncertainty, and the role of civil society in advocacy processes. We will seek answers to questions like:
● Is there a place for advocacy in shrinking civic spaces?
● How to work with decision-makers on issues of different values when “the time is not right yet”?
● What are the “ideal” legal regulations for NGOs?
● How to succeed and avoid failures in advocacy during challenging times?

AGENDA (draft)

January 25th, 2024
9.00 am. – 10.00 am. Check-in/coffee welcome
10.00 am. – 10.15 am. Welcome word!
10.15 am. – 10.35 am. Organisations presentation
10.35 am – 11.35 am. The legal framework for NGOs in different European countries
11.35 am. – 12.00 pm. Short break
12.00 pm. – 1.15 pm. Assessing the impact of advocacy
1.15 pm. – 2.15 pm. Lunch break
2.15 pm. – 2.35 pm Organisations presentation
2.35 pm – 4.05 pm. Workshop session 1

1st group: Applying for funding and fundraising
2nd group: Traditional and innovative advocacy tools

4.05 pm. – 4.30 pm. Short break
4.30 pm. – 6.00 pm. Workshop session 2

1st group: Traditional and innovative advocacy tools
2nd group: Applying for funding and fundraising

6.00 pm. – 6.15 pm. Short break
6.15 pm. Dinner
8.00 pm. Failure night

January 26 th, 2024
9.00 am. – 9.30 am. Check-in
9.30 am. – 9. 45 am. Introduction to the day
9.45 am. – 10.05 am. Organisations presentation
10.05 am – 11.20 am. Finding the window of opportunity in times of crisis: case studies
11.20 am. – 11.45 am. Short break
11.45 pm. – 1.00 pm. Civic mobilisation
1.00 pm. – 2.00 pm. Lunch break
2.00 pm. – 3.30 pm. Countering disinformation and misinformation in

Advocacy work
3.30 pm – 4.00 pm. Short break
4.00 pm. – 5.30 pm. Panel discussion on solidarity actions and cross-border cooperation
5.30 pm. Closing speech
6.00 pm. Dinner. Farewell party.