This paper from Oxfam focuses on how the "right to be heard" concept can strengthen public participation in policy making and accountability.
Recommendations for those upporting poor and marginalised people to lobby for changes in their situation include:
- recognise that change is long-term;
- understand that attitudinal change is important;
- put local priorities first;
- work at a number of levels and build alliances;
- bring people face to face;
- take different perspectives into account;
- recognise that international agencies can play an advocacy role;
- understand that NGOs are important as role models of accountability and integrity.
A number of case studies are used to illustrate these points including:
- fostering local accountability in Malawi;
- Honduran women raising voices to improve labour standards;
- indigenous people gaining recognition in Bangladesh;
- community participation in local budgeting in Georgia;
- challenging discrimination in Guatemala’s legal system;
- people living in poverty in the UK giving their views on government policy;
- policies favouring poor people in Indonesia;
- changing policies and beliefs in favour of women in Peru;
- campaigning to hold government to account in India.
