DV455 Half Unit
Advocacy, Campaigning and Grassroots Activism
This information is for the 2024/25 session.
Teacher responsible
Prof Duncan Green and Mr Thomas Kirk
Dr Duncan Green is Professor in Practice in the International Development Department, and Senior Strategic Adviser at Oxfam GB, an international NGO. His blog, From Poverty to Power (http://oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/) is one of the most widely read international development blogs. His most recent book, How Change Happens (OUP, 2016, 2nd edition June 2024) is the core text for this course.
Dr Thomas Kirk is a researcher and consultant based at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Interests include the provision of security and justice in conflict affected regions, social accountability, civil society, local governance and public authority. Lived and worked in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Timor-Leste, the DRC and Kenya.
Together they run the Influencing component of the Global Executive Leadership Initiative Course (https://www.geli.org/programs-courses/regional-training-programme/influencing-senior-leaders-analysis-strategy-and).
Availability
This course is available on the MSc in Development Management, MSc in Development Management (ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ and Sciences Po), MSc in Development Studies, MSc in Economic Policy for International Development, MSc in Health and International Development, MSc in Inequalities and Social Science, MSc in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies and MSc in Political Economy of Late Development. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.
The course will be offered in Autumn term and capped at 75 students.
Selection criteria: applicants will be asked to submit 200 words on their background and why they want to take the course, to be assessed against interest, experience and passion.
If there are any spare spaces, the course is available as an outside option.
Course content
There are two blocks in this course:
1. Understanding How Change Happens, including systems thinking and power analysis.
2. The analytical frameworks used by INGOs and other change agents to inform and design their advocacy.
This course introduces students to some of the analytical frameworks and practical techniques used by INGOs such as Oxfam (where the course leader is senior strategic adviser), along with other activists (broadly defined, including 'change agents' in governments and the private sector) in influencing political, social and economic policy and practice.
Lectures will introduce the importance of systems t