The 8th Edition of the International Advocacy Workshop (IAW) will take place on 9th, 10th, 11th September, 2020, from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm Central European Time. Due to COVID-19 pandemic it will be held online by the International Federation for Family Development in collaboration with Instituto de la Familia (Universidad de la Sabana, Colombia). The Workshop will have no cost for participants and will be conducted in English.

As usual, it is mainly oriented to entry-level professionals or students of social studies/political sciences or a related field who demonstrate a strong interest in family issues and want to gain experience in the work of International Organizations, as well as other practitioners. They will come from diverse geographical, cultural, and academic backgrounds.

The course will critically assess the field of international human rights and development advocacy, its institutions, strategies, and key actors. It will explore how domestic, regional, and global policy strategies are set. Also, it will promote discussion on various challenges that family friendly advocates face together with a range of stakeholders, including governments, international institutions and the private sector.

It will consist of a three-day educational alternative program with diverse lectures, initiatives and interactive discussions:

– Lectures: oral and audiovisual presentations by an expert or specialist. Convey critical information and theories. All are expected to actively engage.

– Interventions & Good Practices: active discussion led by a moderator with the participation of policymakers and practitioners with local or regional experience on family policies’ design, implementation and evaluation. Participants have a role that may involve a written/oral intervention and group discussion.

– Interactive Discussions: hands-on debates to finalize a statement with evidenced-based policy recommendations within the framework agreed (Child Development, Youth Transitions, Intergenerational Relations).

These interactive discussions will be preceded by meetings of local groups (virtual or face-to-face, where possible) to discuss and draft a proposal about one of the following outcomes:

– a statement for the Unicef Executive Board on child development;
– a statement for the UN Commission on Social Development on youth transition;
– a statement for the UN ECOSOC High-level Political Forum on intergenerational solidarity.

A consultation on future Workshops (if they should be online, programme and logistics) and possible local actions to disseminate the contents and reach other stakeholders and interested persons will also be part of these discussions.

Evaluation will be based on class participation, results of the interactive discussion and a final paper.

2019 International Advocacy Workshop (Budapest) …

2018 International Advocacy Workshop (Madrid) …

BACKGROUND NOTE

The topics of the workshop will be the three main aspects of family care:
– Child development.
– Youth transitions.
– Intergenerational solidarity.

They will be analyzed in the light of the Inclusive Cities for Sustainable Families Project, the COVID-19 crisis, the preparations for the 30th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family and the Sustainable Development Goals 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11 and 16.

1. Cities have been and will be at the center of this pandemic and its aftermath.

2. The challenge to make them inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable has failed because:

– it exacerbated the urban divide that resulted from a long-term failure to address fundamental inequalities and guarantee basic human rights;
– critical systems have been disrupted or overloaded: supply chains and social care, but principally healthcare;
– it has revealed gaping holes in our care infrastructure, as millions of families have been forced to navigate this crisis without a safety net;
– the improvement in air quality and environmental noise reduction shows the need for a shift to green, circular economies to prevent disasters and climate change.

3. The family has had to face all these limitations and has proven to be the reference point and the authentic pillar of society.

4. Today the Venice Declaration is important, but tomorrow it will be even more important to build a new world: it is an excellent political-administrative programme.

5. It is therefore necessary to outline the model of a city that places the citizen at the center of its concerns and the family as the necessary environment for it.

6. Taking into account the Curitiba Manifesto, the ways to reach this goal should also take into account:

– an inclusive city is a shareable city;
– an inclusive city is a connected city;
– but, more than anything, care should be supported and promoted in every domain, placing family care as the basis for it.

APPLICATIONS

CV and a cover letter should be sent to un@iffd.org before 31st July.