Advocating for Change: Raising Awareness for Avian Influenza

The objective of this 24-page guide is to reach individuals, communities, and organisations willing to advocate for public health awareness of Avian Influenza (bird flu). According to its introduction: "This Guide provides an overview of the advocacy process and its components - from planning and information gathering, to evaluating the success of your advocacy efforts -and suggests strategic activities and messages that can be used to reach different audiences." Further, it states that it can be used by organisations of any size, no matter what their issue or their resources. The guide explains how advocacy works through the following chapters:

• How to Get Started.
1. Identify the Specific Advocacy Issue and Potential Solutions;
2. Select Advocacy Audiences;
3. Gather Information on What Your Advocacy Audience Thinks;
4. Develop Advocacy Messages to Frame Your Actions;
5. Select Advocacy Tactics and Tools;
6. Develop Partnerships to Gain Support for your Action;
7. Mobilise Resources; and
8. Monitor and Evaluate.
• Bringing It All Together: A Step-by-Step Process for Moving from Planning to Action - Addressing opinion leaders, the public, and the media.
1. Advocacy and Opinion Leaders - Targeting efforts, being prepared, and being focused.
2. Educating the Public
3. Your voice; and
4. Conclusion.
• Avian Influenza: Information You Can Use In Your Advocacy Efforts - This section presents information in a question and answer format about Avian Flu to support advocacy efforts.

In addition to the information section, the guide contains a chart of advocacy issues with their solutions and examples of advocacy activities.