Interactive Patient Advocacy Programme (IPAP) advocacy training is a training conducted by the European Coalition for People living with Obesity (ECPO) that aims at taking you, the learner through the process of advocacy by simplifying the key steps, from identifying and prioritizing the issues, to implementing an advocacy action plan. The training also helps you better understand our audiences and tailor your messages to engage them and inspire their support.
In this year’s cohort Ogweno Stephen was one of the participants who went through this intensive training to gather more knowledge and insight on advocacy in the obesity space and ultimately the wider NCDs space.
So, what are some of the key insights in advocacy especially in the obesity space?
- Successful advocacy endeavors have to be structured and planned before hand to ensure ease of implementation and to cover any blind spots that might arise.
- Especially when it comes to obesity, respecting your audience is very important as a result incorporating people first language for obesity is a great way to ensure the audience feels respected and engaged.
- There is no one way formular to advocacy, advocacy could simply be sharing your story, educating your community, starting a YouTube channel, and even drafting policies, best practices and suggestions for governments and industries to act on.
- Finally, WHO ARE ADVOCATES FOR OBESITY (&other NCDs)
- Advocates are organizers
- Advocates are people with lived experience
- Advocates are regular people
- Advocates recognize advocacy takes many shapes and forms
- Advocates follow a strategy
#ogwenoimpact
STEPHEN OGWENO 