A panel consisting of new and seasoned advocates, pushing for a variety of social changes, explained that despite a changing world bombarded with negative imagery, change was possible through advocacy.

But it required new tactics and new methods.

Asking nicely is just not working.

Isaac Astill, a campaigner for Stop Adani, told the audience. As part of his campaign to prevent the Adani Group from building a large mine in Queensland — which is expected to have dangerous environmental impacts, including on the Great Barrier Reef — Astill said the new theory was to be everywhere and “a nuisance.”

Within a short timeframe, the group has influenced large banks to stop supporting the project. Now they are pushing for political change. “There is no clear pathway to victory,” he said. But visibility and a strong support network, he said, are clear aspects of creating an impact that could be the key to a successful advocacy campaign.

Read the full article on a better advocacy narrative by Lisa Cornish at Devex International Development