CALL - Communication & Advocacy Learning Lab

About this project

<p>For organisations committed to social change, as NGO, communication and advocacy often figure as&nbsp;strategic elements. Over the past few years, however, many NGO have experienced challenges due to the&nbsp;shrinking of civic space, increasingly witnessed in EU (including decrease in funding and restrictions to&nbsp;advocacy). NGO need to adapt to play their advocacy role and participate fully and proactively in the&nbsp;decision-making process. The project CALL (Communication and Advocacy for Social Change) aims to<br> enhance the capacities of NGO in communication, advocacy and monitoring of public policies, fostering the&nbsp;potential as agents of inclusion and active citizen engagement. It encompasses key activities as:&nbsp;development of organisational assessments and strategic action plans; capacity building in communication&nbsp;and advocacy; implementation of joint-advocacy initiatives; launch of initiatives to celebrate and learn&nbsp;about outstanding advocacy campaigns; develop toolkits and an online repository.</p>

Bilateral cooperation results

The partnership with Norsensus generated significant interest from the target audience (Portuguese NGOs) and partners. The opportunity for exchange with an organization from a different country with a distinct organizational culture allowed NGOs, partners, and FEC to reflect on different ways of operating, managing, and implementing social projects. Norsensus's strong experience in storytelling and communication methodologies provided NGOs with new, easy-to-use tools that enhanced their communication capabilities and amplified their messages, thereby strengthening their missions. The opportunity to intern in Norway was a major incentive for the NGOs involved and, according to them, a significant asset for organizational strengthening. The partnership with Norsensus greatly enriched the project and motivated NGOs to participate and maintain high levels of engagement. During the internship in Norway, the group of NGOs was visited by the Portuguese Ambassador in Oslo, which added value to the initiative and helped strengthen ties between the two countries and their NGOs. As a result of the partnership, the excellent work by Norsensus, the benefits brought to the project, and the good relationship established with FEC in managing the partnership, FEC and Norsensus have established a new partnership under the Tik Tak project.

Project partners

• Norsensus Mediaforum Donor project partner· Norway
• School of Social Communication Project partner· Portugal