JOICFP Skills Training at Asia Regional ASRH Workshop

In 2004, JOICFP started implementation of the Movah! project, supported by UNFPA, to facilitate young people and adolescents making their sexual and reproductive health needs known at all levels.

From 26th to 30th June, a Movah! Regional Workshop was held in Phnom Penh to share and review strategies from the model sites in the implementing countries of Bangladesh and Cambodia, to learn innovative strategies and approaches for advocacy, and to provide skills training on creating effective advocacy.

The workshop was organized under the UNFPA Regional Project "Strengthening advocacy for adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) programs through youth initiative."

Around 50 participants from nine countries attended, including project managers and youth leaders from government ministries, non-governmental organizations, and UNFPA.

A supportive message by Dr. Mam Bunheng,
State Secretary, Ministry of Health,
Kingdom of Cambodia in the opening ceremony

One of the workshop activities
was a poster presentation session
on advocacy experiences by each participating country.
Here, a representative from the Malaysia Federation
of Family Planning Associations shows material
developed by adolescents
to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS

The participants also went on a field trip to a project site in Kampong Cham Province, being implemented by RHAC. In four groups the participants interviewed community stakeholders at Thmar Pich Commune, Rokar Popram Commune, Commune Council members, and a GO-NGO network to learn about their views on ASRH issues in the community and their current activities.

In a discussion among Cambodian youth educats and participating international youths, a Cambodian girl mentioned the difficulty of changing adults' attitudes on ASRH, and she asked the other youths about their countries' situation and difficulties.

A participant from Pakistan answered "We also have difficulties to promote ASRH in communities, and what we did was to visit communities repeatedly, and one day the local authority allowed us to show the video about ASRH."

Some of the participants with youth representatives
during the field trip

Cambodian youth and adult advocates
share their experiences

Skills training

On day four, the participants studied and practiced designing communication strategies for advocacy by using JOICFP's Advocacy Strategy Power Model. The model helps users design verifiable communication elements, create advocacy messages with option-making skills, and media tools.

The workshop finished with the participants making a definition of what 'community advocacy through youth advocacy' actually is. This was stated as, "Designed actions taken by youth to influence and change policies and gain support for youth issues in the community."

The workshop was very well received by all the participants, and some of the success was due to the inter-generational collaboration and participatory atmosphere among the project managers and youth leaders.

In addition to the workshop, 15 youth volunteers met to discuss networking within Movah!, especially with previous workshop participants through the Internet. Furthermore, it is expected that information beyond the Movah! project will be shared in this way.