M.D.G. Campaign
Visits to the Dáil
As part of its MDG's education campaign a series of 4 workshops were held in the Dail in March and April 2007.
The participating politicians included:
- Denis Naughton, Fine Gael
- Barry Andrews, Fianna Fail
- Senator Brian Hayes, Fine Gael
- Paul Gogerty, Green Party
- Dermot Lacey and Cian O'Callaghan, Labour Party
The Participating schools included:
- Our Lady's Bower, Athlone
- Marist College, Athlone
- St Joseph's College, Summerhill
- Presentation College, Bray
- Loreto College Bray
- St. Killian's Senior School, Bray
- St. Mark's Community School, Tallaght
- Tallaght Community School
- Loreto College Dalkey
- Loreto College St. Stephens Green
- Loreto College Crumlin
- Dominican College, Sion Hill, Blackrock
- Loreto College, Swords
- Loreto College, Balbriggan.
These Dail workshops had 3 core objectives:
- To give students the opportunity to learn about lobbying and lobbying techniques from the politicians and parties they intend to lobby and, in the place where, if successful, their arguments and concerns will be heard and, hopefully, debated.
- To follow up with students, teachers and politicians on what they had learned so that it could be shared more broadly and used subsequently and by others.
- To further support students and schools in campaigning in solid educational ways and to consider ways in which the agenda can be shared more widely.
During the four workshops, students engaged directly with the politicians to seek whatever advice they could offer on campaigning around an issue such as the MDGs.
The following is a summary of the advice and suggestions given by the TDs:
- Don't view politicians as the enemy. Avoid lobbying politicians via the media, lobby politicians directly - use the media to raise awareness of the issues and the campaign more broadly. Go directly to politicians.
- Make sure you contact the relevant spokespeople for your campaign, for example, if you are lobbying on EU trade policies you should approach the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, individual party spokespeople or individual TDs who have a particular interest in your issue. Alternatively (or additionally!), lobby your local politicians and ask them to raise the issues at Parliamentary Party meetings.
- You must prepare the Politician for both sides of argument otherwise you leave them open to attack and they won't be happy.
- "Make it your issue" - have a name for your campaign, if you make it your issue you give your campaign life and personality.
- Politicians react to what is raised on doorsteps, if you can get their constituents raising your issue then you have the ear of the politician.
- It is always better to take a cross-party approach and get both sides of the political divide, especially if the opposition is championing your issue.
- With a lot of work and energy, a difference can be made. If a good strategy is in place, there is always a way, however keep your goal attainable think - big start small. It makes more sense to concentrate on one Goal.
- Students are not generally taken too seriously, as they cannot yet vote, so it is important that if you are serious about your issue that you put in a lot of energy and hard work (what about summer holidays etc. - will the MDGs feature in your summer plans?).
- YOU need to know what you are talking about. "Politicians don't know everything - they know a little about a lot of stuff. Pretend you are talking to someone who has just landed from Mars - don't presume they know anything."
- When writing to a politician set out your information in "plain and simple" language and attach supporting documentation.
- Have the front page outline the current situation, recommendations, etc and then you can add supporting documents if needed. Paint an accurate picture of the problem and possible solutions with this page - in that way it will be 'high impact' with little effort needed to grasp the situation and if needed the supporting doc can be used to back up your points.
- Be prepared to be challenged on the subject, so make sure you are aware of all the arguments. If the MDGs or Fair Trade are your issues then, what are they all about? What are the arguments for and against?
Additional points
- Campaigns using many methodologies will win out
- For bigger issues, writing may not be sufficient
- Follow up letters and emails by phone
- Don't go lobbying just for the sake of it
- Good manners work
- Use the local council
- Use local media - can be very effective, councillors often work across parties
- Display seriousness of intent
- Make the issues relevant - show how they affect people individually
- The MDGs are too broad a topic - be specific on specific goals
- Expose Government plans - e.g. Ireland has no specific MDG plan
- Try to encourage cross-party support
- A good technique is to take photographs with the politicians and use them
Barry Andrews TD on where to start:
- Prepare, prepare, prepare
- Lobby the relevant TDs for the issue - also use your local representatives
- Identify the spokespeople for the issue in each party
- Then the relevant committees etc.
- Present the issue with case studies, statistics, facts and patterns etc.
- Keep it brief
- Keep the political context in mind e.g. local elections or what's going on in the government at the moment
- Present concrete actions and steps for politicians to take