News | 2025-01-14
The Gambia Hosts Regional Advocacy Workshop to Strengthen Coastal Resilience
From December 3 to 6, 2024, The Gambia hosted a regional training workshop on advocacy under the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program (WACA) initiative. Organized by UICN/WACA BAR, the event brought together communication and institutional development specialists from nine coastal countries. The primary goal was to build capacity and craft strategies to protect critical ecosystems and support vulnerable coastal communities.
Participants engaged in four days of intensive training on advocacy concepts and strategy development tailored to the unique challenges of their countries. The program covered essential components such as SMART objectives, SWOT and PESTEL analyses, and stakeholder mapping. Through interactive presentations, case studies, group exercises, and simulations, attendees enhanced their expertise in strategic communication and negotiation.
One of the workshop's key outcomes was the creation of country-specific advocacy campaigns, complete with actionable plans and key messages. At the regional level, participants collaboratively outlined a communication plan aimed at mobilizing additional funding and expanding WACA's reach to more countries. Feedback on the workshop was overwhelmingly positive, with participants highlighting the practical insights and collaborative exchanges.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Mallé Diagana, Interim Coordinator of WACA BAR, stressed the importance of sustained advocacy to protect coastal communities and ecosystems. “Collaboration among countries and stakeholders will be vital to addressing growing environmental challenges and sustaining the achievements of the WACA project,” he noted.
The Regional Network of Marine Protected Areas in West Africa (RAMPAO), a critical player in marine and coastal conservation, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting these initiatives. By promoting sustainable governance of coastal areas, RAMPAO aims to ensure the long-term resilience and well-being of West Africa's coastal regions for future generations.
Participants’ testimonials
“This training has enabled us, beyond grasping the basic concepts of advocacy, to understand that it involves iterative policies and actions aimed at defending a cause and persuading decision-makers to support it.” — Mamadou Diallo, Social Safeguard Specialist, WACA Senegal
“During the four days, the trainer successfully engaged WACA’s communication specialists and partners, ensuring a solid understanding of advocacy and its approaches to preparing effective advocacy strategies. The numerous exercises during the training aimed precisely at helping participants draft an advocacy strategy by the end of the workshop.” — Birome Gueye, Communication Specialist, WACA Mauritania
“This training will help me better structure my arguments as advocacy to mobilize decision-makers. I learned new tips in strategic communication and also leave with concrete tools to effectively act, especially to raise awareness about coastal erosion in WACA countries.” — Kuessi Giraud Togbé, Communication Officer, RAMPAO