At the beginning identify one/ two issues to address at a time, those will be in sync with the mission of both UNASF and UN Women. This would ensure focus&direction emerging for way forward.
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Identify issues in sync with the mission of the organization and UN Women. For eg. Women’s empowerment, gender discrimination could be taken as a reference point. Based on these, the target groups could be asked to produce key messages, which can then be open to voting, with the best ones sent to the UN Women. The choice of issues to write about should ideally be done by the steering group to avoid multiple ideas floating around thereby losing focus.
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Identify core audiences- I see that groups have been divided into women, men, youth&senior citizens. I would address the groups separately through peer approach.
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Invite them and/or go to groups which encompass my core audiences- for eg. if I want the senior citizen’s group to come up with a message,I would target old age homes, senior citizen groups, wherever possible and hold focus group discussions with them.
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Also share any background information in the form of written communications materials-brochures, leaflets etc, to let people know of the project. There could also be the same done via the online discussion board.
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Apart from inviting people to contribute through the online site, I would look at appointing a volunteer to compile the group discussion points and upload them on the site with due credits to the person. This way we would get more entries and ideas.
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A volunteer could also monitor the social media pages so as to incorporate messages coming via that media.
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Look at any possible events, whether sponsored, through invites, to reach out to the community at large and the target groups.
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After the initial ideas emerge locally we can look at international volunteers who can spread the word in their countries via social media and/or local events. For example, I have recently become actively involved with my local Rotaract club&when something concrete emerges, I would with the team’s permission look at linking the groups.
