Consolidate your information

By now, you would have gathered a lot of information and you need to start consolidating it. One of the best ways to do this is by writing it down.

Don’t worry too much about what the writing looks like at this stage. The most important thing is to have a fairly good written overview of the following topics:

• Main problem or concern: brief overview of the main problem, what the impact of this is and why it is important.

• Background and political context: overview of the factors leading to this situation and important considerations about the social environment you are working in.

• Possible solutions: an overview of what could be done to address the situation.

• Possible allies and youth platforms to support your issue: a list of other young people and organisation you can collaborate with or learn from.

• Key activities: what you think will be needed to achieve your goal, including the main actors who need to be involved.

Now that you’ve written down what you’ve found out, have a look at the sort of approach you would like to take in your advocacy.