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Vulnerable Groups Protection and Rights for Advocacy: From the Perspectives...
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Vulnerable Groups Protection and Rights for Advocacy: From the Perspectives of Community-Based Policy Making and Initiatives

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 2718

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Cristóbal Fernández-Muñoz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Theories and Analysis of Communication, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: social networks; communication; digital citizenship; public relations; diversity; young people; emerging societal questions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advocacy is a mechanism to secure the rights and represent the interests of, as well as obtain the appropriate services needed for, vulnerable groups, so as to ensure dignity and promote inclusion, equality, and social justice (Action for Advocacy, 2002: 2). All models of advocacy share a theoretical commitment to social justice and a methodological activism that has been explained as ‘an idea that mobilises people to act in order to bring about change’ (Newman and Yeates, 2008: 2). At a community level, advocacy has been a valuable tool used by various stakeholders—from individual community members to community-based organisations—to address issues experienced by vulnerable groups within the communities they serve, as well as the diverse, multi-layered, and ever changing social, political, economic, and cultural context this work takes place in. This Special Issue aims to explore this dynamic and illuminate the protection of vulnerable groups and their rights for advocacy, from the perspectives of community-based policy making and initiatives. We are interested in the ways that community initiatives and grassroots PAR approaches have been employed to provide rights-based support for vulnerable groups in various contexts, and how these may be used to inform further social policy change based on vulnerable groups' protection and rights.

Suggested topics include:

  • Conceptualising advocacy/theories of advocacy;
  • Advocacy and the decision-making processes;
  • Working with communities to identify and offer rights-based support;
  • Co-producing knowledge of advocacy needs with vulnerable communities;
  • Creative methods and rights-based advocacy;
  • Grassroots Participatory Action Advocacy Research with vulnerable groups;
  • The needs and experiences of different models of advocacy within community contexts;
  • Advocacy and community organising;
  • Translating advocacy knowledge transfer translation outcomes to policy;
  • Community-based advocacy;
  • Statutory-based advocacy.

In this Special Issue, contributions must take the form of either papers, articles, conceptual papers or reviews, and address the topic herein stated.

Prof. Dr. Cristóbal Fernández-Muñoz
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as conceptual papers are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • community/community initiatives
  • self-organizing
  • advocacy
  • participatory action research
  • un/hidden voices
  • vulnerability
  • marginalization/exclusion
  • rights-based action
  • transformation
  • agency
  • dignity

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 12857 KiB  
Article
Data Are Power: Addressing the Power Imbalance Around Community Data with the Open-Access Data4HumanRights Curriculum
by Monika Kuffer, Dana R. Thomson, Dianne Wakonyo, Nicera Wanjiru Kimani, Divyani Kohli-Poll Jonker, Enyo Okoko, Rasak Toheeb, Bisola Akinmuyiwa, Mohammed Zanna, Dezyno Imole and Andrew Maki
Societies 2025, 15(2), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15020029 - 3 Feb 2025
Viewed by 695
Abstract
Data4HumanRights’ training materials have been developed as open-source and tailored to limited-resource settings, where community data collectors often live and work. Access to training on data collection, analysis, and visualisation to support the advocacy of vulnerable groups is essential, particularly in the context [...] Read more.
Data4HumanRights’ training materials have been developed as open-source and tailored to limited-resource settings, where community data collectors often live and work. Access to training on data collection, analysis, and visualisation to support the advocacy of vulnerable groups is essential, particularly in the context of increasing human rights challenges such as land rights, adequate housing, conflicts, and climate justice. This paper provides an overview of how the training materials were co-developed with community data collectors in Nigeria and Kenya, offering insights into the fundamental principles (i.e., inclusiveness, adaptive, limited resources, and being gender- and incentive-sensitive) and the structure of the open-access training materials. The development process resulted in 28 modules, each designed to be delivered in a face-to-face format in less than one day by a local trainer. To maximize adaptivity, the training modules can be mixed and matched (e.g., as individual modules or a learning path of several modules around a specific training need). The individual modules cover a range of methods and tools that are useful to human rights work and community advocacy, e.g., documenting evictions, performing rapid needs assessments after acute crises, community profiling, and monitoring community development indicators. The training materials contain instructions for the training facilitator(s) and all necessary training materials. To ensure inclusivity, the training covers both basic and advanced topics, with most modules designed to address basic needs that can be followed using a mobile phone, thereby avoiding the need for computers or printed handouts. The training results in Nigeria and Kenya showcase applications, including mapping waste problems and addressing forced evictions. Trained community groups produced maps of waste piles to prioritize community actions, such as finding space for urban agriculture, and conducted rapid needs assessments during a massive eviction. This approach helps reduce power imbalances and empowers community groups to effectively manage and utilise their own data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerable Groups Protection and Rights for Advocacy: From the Perspectives of Community-Based Policy Making and Initiatives)
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17 pages, 4164 KiB  
Article
Assessing Compliance with Indigenous Self-Determination Standards: A Comparative Analysis of Chile, Colombia, and Mexico
by Martha Angélica Ramírez Salazar, Omar Alejandro Guirette Barbosa, Selene Castañeda-Burciaga, Leticia I. García Estrada, Juvenal Villanueva-Maldonado and José M. Celaya-Padilla
Societies 2024, 14(11), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14110218 - 25 Oct 2024
Viewed by 857
Abstract
Recent advancements have been observed in the global legal framework, particularly in the recognition of Indigenous peoples’ rights, among which the right to self-determination stands out. This right encompasses the ability to define their political status and to pursue economic, social, and cultural [...] Read more.
Recent advancements have been observed in the global legal framework, particularly in the recognition of Indigenous peoples’ rights, among which the right to self-determination stands out. This right encompasses the ability to define their political status and to pursue economic, social, and cultural development autonomously. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has identified six criteria to evaluate adherence to these rights. This study aims to assess the progress made by Chile, Colombia, and Mexico in meeting these criteria. Employing a non-experimental, cross-sectional, and exploratory research design, the study utilized a questionnaire based on a Likert scale to gather data from residents of Indigenous communities within the three countries under consideration to measure the perception that these individuals have regarding the compliance with the six standards of the IACHR, and specific questions have been designed based on the content of each standard. Once the degree of self-determination is understood, a multivariate analysis technique (Principal Component Analysis) will be used to compare the level of progress by country. The data collection instruments were applied in 2023 (September/November), with the results processed and the final report drafted in early 2024. Findings suggest that the criterion most adequately met is that of cultural identity and non-discrimination, whereas the criterion pertaining to the right to prior, free, and informed consultation and consent is the least fulfilled. Through principal component analysis, it was noted that Colombia exhibits a higher level of compliance with the right to self-determination, followed by Mexico, with Chile demonstrating a divergence and lagging in progress. The study concludes that a significant challenge for these countries lies in continuing efforts to effectively meet these standards and ensure the right to self-determination for Indigenous and tribal peoples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerable Groups Protection and Rights for Advocacy: From the Perspectives of Community-Based Policy Making and Initiatives)
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