Advocacy with gloves on:

This paper examines the strategies used by some third sector organizations in Australia to advocate. The purpose of this paper is to identify the kinds of activities that organizations in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland use to promote advocacy, the kinds of language that is used to describe these activities, and the reasons given for the particular strategies adopted. The extent to which the organizations adopt “softer” (that is more institutional forms of advocacy) rather than more openly challenging forms of activism is examined, particularly in light of a neo-liberal political and economic environment. In this analysis emergent strategies are identified that are not easily categorised as either ‘institutional’ or ‘radical’ advocacy. The paper presents an exploratory analysis of some of the implications of the strategies adopted, in terms of their democratic effects and potential to strengthen the capacity of third sector organizations. The paper is informed by the findings of a qualitative research project involving interviews with 24 organizations in the community services and environmental fields.