Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) has launched a new advocacy guide aimed at helping activists and community groups navigate increasingly restrictive operating environments while pushing for policy and social change.
ZPP unveiled the Politically Smart Advocacy Playbook on Tuesday, describing it as a practical resource designed to strengthen advocacy efforts in contexts marked by shrinking civic space, political tensions and security risks.
Speaking at the launch, ZPP National Director, Perlagia Kapuya, said the playbook was developed in response to growing challenges facing civil society organisations and human rights defenders.
She said many organisations were operating in environments where freedoms of association, assembly and expression were increasingly under pressure, exposing activists and grassroots organisers to harassment, intimidation and violence.
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“The Playbook is not meant to sit on a shelf. It is meant to be used, tested, adapted, and challenged,” Ms Kapuya said.
“It is a resource born of struggle, refined through reflection, and offered in solidarity.”
The guide was developed through collaboration between civil society organisations from Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, drawing on lessons from groups working in politically sensitive and conflict-affected settings.
Zimbabwean organisations that contributed to its development include the Zimbabwe Election Law Observatory, Women and Law in Southern Africa and Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, alongside partners from Colombia, Sierra Leone, Guatemala and El Salvador.
According to Kapuya, the launch sought to familiarise stakeholders with the resource, gather feedback from practitioners and encourage discussions on improving advocacy strategies in governance, human rights and service delivery sectors.
She said “politically smart advocacy” involved understanding power dynamics, political realities, timing, risks and opportunities, as well as how decisions are made in practice.
“Effective advocacy is not only about policy proposals, but about understanding the environment in which change happens and identifying the most strategic pathways to influence decision-making,” she said.
Kapuya urged organisations to adapt the playbook to local contexts, strengthen community ownership of advocacy initiatives and build broad-based coalitions while carefully managing risks.
The launch brought together civil society representatives and development partners for discussions on how advocacy efforts can be made more effective, inclusive and secure amid increasingly complex political environments.
Organisers said the playbook is expected to serve as a practical guide for organisations working to advance governance, human rights and development objectives while responding to evolving political realities.
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