STOP AIDS NOW! lobbies on different levels. Formally, for example by writing a letter or offering a petition to a minister. Informally; by talking to or advising decision-makers. As well as semi-formally, for example by being a member, as an NGO, of a government working group. Finally, STOP AIDS NOW! actively supports lobby activities of others.
A practical example
In this section of the website we will set out one of our lobby activities. It is a good example of how lobby can be a powerful strategy in the fight against AIDS.
Putting Social Protection on the political agenda
To date, 12 million children in Africa have already lost one or both parents due to AIDS. This number is expected to increase substantially in the years to come. The customary care of these children in the extended family is evermore becoming difficult due to the increasing number of orphans and persistent poverty, which is likely to continue in each subsequent generation. Sheltering these children in orphanages is often undesirable and is in most African countries financially impossible. In Africa, the Millennium Development Goals will not be attained with the means presently available: if policies remain as they are, the number of people living on less than $ 1 a day may even increase to 366 million in 2015. AIDS hits the income of families directly as the working generation becomes ill and also erodes traditional care structures between generations.
Writing a Manifesto on Social Protection
In 2007 STOP AIDS NOW!, AWEPA, UNICEF and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) wrote a manifesto on social protection and vulnerable children in Africa. In this manifesto they appealed to the Dutch Government to include Social Protection in the strategy to make up the arrears in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The four stages of lobby
Political debate & manifesto
STOP AIDS NOW!, AWEPA, IAVI, and the UNICEF National Committee of the Netherlands, organised a political hearing and debate in the Dutch Senate in The Hague entitled: “Future for Africa, Invest in Children”. With this event we aimed to stimulate the upscaling of parliamentary efforts regarding children and AIDS in Africa. The focus of the political hearing and debate was on the supporting instrument of Social Protection in order to diminish the vulnerability of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Africa. There were presentations by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, various politicians, DFID, STOP AIDS NOW!, IAVI and UNICEF Zimbabwe. After the debate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu presented the “Manifesto for Social Protection of vulnerable children in Africa” to the Dutch minister of Development Cooperation.
General Political Review
Following this hearing and debate, STOP AIDS NOW!, IAVI, AWEPA and UNICEF lobbied for Social Protection to be included in the General Debates. The efforts paid of as the MP Arie Slob from the Christian Union made sure Social Protection was included in the Debates.
Motion
After the General Debates STOP AIDS NOW!, IAVI, AWEPA and UNICEF met with MP Joel Voordewind from the Christian Union to 
discuss the matter of Social Protection as an effective instrument to support Orphans and Vulnerable Children. He proposed a motion on Social Protection which was accepted.
Results
This all led to the fact that Social Protection has been included in the policy plans of the Minister of Development Cooperation. Besides that, an extra five million Euros were granted for activities regarding Social Protection of OVC in Africa in 2008.
What’s next?
We are very happy with the results. However, a big challenge remains. For Social Protection to be effective, it needs to be structural. This means we need to lobby for sustainable financial support to Social Protection, and the inclusion of Social Protection in long-term plans. The first steps are taken but there is still a lot of work to be done.
