Advocacy - Institute for Community Progress

Institute for Community Progress – Sierra Leone

Each advocacy sector at the Institute for Community Progress is strategically anchored in the conviction that sustainable development is attainable only through the empowerment of communities and the establishment of accountable and responsive governance structures.

In pursuit of this mandate, ICP collaborates with citizens, civil society organizations, and institutional partners to advance a just, inclusive, and democratic Sierra Leone.

Our Pathways

Our Work and Advocacies

Advocacy is at the heart of the work carried out by the Institute for Community Progress (ICP), a nationally recognised organisation committed to promoting justice, equality, and inclusive governance in Sierra Leone.

In a society where systemic injustices, human rights abuses, and political disenfranchisement are widespread, advocacy acts as a powerful tool for empowering communities, shaping policy, and fostering sustainable change.

This page details ICP’s approach to advocacy, the various forms it takes, and how we collaborate with citizens, institutions, and stakeholders to create a more just and democratic Sierra Leone.

Whether you are a community leader, a development practitioner, or a concerned citizen, understanding advocacy is essential for building a more equitable society.

At the ICP-SL, we employ a multifaceted advocacy framework that recognises the diverse approaches needed to respond to the complex realities of human rights and social injustice. Our core advocacy types include:

  • Self-Advocacy: Supporting individuals, especially from marginalised groups, to speak up for their own rights through awareness, legal support, and empowerment programmes.
  • Group Advocacy: Facilitating collective action by communities, unions, women’s groups, and youth networks to address shared concerns and amplify their collective voice.
  • Systemic Advocacy: Engaging with government and institutional actors to reform policies, laws, and structures that perpetuate inequality and injustice.

Each of these approaches is contextually adapted to reflect local realities while aligning with national priorities and global human rights standards.

 

Our Role and Pathways to Effective Advocacy

At ICP, we view advocates as catalysts for change. An effective advocate must blend passion for justice with strategic skills, including communication, negotiation, legal literacy, policy analysis, and community engagement. Our training and mentorship programmes equip both staff and grassroots actors with the essential tools to: 

  • Identify rights violations, mobilise communities, engage with policymakers, and monitor the implementation of reforms.
  • The ICP’s field advocates often act as bridges between marginalised populations and decision-making structures, ensuring that community voices shape national policy.

Our advocacy process follows a structured approach that enhances both impact and accountability:

  1. Issue Identification: Assessing and prioritising rights-based concerns within communities.
  2. Research and Documentation: Collecting credible data and testimonies to support advocacy claims.
  3. Strategic Planning: Defining objectives, stakeholders, tactics, and timelines.
  4. Engagement and Action: Implementing campaigns, public dialogues, legal actions, and media engagement.
  5. Monitoring and Evaluation: Measuring outcomes and adapting strategies to improve impact.

This cycle allows ICP to remain adaptive, responsive, and focused on long-term change.

Read more

Challenges in Sierra Leone

Advocacy in Sierra Leone is a vital but often fragile endeavour. While it acts as a powerful tool for social justice and democratic accountability, it is frequently met with considerable resistance and systemic barriers.

The Institute for Community Progress (ICP) operates within a complex socio-political environment where advocating for rights and justice demands not only cultural and technical expertise but also resilience and institutional integrity and solidarity.
Advocates working on politically sensitive issues—such as electoral reform, corruption, land rights, and labour rights—often face intimidation, surveillance, and reprisals.

In some cases, community-based advocates and whistleblowers encounter harassment, arbitrary detention, or public vilification. The politicisation of state institutions, including law enforcement, can also discourage legitimate advocacy and activism. This environment creates a climate of fear that suppresses citizen engagement and undermines accountability.

In recent years, there has been a gradual reduction of civic space, characterised by regulatory pressures on civil society organisations (CSOs), restrictions on public gatherings, and restrictive media laws. Human rights defenders, journalists, and grassroots organisations often face bureaucratic obstacles, such as:

  • Excessive requirements for NGO registration and operations
  • Censorship or closure of independent media outlets
  • State surveillance of digital communications

These limitations hinder democratic participation and weaken the institutional voice of civil society in public debate and policy-making.

Resource Constraints and Inadequate Legal Protections

 

Many advocacy initiatives face significant financial and logistical challenges, which restrict ongoing engagement, outreach, and legal actions. Smaller community-based organisations, in particular, often lack access to funding, technical expertise, and legal support. Additionally, there is a shortage of strong legal protections for human rights defenders and public interest advocates. Existing legal frameworks do not always provide adequate safeguards against retaliation, nor do they enable effective redress for those whose rights are infringed upon during their advocacy activities.

ICP-SL
ICP-SL
ICP-SL
ICP-SL
Donate to a just cause