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“In a busy advocacy environment, it can be hard to get cut through with government.”
That’s one of the key reflections from our Executive Director of Government Relations and Policy, Hayley Stone, following her participation in a recent leadership and advocacy workshop run by Australian Progress.
Hayley was selected as part of a small group of changemakers from across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia to take part in the four-day program, which focused on building campaigns that create real change.
Bringing together people working across health, disability, workers’ rights and environmental advocacy, the workshop combined practical tools with shared learning. Participants explored how to strengthen advocacy through leadership, strategy and storytelling, and had the opportunity to put this into practice by developing campaigns from scratch in small teams.
The program draws on the work of Professor Marshall Ganz, a leading expert in community organising, and applies global best practice to the Australian context.
For Hayley, the experience offered both practical insight and a broader perspective:
“This workshop really reinforced that while passion is important, it needs to be backed by strong leadership and a clear strategy.”
She also reflected on the value of learning alongside others:
“Hearing from people working across different sectors, what worked, what didn’t, and what they’d do differently, was incredibly valuable.”
These learnings come at an important time for Deafness Forum Australia. They will help strengthen our ongoing advocacy, including our work to improve access to cochlear sound processors for people over 65, and our collaboration with Sensory Partners Australia.
As Hayley shared, “It’s given me a lot to think about in terms of how we approach our next steps, and how we can build even stronger campaigns for our community.”
