SOS Children’s Villages: Rediscovering advocacy to increase relevance and impact. A high-level case study

Abstract

SOS Children’s Village had engaged in advocacy in the very early days (1950s) but later began to focus on service provision, largely disconnecting it from the professional discourse. By the late 1990s, the organization expanded into over 100 countries. Despite doing excellent work as service provider, the organization felt the threat of being of little relevance, losing support and recognition. The organization had to rediscover how to engage in advocacy as integral part of its mission. Missing elements in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child offered the chance to convince internal and external public of the need of SOS Children’s Villages to engage in advocacy. Today, SOS Children’s Villages are an essential advocate for 550,000 children directly and 220 million children indirectly.