Advocacy, campaigning, lobbying: Good or bad?

Advocacy is a strong tool to bring about changes and improvements in society. Healthcare advocacy is increasing globally. Objectives of advocacy, formulation of message, and proper analysis of conflicts of opinion and interests are mandatory for designing an advocacy campaign. Both short- and long-term outcomes should be discussed and planned before starting a project. The methodology may be extremely important in defining the outcome of a project. Good or bad advocacy is dependent upon objectives and outcomes of a project. There could be multiple stakeholders relating to an advocacy campaign. Collaboration with stakeholders is a must for any successful campaign but roles should be well-thought out and discussed. This interaction and collaboration is called lobbying. It is an integral part and important component of advocacy. The dangers of advocacy include increased intensity of conflicts and counter-advocacy.