Reimagining policy and advocacy – an anti-racist, decolonial approach: Introducing This is the Work

Bond, Peace Direct, and the Advocacy Team have created a new set of resources and findings focused on advancing anti-racist and decolonial approaches in international policy and advocacy.

Our aim is to reshape how policies are developed, implemented and advocated for to inspire transformative change across the sector. 

During Black History Month in the UK, alongside the 140th anniversary of the infamous Berlin Conference, which saw Africa formally carved up into European colonies, and following the recent UK race riots, we are reminded once again how vital it is to continue the work of racial justice and equity, including the role that reparations can play.

In recent years, conversations around anti-racism, racial justice, decolonisation and locally-led development have gained momentum in the international development, humanitarian and peacebuilding sectors. In large part, these conversations target programme or communication leads or CEOs and senior leadership, but rarely focus on policy and advocacy.

This is a huge gap. Policy and advocacy teams within international charities have a lot of potential influence on power-holders and organisational leadership, but too often they are disengaged, face other barriers or do not know what to do to further anti-racist and decolonial approaches. Our project, This is the Work – a collaboration between Bond, Peace Direct and supported by the Advocacy Team –  – aims to bridge this gap. Adopting anti-racist and decolonial approaches is not an additional task or checkbox for compliance; it is the fundamental work that policy and advocacy professionals should be doing as part of their daily responsibilities to advance the demands and voices of marginalised communities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). 

Why policy and advocacy staff?

Policy and advocacy leads are frequently the main touchpoint between their organisations and decision makers, such as government officials and parliamentarians. As such, they are well positioned to address some of the core structural changes needed in our sector. 

However, this part of the sector is often disproportionately privileged and white, and its internalised biases about ‘how advocacy is done’ are having an outsized impact on long-term strategies, policies, and even laws. Their position and influence can have a harmful effect, for example, by creating a barrier between decision makers and communities in LMICs or by perpetuating colonial mindsets and terminology.

A significant problem is the assumption within international charities that aligning with government rhetoric  – for example, ‘Global Britain’ or  championing UK ‘leadership’ – and avoiding topics like racism or decolonisation is necessary to gain credibility or access. This assumption discourages open conversations and silences important ones. To tackle systemic racism in international development, we must ask ourselves who benefits from this strategy, whose voices are amplified, who holds power and who remains silenced? 

Rooted in evidence: listening to communities and understanding

Over the last year, we convened a group of policy and advocacy staff to consider what it would take to adopt a new approach. Our initial meeting for This is the Work had an overwhelming response, with over 100 policy and advocacy staff from across the sector signing up. From this, we formed a temporary working group to agree what the initiative’s outputs should be. 

We wanted to ensure that our work was informed by and rooted in evidence and lived experiences by interviewing diaspora and LMIC voices about what they wanted to see change in how UK INGOs conduct policy and advocacy. Their message was clear: they wanted marginalised voices to be fully included and consulted, and they called for the sector to acknowledge and address the power imbalances that too often exclude them. As one interviewee said, 

“It boils down to commitment – there is no sincere commitment as it will mean people reconciling with racist and colonial history and I don’t think anyone is ready to be doing that.”

From the outset, we understood the importance of reaching agreement around key concepts in the context of policy and advocacy work, such as ‘decolonisation’, ‘equity’ and ‘anti-racism’. This clarity was not just a procedural step; it was essential for grounding our work and enabling productive conversations. By establishing a common language, we were able to move beyond theoretical discussions, which later fed into the  practical framework we have created for policy and advocacy professionals. 

Developing the resources: Co-creating change

On the guidance of our working group, we also surveyed policy and advocacy staff to understand the shared barriers to genuine change. Our findings, based on detailed responses from 40 participants across Bond’s membership, found that while 68% thought their organisation is actively working to address or reverse the historic and unequal power dynamics that exist in policy, advocacy and research work, the majority also felt pushback from peers in the INGO sector against them speaking about these issues. This resistance was due to fear of losing influence or engagement with political targets. One survey respondent described an, 

“ingrained conversation in much of the sector”, which they said “often prevails despite recent professed commitments to anti-racism and decolonisation”.

To round out the evidence, we organised a confidential  – and therefore frank  – roundtable attended by advocacy leads and three influential current or former decision makers (including senior officials and parliamentarians) with diverse perspectives on the question of decolonisation, anti-racism and development. There, we heard about the need to connect the rhetoric around decolonisation with real examples of shifts we need to see, and discussed the potential role of reparations.

All these findings have informed the innovative new framework that we have created, which organisations can use to implement more equitable practices in their day-to-day policy and advocacy work. It can also help make the case for change internally, recognising the very real barriers many face when trying to shift established practices. This allows policy and advocacy staff to better guide the development of policies that reflect their daily realities, to create a more lasting impact.

On the suggestion of Bond members, we have also compiled a list of potential responses to frequently asked questions, which individuals can use to push back against some of the most common resistance to advocating for a truly decolonial and anti-racist approach. An often-expressed barrier is the assumption that an organisation’s relationship with policy and political influencers will be put at risk if it starts using ‘radical’ terms like decolonisation.  The language and definitions in our framework are useful for navigating this concern as it encourages staff to use anti-racist and decolonial terms confidently and responsibly. 

Why This is the Work matters

This is the Work is a useful, interactive step-by-step guide to help policy and advocacy teams embed a different approach to working and address the common barriers to change. 

We encourage you to use the resources to start this conversation in your team and within your organisation through active engagement and genuine commitment. By focusing on these influential but often under-supported roles, and grounding our approach in the voices of those impacted by systemic racism, we hope to advance to a more inclusive and equitable sector which is transformative and accountable  –one that is truly decolonised and anti-racist, based on solidarity not charity, which seeks to redress the ongoing imbalances and injustices of history.