Advocacy International is a consulting company, based in London and Brooklyn. We work with clients to achieve their public interest and social responsibility goals, through communications, design, advocacy and policy development.
Our Approach
Public interest issues compete in a crowded space for attention. Initiatives and campaigns are launched – often at great expense – every day. Yet most fade away without ever achieving their goals.
We want to help your organisation cut through. To work with you, to frame and grow an initiative. To listen, learn, solve problems, produce creative assets and inspire action.
We will bring to your table a deep well of experience, insight and creativity – as well as technical expertise.
Above all, we are passionate in combining the utmost professionalism with an unflinching commitment to make the world a better place – for present and future generations. Whether it is helping you with an advocacy strategy that changes hearts and minds, or developing a more convincing policy framework for your future advocacy, Ai can help.
History
Ai was set up by Ann Pettifor and Janet Bush in 2004, in particular to defend the interests - through effective advocacy – of sovereign debtor governments. We felt that these governments were not making an effective case where it mattered: in rich, creditor countries.
Our first client was the Nigerian Finance Ministry, brilliantly led by Mrs Ngozi Okonjo Iweala. We helped Nigeria’s Debt Management Office develop advocacy strategies in Europe and Asia. With our support Nigeria achieved $18 billion of debt cancellation at the Paris Club in 2005. (See Mrs Okonjo Iweala’s testimonial here.)
Since then we have worked for a broad range of clients including local authorities, trades unions, governments, NGOs and charities. Their concerns are wide-ranging: AIDS , maternal survival; enhancing local government; the financial crisis; employment; public services; climate change; energy security – as well as sovereign debt.
Today the leadership team consists of Ann, Jeremy Smith, Director of Policy and Analysis and Maz Kessler, Creative Director. But Ai’s ethos remains the same: to use our advocacy, design, communications and policy skills to advance our clients’ public interest goals, and through them, tackle social and environmental injustice.
