O.Y.S.U.

2017 Action Plan

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Table of Contents

-Introduction..p. 3
-Advocacy. p. 4-5
-Capacity Building.p. 5-8
Communication
Training and Leadership Development
Recruitment, Outreach, and Retention
-Accountabilityp. 8
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Introduction

This document outlines the activities and actions designed for OYSU branches around the world
to implement until the next world wide conference. This action plan focuses on capacity building
and advocacy. Ensuring that OYSU is present and engaged in the conversations around Human
Rights both nationally and internationally is fundamental, this is why advocacy is at the core of
this action plan. Equally as important for OYSU is to enhance and continue to build out systems
to ensure the sustainability of the organization. The entire document highlights specific goals
and activities for both local branches and Worldwide board to implement for the upcoming
years.

The first section of this document focuses on advocacy. This section provides a clear definition
of what advocacy is and a list of ongoing activities and events that every local branch should
conduct. The second section focuses on capacity building, training and leadership development.
The third section focuses on ensuring that both local branches and Worldwide board work
together to fulfill this action plan.

Each local branch is required to develop a local action plan containing the following:
1. A minimum of 2 ongoing Advocacy activities
2. A minimum of 2 Awareness events (one of them being commemoration of Ogaden
Massacre Day)
3. A minimum of 2 trainings or workshops to enhance leadership and capacity building
4. Any additional activities or events local branches would like to conduct (based on their
own initiative)

Please carefully read the following to get a more in depth understanding of the Action Plan.
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I. Advocacy

In this section, we have attempted to define advocacy, we have further detailed a range of
Advocacy actions to be taken forward by OYSU Branches. A more detailed guide on how to
effectively carry out each of the suggested advocacy activities will be available for branches to
use.

What is advocacy?

Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group which aims to influence decisions within political,
economic, and social systems and institutions.

OYSU Advocacy Activities:

Each OYSU branch is required to conduct a minimum of 2 on going advocacy activities and
2 awareness events per year. Below are recommended activities and events to select from.

On going activities
1. Media campaigns; Using pictures, short videos, hashtags etc
2. Publishing/conducting research
3. Lobbying (seeking to influence an organization to support our cause, a politician, an
influential person etc through direct contact)
4. Facilitating civic engagement; organizing community events to raise our concerns
whilst inviting lawmakers and other influential members in the community

Awareness Events
1. Ogaden Massacre Day (Mandatory)
2. Awareness events at universities and schools (stalls, booths, bake sales, teach ins,
classroom lectures/ presentations).
3. Awareness walk
4. Attend conferences related to human rights
5. Any other events related to Advocacy and Awareness

OYSU branches are encouraged to use their own discretion in prioritizing what sort of advocacy
activities to focus on. For instance, branches in Canada ought to focus on the Bashir Makhtal
campaign and issues surrounding false imprisonment and torture as this resonates with the
political atmosphere in the country. Similarly, branches in Europe could strengthen their
relationship with UNPO whom they have already built a relationship with through working on
issues surrounding violence against women in the Ogaden in the European Union.
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Goal: Increase OYSU advocacy and awareness activities.

What steps must be taken in order to Deadline

accomplish this goal?

OYSU local branches must identify a minimum of February 1, 2017- Local branches will send their
2 ongoing activities and 2 awareness events to local action plan to Worldwide board.
implement for the year.

II. Capacity Building

Capacity building is the process of developing and strengthening the skills, abilities,
processes, and resources needed to bring an organization to the next level of
operational, programmatic, financial, or organizational maturity, so it may more
effectively and efficiently advance its mission into the future. Capacity building is not a
one-time effort to improve short-term effectiveness, but a continuous improvement
strategy toward the creation of a sustainable and effective organization1. In order for
O.Y.S.U. to increase its impact it is imperative that the organization begin to enhance
formalized systems. In the upcoming years O.Y.S.U. will focus on the following:
1) Communication
2) Training and leadership development
3) Recruitment, outreach, and engagement

Communication

As an international organization with various branches around the world it is important for
O.Y.S.U. to enhance its communication infrastructures between all the members around the
world as well as external communications with various audiences.

Goal: Enhance internal communications among all OYSU members.

What steps must be taken in order to Deadline

accomplish this goal?

OYSU Worldwide board will create an March 1, 2017- Identify and purchase platform.
online calendar to help coordinate all

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National Council of Nonprofits
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events around the world. April 1, 2017- Begin inputting events into the
calendar and make live on the website.

Enhance and revamp the yahoo email
group. This platform should be used to
engage members in debates, trainings,
workshops, and increase information
sharing.
March 1, 2017- Create a team of 3-4 members
to manage the group.
April 1, 2017- Develop guidelines of how to
manage the group and begin adding members

May 1, 2017- Begin using the group.

OYSU Worldwide board will meet with January 1, 2017 - June , 2017 - Have initial
local branch leaders via phone meeting with every branch.
conference, skype, or in person a
minimum of two times a year. July 1, 2017- December 1, 2017- Have second
meeting with every branch.

Goal: Enhance external communications and marketing.

What steps must be taken in order to Deadline

accomplish this goal?

Enhance utilization of social media, such March 1, 2017- Create a team of 2-4 members to
as Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and create a comprehensive social media strategic
Facebook. plan.

April 1, 2017- Begin implementing the social

media plan.

Relaunch the OYSU website and March 1, 2017- Create a team of 2-4 individuals to
enhance the content and consistency of develop a strategic plan for enhancing the website
the website. and to be content creators to write articles and blog
posts.

May 1, 2017- Relaunch the website

Develop a monthly OYSU newsletter to March 1, 2017 - Create a team of 1-3 individuals to
inform members and supporters about develop the newsletter
upcoming OYSU activities, important
news, and achievements. May 1, 2017- Launch newsletter

Develop a media toolkit of talking points May 1, 2017- Create the toolkit.
for all branches to be able to use for
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external communications. (media and June 1, 2017- Begin trainings on the talking points
abaabul) and disperse toolkit to all members.

Training and Leadership Development

Goal: Enhance the leadership skills of all OYSU members.

What steps must be taken in order Deadline

to accomplish this goal?

Develop an OYSU introduction May 1, 2017- Create toolkit for new OYSU members
package for every new OYSU branch
or new OYSU member. June 1, 2017 - Create toolkit for new OYSU
branches.

Provide general educational seminars January 1, 2017- December 31, 2017- A minimum of
for all members. 5 webinar trainings will be conducted for all members
by Worldwide board.

January 1, 2017- December 31, 2017- A minimum of

2 workshops will be conducted for all members within
a branch by local branch leaders.

Each member of Worldwide board is January 1, 2017- December 31, 2017- Worldwide
required to train members of local board will have bimonthly meetings with their groups.
branches based on their respective
positions/responsibilities. January 1, 2017- December 31, 2017-Worldwide
board will provide a minimum of two trainings per year
for their groups.

Recruitment, Outreach, and Retention

Goal: Increase and maintain OYSU branches and members around the world.

What steps must be taken in order Deadline

to accomplish this goal?

Use an online database for March 1, 2017- Identify and purchase platform.
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membership management.
March 1, 2017- Begin collecting membership
information from local branches.

April 1, 2017- Begin inputting members into the

database and create member groups.

OYSU worldwide board will create a May 1, 2017 - Create the plan and disperse to local
strategic plan for increasing OYSU branches.
branches and membership.

III. Accountability

Goal: ensuring the goals of the action plan are fulfilled by both local branches and
Worldwide board

What steps must be taken in order to Deadline

accomplish this goal?

Regional conferences Summer 2017

Local branches must submit two reports June 1, 2017- First report
annually to the Worldwide board to check
in on the progress of the local action plans. December 31, 2017- Second report

Worldwide board must send all members December 31, 2017

an annual report.