28 May The Playbook: Politically Smart Advocacy

The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), in partnership with Christian Aid Ireland and fellow civil society organisations across Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, is proud to introduce the Politically Smart Advocacy Playbook — a practical resource designed to strengthen advocacy in fragile, restrictive, and rapidly changing environments.

The Playbook emerges at a critical moment when civic space continues to shrink globally, including in Zimbabwe. Across many contexts, freedoms of association, assembly, and expression are increasingly under pressure, while human rights defenders, grassroots organisers, and communities face growing restrictions, intimidation, and violence. In such environments, advocacy must be adaptable, strategic, and firmly rooted in the voices and priorities of communities.

Developed through the lived experiences and lessons of civil society actors working on governance, human rights, peacebuilding, gender equality, social accountability, and climate justice, the Playbook offers practical approaches for navigating complex political realities. It provides tools to analyse power dynamics, identify opportunities for influence, manage risks, build alliances, and remain effective even under pressure.

The resource is intended for civil society organisations, community-based organisations, grassroots movements, human rights defenders, faith-based organisations, youth groups, advocacy practitioners, and development actors seeking to strengthen their advocacy approaches in challenging contexts.

Importantly, Zimbabwean organisations including ZPP contributed directly to the development of the Playbook, sharing both successes and lessons learnt from advocacy work within Zimbabwe’s civic and political environment.

For ZPP, the Playbook is more than a guide, it is a conversation starter and a tool for collective reflection and action. Through this resource, ZPP seeks to support more inclusive, community-driven, politically aware, and safer advocacy that amplifies citizen voices and promotes democratic participation, accountability, peace, and human rights.

If you any quirries or require further engagement, please email us at zppinfo@myzpp.com