Communicating our opinion, documenting our work, success stories and learning points can help position our organisations firmly within the civil society sector.

This article is particularly relevant as VOICE is one of the ten elements of Advancement that needs to be tapped into carefully in order to position your organisation for funding. Knowing your institutional viewpoint as well as managing your individual locus is key to external communication.

Have a read as she unpacks the following themes: Finding my voice; Finding our voice; Bringing voice; Receiving voice; Engaging voice; Ghost voice; Writing voice.

Introduction to article

Voices: the building blocks of social change by  Nomvula Dlamini Community  Development Resource Association March 2012

“If we don’t speak up, then no one will know we are here”. Rose Mapendo – Pushing the Elephant

Out of the diversity of “voices” we find the richness of conversations, and out of our rich conversations spring the relationships, ideas and impulses for change. We are social beings and it is through our many voices in many conversations that we are most social. How authentic voices are brought, received, engaged with and supported makes a  world of difference to the quality of conversation, to human engagement and to the contribution we each can make to  processes of change.

This small piece explores some thoughts about voice that I have  collected over the years, experiencing both my own voice and those  of others, and becoming more conscious of the power that  lies in voice.

Click here to download the complete article.