So we decided to go for the jugular and present a class action lawsuit against the HB Fuller Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. The German company, on seeing this, immediately stopped the production of solvent based glues in Central America and marketed a water based glue - which cannot be inhaled. We now have 4 lawsuits against the State of Honduras and 3 suits against the State of Guatemala in the Inter American Commission on Human Rights, part of the Organisation of American States. This is seemingly the only way to have governments change their ways - hit them in the pocket book and shame them in front of the world. This is allowed by the Constitution, but no-one has ever done it because of the scare factor.
Reprisals are very common.
We have developed an effective, international network of media contacts whom we keep informed and involved. Another 30 minute program will be shown on HBO next January. The media creates opinions, pressure and international shame on governments - all which help our work. I am suggesting here a working definition of public policy advocacy. This is a definition that gets modified during various Advocacy Institute capacity building sessions.