3.1 Mapping Key Stakeholders and Choosing the Right Engagement Strategies Effective advocacy starts with understanding who the key players are and how best to work with them. Different actors hold different kinds of influence, and CSOs can maximise their impact by tailoring strategies to each of them. This section outlines the main groups involved in nationality and statelessness issues, along with practical ways to work with them. 3.1.1 Persons and Communities With Lived Experience of Statelessness People who are stateless are experts in their own lives. Their stories reveal the real impact of lacking nationality and can make advocacy more powerful and relatable. CSOs should work closely with them and ensure their participation is ethical, meaningful, and safe. How to engage: invite stateless persons to contribute to advocacy campaigns, storytelling projects, and public events in ways they feel comfortable support their participation in decision-making spaces so their perspectives guide national and regional advocacy co-create solutions with them so reforms remain grounded in lived realities offer training and capacity building that equips stateless leaders to participate confidently at national, regional, and global levels RISK AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS FOR ENGAGING STATELESS PERSONS IN ADVOCACY: Working with stateless persons requires careful planning to avoid exposing them to harm. CSOs should: ensure informed consent by explaining the purpose of advocacy activities and the potential risks involved offer different levels of visibility, including anonymous storytelling, when public exposure could lead to retaliation. provide emotional support since sharing personal experiences can be distressing. make engagement inclusive by ensuring diverse participation, including women, children, persons with disabilities, migrants, and LGBTQ+ stateless persons. handle personal information responsibly and avoid publishing any details without explicit permission 3.1.2 Civil Society and Grassroots Organisations (CSOs) CSOs and grassroots group are essential partners in raising awareness, mobilising communities, and pushing for law and policy reform. They bring community insight and can build bottom-up pressure for change. 38