Information activism trainer, Dirk Slater, will kick off his workshop series on "Effective Data Strategies for Activist and Advocacy Campaigns" here in Stroud on September 19.

The workshop will run from 10:00 to 4:00 and take place at The Exchange, Brick Row, Stroud.

This program will be offered at a special price of £25.

For more information, go to Dirk’s website, www.fabriders.net/data-strategy.

Dirk’s workshop will offer some very practical knowledge about utilising data in a variety of campaigning contexts. "What I really enjoy about conducting workshops on data is the opportunity to provide a focus for campaigners to think through exactly what they are trying accomplish and with whom. Today, data is everywhere, and pretty much everything

connected to social change is a data project. What's key is understanding how to get it, how to make it into useful information or evidence, and then make it accessible for individuals to interact with it."

Dirk, a Stroud resident, developed the training over two decades of working with social change campaigners in over 30 countries.

The training will be offered throughout the fall in a variety of locations, including London, New York and San Francisco.

Dirk has also assisted the long standing efforts of activists fighting for freedom of expression in Iran and Burma; single mom's on welfare in the United States gain a voice in policy debates around welfare reform; Sex Workers in India and Cambodia reduce police violence in their communities; HIV/AIDS activists in Kenya and Zambia improve

access to medications and treatment; and investigative journalists in Bratislava improve access to government data.

He is currently working on campaigns in Eastern Europe and with a global network of advocates seeking to improve the transparency and accountability of their national governments.

Dirk moved to Stroud in 2012 and has found it to be an inspirational home for his agency ‘FabRiders’.

"The amount of campaigning going on locally here in Stroud is amazing. When I first conceived of this workshop tour for FabRiders, it made so much sense to kick it off here in my own backyard before I take it on the road."

FabRiders develop effective information strategies for advocacy campaigns working towards greater institutional accountability and for the rights of marginalised communities.

They also offer programs leading to sustainable organisations and coalitions.

You can learn more about what we do at www.fabriders.net