Advocacy

Advocacy is speaking in behalf of others

A friend seeks to help children by advocating for their rights. She speaks before local and school officials, police officers, media personnel, and parents about the needs and rights of children. As an advocate, she uses her social capital, talents, resources, contacts to promote the interest of individuals or groups who can not effectively represent themselves before certain other groups.

It goes without saying that advocates must know what they are talking about - not just theory or assumptions, but practical knowledge derived from prolonged interaction with the people they seek to represent - facts, actual living conditions, expressed desires, needs and preferences. Advocates do not impose their own views, insights or decisions. Sure, they dialogue with the individuals or communities they "represent", but only the latter can decide for themselves and he has to respect their decision.

Advocates ideally should have a social contract with the people they speak for, so that their “representation” would be legitimate. Some sectors, such as children or nature in general, may not be able to consciously engage with advocates, marginalized communities or people’s organizations need to give consent for representatives to speak for them.

There is also the assumption that the people represented by the advocate can't effectively present their case in a certain platform or venue. In courts of law, lawyers serve as advocates of their clients. In mass and social media, advocates can effectively create and convey messages.

Christians believe that no one is capable of justifying his own salvation “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. They have one pure, sinless advocate in Jesus Christ, who can vouch for them.

Who will you advocate for? Do you have their permission to speak for them?