Advocacy can take on different forms depending on the situation. The intention behind advocacy is to support or recommend solutions that will benefit someone or something. It can involve discussing ideas at a large event or in smaller gatherings among colleagues and friends. Regardless of the audience, advocacy should primarily focus on education and educating those around you. The educational aspect of advocacy allows people to be heard and understood, which helps build a stronger sense of community.
Generally, people tend to focus on ideas and issues that directly impact their lives. While this is understandable, it can lead to a disconnect within the community. If there are differing opinions about the issue that has the most impact on the community this is where the disconnect can begin. That’s why it is important for people to take the time to understand issues that might not directly impact their lives, in addition to those that do. In theory, when people have a better understanding of the issues throughout their community, they are better able to engage within it.
A quote from Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai that further emphasizes the importance of individual advocacy is, “When the world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” When individuals are educated on an issue or topic, they can share this information with others, leading to better-informed individuals and solutions for the community. Advocacy is important because it allows informed individuals to develop solutions for issues that will improve the lives of many individuals.
At LMM our advocacy focuses on listening to and leveraging the stories of LMM staff partners and program participants to help bring changes at a local, state, and national level. LMM’s current focus areas for 2024 include housing as a human right, providing returning citizens with second chances, and ending racism in all forms. While LMM does this work on a larger scale, everyone should take the time to learn more about the issues that are impact their community as well as our areas of focus. In turn this will lead to more advocates who are able to support solutions that will help their communities.