A problem arises, someone complains, people say to fix things, and then it dies off somewhere. Rinse and repeat of this cycle are a common thing in society. But there are times when this cycle is broken by someone who is wanting to make a change and is willing to put in the sweat equity to make it happen. Before they even know it, their journey as an advocate has begun. Their story then inspires others to get involved to make a change in their own community, and with it comes the question of, “How do I make a change?” The answer is that everyone’s path to their advocacy journey is different.
How it Starts
The path for everyone can generally start with the same thing – an issue and inspiration. This issue is usually something that impacts you directly, your community, or someone you know. It brings this inspiration and desire to fix the problem and better the situation. Essentially, whatever happened, you don’t want to see it happen again. So, the decision to step in and make a difference is made. Besides, if not you, then who?
There are times when we may not be looking to be an advocate to make change, but to just bring some attention to an issue. In doing this, we often find ourselves in what I like to call “accidental advocacy.” You weren’t looking to do a lot, but you were the one who made the noise, got the issue the attention it needed, and now you feel a sense of responsibility to see this thing through to see that the change is really made.
Getting Started
This is where the path branches into different avenues. Many times, it depends on the situation. Generally, there is a “hierarchy” of sorts for how the issue should be addressed within the organization where the issue took place. It’s always suggested to work through the chain so this way you can find out where the main roadblock is to create the change that needs to be made. In this way, you can identify the barriers preventing the change and strategize on how those roadblocks also need to change for the betterment of the community.
We often think “let me jump to the top! Let me call Congress!” And while I do believe that every person should be able to reach out to their elected officials, I have learned there are many questions they will ask you about what you have tried so far, what didn’t work, why it didn’t work, and what would be a good solution to the issue. So working through that bureaucratic line from the bottom to the top can beneficial so you can address where it failed. Additionally, come to that table with not just a complaint, but a reasonable solution to the problem too.
But sometimes that path isn’t always so straight and simple.
Different Paths
Sometimes the path is not what you would expect it to be. Depending on the issue, and the bureaucracy at play that hierarchy method doesn’t always work or isn’t always available. It is these cases that we hear about in the media channels as some unique and impactful event. These events usually involve starting a change.org petition, lobbying Congress, being a whistleblower on an organization, and at an appropriate time, emailing or calling the four-star general in charge or even getting Congress involved.
These larger, standout paths to advocacy are sometimes the result of trying to work through the system, and other times it’s a result of needing a big noise maker to get someone’s attention. Regardless of the method used, the reason is always the same – to make positive and impactful change. As you see, there is no one way to get the change made, everyone’s path is different.
So when you start on your advocacy journey, don’t compare what you are doing to the way others did theirs. There is one right way, and there is no one path.