Advocacy
Advocacy is the process of influencing decision-making and planning across various fields, such as education, public health, social justice, and policy-making. It can be undertaken by both individuals and organizations, with efforts often aimed at supporting marginalized or underrepresented groups. Professionals like lawyers and social workers are commonly recognized as advocates, as they work to protect rights and ensure access to necessary services. Advocacy has historical roots in legal contexts, with the term derived from the Latin word for "one called to support," but it extends beyond the courtroom to include humanitarian efforts, such as those provided by organizations like the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.
International advocacy organizations focus on protecting human rights and often operate under principles outlined by documents such as the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Volunteer involvement is crucial in advocacy, with many organizations relying on community support for activities that range from legal assistance to grassroots campaigns. The Internet has transformed advocacy efforts, enabling organizations to mobilize large numbers of supporters, yet it also presents challenges, as access to online resources can be limited for some populations. Overall, advocacy serves as a vital mechanism for promoting social change and ensuring that the voices of those in need are heard.
Advocacy
Advocacy is the act of influencing decision making and planning. Both individuals and groups can undertake advocacy work in a wide range of fields, including education, public health, policy making, international development, and social justice. While some individuals work professionally as advocates, others volunteer their time to a specific cause or organization. Lawyers are one type of advocate; they ensure that their client’s rights are protected during the legal process. Social workers are also advocates and ensure that the poor or underprivileged are able to access social services.
Brief History
The English word "advocate" comes from the Latin advocatus, which means to be called or summoned and was usually applied to being called or summoned to support a defendant during a trial. The roots of advocacy are in the courtroom, and many individuals continue to act as advocates in legal settings. However, advocates are not confined to legal settings. For centuries, even before the term advocatus was used, individuals and organizations were working to protect and support the less fortunate. Around the world, there are many examples of orphanages supported by wealthy patrons or religious organizations. Similarly, there are historical examples of political speakers who spoke out in support of animal welfare, the wrongly accused, and those forced into slavery. All of these individuals and groups can be considered advocates.
Legal Advocacy
Anyone who presents or defends another person’s case or gives legal advice to someone on trial can be considered an advocate. People commonly think of legal advocates as lawyers, and indeed many are. However, other individuals, such as social workers and human rights organizations, also act as legal advocates. These individuals might provide a victim with information about their legal rights, what to expect if they press charges, and alternatives to taking a case to court.
International Advocacy Organizations
International advocacy organizations operate as a way to protect human rights around the world. These organizations work within a specific country or conflict zone but are frequently guided by a larger set of principles, such as the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or religious precepts.
One of the largest faith-based advocacy organizations is the Salvation Army, which was started in the 1860s in England by William Booth. In his individual work, and later in founding the Salvation Army, Booth attempted to reach individuals who were not normally encouraged to enter English churches. While the organization started as a small group, by 1874 it had gained one thousand volunteers. These volunteers had a dual mission of converting individuals to Christianity and also providing much-needed social services. The Salvation Army continued to combine its mission of faith and social services in over 100 countries to provide homeless shelters, medical treatment, after-school programing, and emergency assistance after disasters.
Another key player in advocacy work is the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The Red Cross was founded in 1863 in Switzerland as the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, and was later renamed as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which later became a constituent of the IFRC. At first, the Red Cross focused on providing services for all wounded soldiers, regardless of the side on which they fought. This was a revolutionary idea, as previously armies provided medical services only to their own soldiers. Soldiers wounded behind enemy lines or civilians that were wounded as a result of a war had few opportunities to seek medical attention.
The American Red Cross was established in the United States in 1881 by Clara Barton, who argued that the advocacy group was needed not only to assist during wars, but also to respond to natural disasters such as hurricanes. The Red Crescent was used as an emblem of the International Red Cross during the Russo-Turkish war of 1877–78 and is used as the symbol for the IFRC in Islamic countries. The League of Red Cross Societies, which eventually became the IFRC, was started in 1919 to facilitate cooperation between the Red Cross societies in different countries. The Red Crystal was adopted as a third symbol for use in Israel in 2005.
The IFRC works around the globe to provide services to those most in need; the ICRC has received three Nobel Peace Prizes for its work. Some of the IFRC’s projects include assisting wounded soldiers and refugees, ensuring that prisoner’s rights are protected, and providing assistance to communities that are faced with environmental and man-made disasters.
Advocacy and the Internet
Volunteers are critical to advocacy programs. Many advocacy organizations rely on the assistance of volunteer work hours for activities ranging from visiting with prisoners and hospitalized patients, to gathering donations, to operating soup kitchens. Volunteers are also play a critical role in putting pressure on policy makers through letter-writing campaigns. Organizations such as Amnesty International have a long history of collecting signatures and letters from concerned citizens and then sending those petitions and letters to government offices who are in a position to make policy changes. With the emergence of the Internet, Amnesty International has been able to gather more volunteers and supporters. Millions of people have participated in Amnesty International’s advocacy programs.
Advocacy organizations are increasing their push to find ways to expand their projects and connection with volunteers through online tools. Some organizations celebrate these the use of the Internet and social media platforms as a way to reach and advocate for even more people. For example, for individuals facing domestic violence, online tools may be a way to find preliminary information about getting help. However, other organizations caution that advocacy groups cannot go fully online. Many of the community members who rely on advocacy groups, such as homeless people, incarcerated people, or those living in less developed areas, may have limited Internet access, if any.
Bibliography
Fernando Chang-Muy, J. D., and Elaine P. Congress, eds. Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees: Legal Issues, Clinical Skills, and Advocacy. New York: Springer, 2015. Print.
"Founder Clara Barton." American Red Cross. Amer. Red Cross, 2016. Web. 17 Aug. 2016.
Guberman, Ross. Point Made: How to Write Like the Nation’s Top Advocates. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2014. Digital file.
"History." International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, n.d. Web. 17 Aug. 2016.
Jones, Marian Moser. The American Red Cross from Clara Barton to the New Deal. Baltimore: John Hopkins UP, 2012. Print.
Keck, Margaret E., and Kathryn Sikkink. Activists beyond Borders: Advocacy Networks in International Politics. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1998. Print.
Pallant, Dean. Keeping Faith in Faith-Based Organizations: A Practical Theology of Salvation Army Health Ministry. Eugene: Wipf, 2012. Print.
Power, Jonathan. Amnesty International: The Human Rights Story. Philadelphia: Elsevier, 2013. Print.
"Salvation Army." Britannica, 26 Dec. 2024, www.britannica.com/topic/Salvation-Army. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.