“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
A big part of being an effective advocate is not trying to go it alone. When you advocate alone, it is easy to start to feel isolated, burnt out and even hopeless.
It is important to have systems of rest and support – people who will carry the baton when you need to take a step back, and who you can rely on to be on your side.
When you advocate alongside others, not only does it take some of the weight off you, but it also makes your case stronger. Especially if you’re focusing on a bigger or more systemic issue, having many people agreeing with what you’re saying will be more convincing. It is much more persuasive if many people are talking about the same issue.
In some situations, it might be obvious who else would advocate with you. For example, if there’s an issue facing employees in your workplace, your coworkers might also want to advocate.
In other situations, if it’s a personal issue that only impacts you directly, it might be harder to identify who could be an ally.
An
ally is someone who stands beside those who are marginalized, to advocate alongside them.1
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Start by identifying what it is that you need help with:
- Do you need someone to help you practice what you’re going to say in a difficult conversation, or read over an email before you send it?
- Do you need someone to go to a meeting with you?
- Do you need someone to corroborate your story and vouch for you?
- Do you need someone to speak on your behalf – either because you don’t have the energy to do so, or you don’t think that you will be heard?
- Do you need someone to help you navigate the system and figure out who to speak with about your issue?
All these things are valid reasons to ask for help. Based on what you need, you might have some ideas of who you could go to. If you’re still not sure, here are some ideas of who you can ask for help:
- Family members
- Friends
- Neighbours
- Co-workers or managers
- Classmates or teachers
- Peers participating in the same program or service as you
- Case managers (e.g. from any government or non-profit services you receive)
- Healthcare professionals (e.g. your doctor, nurse, PSW, or attendant care worker)
- Program staff or instructors
- Advocacy organizations (see the section on Navigating Systems)
