Action Guide

Define your Issue

So you’re really angry about something. Or maybe you’re inspired. Or maybe you’re just sad. Chances are that something has a lot of layers to it. 

Your first challenge as a new advocate is to work out exactly what the issue you are trying to change is.

Consider climate change. There are a number of proven reasons climate change is happening:

• Excessive use of fossil fuels
• Over reliance on meat and cattle as a food source (there’s actually stuff in their farts that is bad for the earth)
• Pollution from industrial activity (such as burning coal for energy, production of consumables, and processing chemicals for pesticides).

 There are also a number of negative side effects of climate change:

• Oceans warming up, which leads to destruction of glaciers and coral reefs
• Rising sea levels pushing coastal dwellers out of their homes, and making it harder to produce food
• Extreme weather causing destruction of property and loss of lives (through things like bush fires, hurricanes, and heat waves).

A QUICK way to burn out all your energy and feel like you’re getting nowhere is to try and tackle every single cause and effect of the issue you are interested in changing.

So, you need to focus on an area that you feel you can make a difference on.

Questions to ask yourself

• What, specifically, is it about this issue that you are feeling upset/angry/inspired about? Be as specific as you can. If it’s youth mental health you care about, which part? Do you want more people to get help? Do you want to battle stigma around mental health? Are you upset that there is a lack of funding for research into causes of mental health issues?
• Is there more than one element you want to change? It’s OK to have multiple avenues for advocacy. Write down as many as you can think of, but make sure to make them all very specific.
• What part of the issue is most relevant to you and your environment? It’s hard (but not impossible!) to make changes on massive international issues. If this is the start of your advocacy adventure, think about how the issue you care about effects your local environment, and start making change there. If it’s equal pay you care about, consider how women in your community could be supported to achieve equal pay.
• Highlight the MOST important and relevant one, and start with this one.
• Who else is already doing stuff in this area? Is there someone you can talk to about the best area to focus on?

Define your Solution

Now that you’ve defined the problem you are trying to tackle, it’s time to work out what you can actually do about it. Ask your self these questions, and make sure you write your answers down:

• What is the logical solution (big picture) to your issue? Be as detailed as you can. For example, with global warming, the solution is to reduce global temperatures.
• Is there a clear way to achieve this? There might be a number of clear ways to do this, so try and write them out one by one. For example, suicide prevention may include providing education, increasing counselling services, reducing stigma around mental health, and making access to help more affordable. 
• If there is no clear answer to you, do some research. If you can’t find any answers, then the first step might be to do some of your own investigations into the issue.
  • Who are some people you can talk to about possible solutions?
• What is the area you can have the biggest effect on? It’s hard (but not impossible!) to make changes on massive international issues. Instead of trying to take on ALL the solutions, work out which one you can make a positive impact on first, and move onto the other ones later.
• Who else is working in this space? Remember that there might be some people doing great stuff already. Instead of re-inventing the wheel, you could add your energy to a group already tackling the issue.

Actions you can Take

There are lots of ways to advocate in your community. Depending on your skill set, time, and your interests, you can take actions in as little or as many of these areas as you like.

Advocacy requires three main things to create change: The support of people, money, and the support of political powers.There are loads of activities that go into each of these areas, such as running events, attending marches, and writing letters to government. 

Most activities loosely fit into these areas (but don’t let your creativity be restricted to these three).

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