AU Newsletter
"Your Source for Help and Hope"
August 2004
Tips for Successful Advocacy
Attitudes necessary for Self-Advocacy
- Believing in yourself - In self-advocacy, attitude and beliefs are as important as skills.
- Being Assertive - Once you begin to believe in yourself, you will find yourself becoming more assertive. Assertiveness is being able to say what you need to say, in a respectful and dignified manner.
- Managing your anger - Remember that assertiveness is not the same thing as aggression. You can be persistent and tireless advocate for yourself, but you may not do yourself any good if you shout or insult others in the process.
- Educating yourself - Take every opportunity to educate yourself. Explore every viewpoint from conservative to radical and prepare a list of contact so you'll know where to go if you need assistance.
- Breaking down the problem - If you feel overwhelmed by a problem, try to break it down into smaller "chunks" to help you plan your strategy more effectively.
- Developing a solution - Each problem has a unique solution. Determine what you want to happen and use that as a starting point.
Please submit your successful tips for advocacy story with us. You can write to us or email us at info@mindlink.org.
Advocacy is about supporting a cause. Whether that cause has to do with an individual's particular issue or something that affects others as well, the processes involved share a lot in common. You might say that individual and systems advocacy are two branches of the same tree. Systems advocacy, involves seeking support, commitment and recognition from decision-makers and the general public about a cause or issue. It is the pursuit of influencing outcomes and achieving particular results which will positively impact a population of individuals.