Feel Like More Impact: Group Advocacy vs. Individual Advocacy
“Feel Like More Impact: Group Advocacy vs. Individual Advocacy,” in the centre on a white background. Navy blobs at the top and bottom opposite corners with purple outline blobs.
When making the decision to start activism and advocacy work, the first thought is usually, how can I make a positive impact? The goal is to change the circumstances of a situation that you care about whether it is social, political, environmental, or economical. To work on an issue you care about to make the best improvements to the situation as possible. Different approaches to activism and advocacy are perceived to have a certain level of impact due to the media and the prestige of importance based on cultural, social, and political views. The biggest comparison of impact is whether you do the work as a group or as an individual.
Group advocacy comes in many sizes and strengths. It can be teaming up with someone to make a project to the networks of people and groups surrounding a specific movement. For some it is as simple as volunteering for a nonprofit, for others it is creating and building a project or organization with a team of people based on the skills and knowledge each member has. With the amount of people, it is perceived as more important since it is not one person advocating about it, but a team of people. It can have a greater reach as it is multiple networks of people receiving information about how important an issue is which is perceived as having a bigger impact.
Individual work is the choice to advocate within your own capacity, resources, and needs to help bring that change to an issue you care about. It can be personal choices and changes to help bring positive change and it can be projects that can contribute to the conversation and solutions. For some, it is a way to still be the change while living and surviving in this society. It is still impactful as inspiration and impact is not always predictable. Doing the work is better than doing nothing at all, no matter how small it may be perceived to you.
It is important to note that even if you do individual work on a specific issue, you are still contributing to the larger movement. The differences can be from the type of conversations and contributions to the perceived support based on numbers. However, it is crucial to understand that individual work and group work towards local, national, and global issues do not exist in their own bubble. It can be the foundation of inspiration, learning, and strengthen the ability to take action.
Amanda