Benefits Of Advocacy

Benefits of Advocacy

Advocacy signifies the proactive support of a cause or an idea. It also involves arguing or pleading for the specific cause. Advocacy is practiced by an advocate, who may even plead the case in court. The main logic of advocacy is simply assisting people to communicate their views and be heard by the relevant people. The following are key advantages of advocacy.

1. Enhances success of government programs
Advocacy is necessary for the success of various government treatment and prevention programs. It aids in informing the public representatives like senators about what really works at local levels. Moreover, it also places constant pressure for continued support and program funding. The truth is that federal funding and support for successful programs that are well documented is not assured if advocacy is not practiced.

2. Contributes to democracy
Advocacy groups make important contributions to democracy by influencing government policy. They help the government to develop good public policies while ensuring the nation’s accountability to its citizens. Furthermore, advocacy helps in mobilizing citizens to take part in nation building. It is commonly seen as the key to developing a democratic culture.

3. Represents people’s interests
Sometimes public representatives like MPs and senators are not sufficient to fully represent their local residents. You might find that the elected officials are bombarded constantly with wide ranging subjects that are all complex and important. To ensure that the people’s needs are on the front of the list, advocacy is required.

4. Promotes social reform
Citizen participation, where disadvantaged citizens act like watchdogs of government programs, came about due to advocacy. The underprivileged citizens were given the chance of being involved directly in the processes of decision making. Advocacy thus encourages social reform.

Advocacy does have its drawbacks as well since becoming involved in the advocacy process is daunting and time consuming.

Leave a Comment