Editorial: To Start Practicing Advocacy, First Find A Cause

 

(Source: via Flickr)

In my previous two editorials, I shared a story about Molly, a fictional undergraduate student who used her advocacy power as a student to obtain a policy change at the university with student government's help. 

In my subsequent editorial, I explained the different story elements that outline how the policy change process works. These insights were the fact that policy change requires a negotiation between two or more parties, and that students, while influential stakeholders, share the university with other interests and with interest groups, such as the staff and faculty. I also noted that all parties in the negotiation—both student and non-students—have a “political agenda” or rather a list of priorities that they are trying to serve and how it is important to discern this list for success in a policy change effort. Finally, I also noted how that student government's involvement is usually imperative for successful policy reform since the government can leverage its privileged access with The Board of Regents to overcome administrative opposition. These are important insights for successful policy reform.

Now, in this article, I would like to share how it is important for every advocate, no matter how skilled, to have a most important element in his advocacy, one that enables him to do any advocacy at all. that is, he must have a cause.

So what is a cause? A cause animates a person’s advocacy. It gives him something to fight for. For instance, one may fight for wetland preservation or for child literacy in his local community. He may champion military service to his country or success for a new hometown restaurant. These are examples of causes that one might fight for. They are beliefs and values that one holds that animate a person’s advocacy. Without theses, there is no one to write to, and nothing to talk about. There are no speeches to give and no campaigns to run, for all these things require a purpose. Without a cause, there is no purpose to advocacy, but with a cause, one has purpose to his advocacy. 

Now, it is important to note that a cause constitutes personal values that one stands for, and these values drive one’s behavior. For instance, one may cherish belonging and acceptance, so he values family and community. As a result, he is a big proponent of practices like eating dinner together and family movie night. Another person may love resourcefulness and security, so he values financial knowledge and employer matching 401(k) contributions for employees. These are examples of how a cause reflects one’s values and how these values are the driving force behind advocate's behavior.  

So advocacy is about beliefs and by extension, about these beliefs' application through ethics, which manifest in a particular cause (whatever cause that is; whether it is conservationism, education, or etc.)

In short, without a cause, an advocate has nothing to fight for. If one wishes to be a successful advocate, either for himself or on someone else’s behalf, then he must champion a cause or else his advocacy is empty and he will have nothing to fight for.

So while we discuss tactics such as letter writing or running campaigns, behind these actions must be service to a cause or else these mechanics are meaningless and futile.

So if one doesn’t know where to begin in his efforts at advocacy, then he should first find a cause to champion and start there.

Feature Image: Via Flickr. (Source unknown!)

*Editor's Note: Updated on September 15, 2025 at 10:24 A.M. for flow.