Understand Advocacy

Excerpted from: A Guide to Acting on AIDS: Understanding the Global AIDS Pandemic and Responding through Faith in Action

The prospect of contacting elected officials may be intimidating, but experienced advocates will tell you that it gets easier with practice. Fortunately, there are many ways that you can communicate with your representatives. Choose the one with which you feel most comfortable and know that even the shortest letter from a constituent speaks volumes to an elected official. Most elected officials keep careful track of how many letters, e-mails, or calls they receive on an issue as a way of gauging constitu­ents’ opinions. The fact that most constituents do not take the time to communicate with them means that when you do, it can represent many voices. As one person you can speak for many who feel the same way but do not write, and in the process promote positive change.

Using the influence of your citizenship can be done in creative, simple, and effective ways. The follow­ing are some tools you can use as you start on the road toward advocacy.

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World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

Acting on AIDS is a program started by Christian college students to create awareness and promote activism of the global AIDS pandemic at colleges and universities across the nation. Motivated by their faith in Jesus Christ and with the support of World Vision, college students have formed a network of Acting on AIDS chapters that seeks to change hearts on campus, create awareness in communities, and advocate for those affected by the global AIDS pandemic.

Contact Acting on AIDS
actingonaids@worldvision.org
Toll Free: 888.876.2004
Acting on AIDS - World Vision
P.O. Box 9716, MS #333
Federal Way, WA 98063
© World Vision, Inc. 2007