James Pedrick, World Vision’s advisor for college activism and social networking, chronicles his journey of understanding advocacy.

July 2009

It’s common to wonder whether we can really make a difference. We can’t quite imagine a world without global poverty and local apathy.

We may have an impact in the lives of individuals, whether through our charity, our relationships, or our mere presence, but wonder, “how will the big picture ever change?” Whatever we do doesn’t seem to be enough.

Struggling to make a difference

In college, my friend Valerie* took a short-term mission trip to Malawi, where she witnessed the devastating effects of AIDS and met orphans who lost their parents to the pandemic. Upon her return home, she questioned whether she really could help bring relief to those who were suffering. She realized that others needed to know what was happening, but struggled to gain the attention of her fellow students who were insulated from the suffering caused by global AIDS, safe within the confines of an American college campus.

Her passion for change soon turned to anger toward her community and even toward God, as the world around her seemed to operate as though extreme poverty, HIV and AIDS, and 15 million orphans didn’t exist.

Can one person bring about global change?

Being an advocate — think globally, act locally

I truly believe that we can be influential as advocates for the poor and disadvantaged around the world, especially when we raise our voices collectively.

As advocates, we represent the marginalized in the world ─ those who would otherwise have no representation ─ by amplifying our voices in churches, communities, and among elected leaders. We can challenge unjust attitudes and priorities within our own lives, communities, and government.

Advocacy not only becomes a way for us to serve communities affected by extreme poverty, but also to serve our own communities, which may be blind to the injustices of this world.

History has shown that there is strength in numbers. As millions of voices come together, change begins.

Statistics come to life

Two chilling statistics changed my life forever. During my college years, in 2001, I learned that one in 20 children in sub-Saharan Africa was orphaned because of AIDS, and that only 3 percent of evangelicals answered yes to the question of whether they personally would be willing to give financially to help these orphaned children. I felt enormous guilt and pain as I realized that I was part of the vast majority of Christians who quietly stood by while 15 million children became orphaned.

The Lord laid this on my heart, and I had to respond. I had to tell others.

To help our campus community visualize this reality, my friends and I created a campaign called “Do You See Orange?” We recruited students on our campus to represent the one in 20 children orphaned by AIDS by wearing orange “ORPHAN” shirts as they walked around campus for a day. The statistics came to life.

This gave my friend Valerie a platform to share her story, the stories of children she had met in Malawi, and her struggle to reconcile this with the apathy she often faced at home.

The campaign not only allows us to raise awareness among our peers, but also invite our classmates to advocate with us for key U.S. government policies that will help address the crisis. In partnership with World Vision, we rallied our fellow students to advocate for more assistance for orphans and vulnerable children affected by AIDS. World Vision knew that to truly rebuild communities most affected, we must invest in the children who are being overlooked.

Through petitions, letters, phone calls, and congressional meetings, our campus, along with thousands of other individuals, World Vision, and other organizations, represented these children where they had no representation. And the president and Congress made a commitment to set aside funding for orphans and vulnerable children.

A resounding voice for the poor

It’s easy to doubt whether we really make a difference. We wake up in the morning, and the same global problems and injustices are still prevalent. But when we join together, we can be a resounding voice for the poor within our community and in halls of power, speaking out for justice. In those moments, the poor and marginalized around the world are given a powerful representation where they would otherwise have none. We can be the voice.

*Not her real name.