Concept of the method

1. What is advocacy?

What is advocacy?

If we try to describe advocacy and its original meaning, we come across many different definitions that are specific to particular countries, cultures, decades and political regimes.

That is why it is important to start with the original meaning of this word: the word “advocacy” comes from the Latin ‘advocare’ and literally means ‘to call out for support’. The origins of advocacy date back to ancient Rome and Greece when well-established orators would perform as advocates or wrote orations specifically for pleading someone’s cause. Personalities such as Cicero and Caesar were among the greatest Roman lawyers and advocates.

Ritu R. Sharma from the Academy for Educational Development describes advocacy as a tool for “putting a problem on the agenda, providing a solution to that problem and building support for acting on both the problem and the solution”. This definition expresses an important idea: In a digital and networked age, advocacy is not just about influencing public policy, but also and, first of all, about influencing public opinion.[1]

As Dr. Sharma says, even if most of the time advocacy is defined as speaking on behalf of others, one of its aims must be raising the public’s consciousness about a particular issue.

The philosophy behind the social phenomena of advocacy is best explained in a handbook for planning advocacy by Save the Children Fund, UK. It says that “advocacy is a social change process affecting attitudes, social relationships and power relations, which strengthens civil society and opens up democratic spaces”. To fulfil its aspirations advocacy requires efforts coordination, strategic thinking, information, communication, outreach and mobilization.

Besides being extremely broadly defined, advocacy is surrounded by several persistent myths and misconceptions. Some of the most frequently heard are:

• Advocacy is only for professional lobbyists: Obviously advocacy is a public activity while lobbying requires “behind-the-scene” activities in its very essence.
• Advocacy is walking down the street with a bull horn or advocacy is rioting in a demonstration or protest rally: This myth mixes different concepts; rallies are activism, which are sometimes useful, but it’s not always effective advocacy.
• Advocacy is the same as fundraising or donating to charity: Again, as we said above, advocacy is all about initiating social change, which definitely cannot be achieved through just collecting funds. Social change is often achieved with little or almost no funds.
• Advocacy consumes a lot of time; I’m too busy to get involved in advocacy: Advocacy doesn’t have to be complicated and time-consuming – a properly planned and organized campaign requires small actions from many people rather than big ones from a few.
• Advocacy is all about “politics” (in a negative connotation): Advocacy can be political (i.e. lobbying for a specific piece of legislation) but is more often social and intellectual focused on speaking out on behalf of those without a voice.

To sum up, advocacy in all its forms seeks to ensure that people, particularly those who are most vulnerable in society, are able to[2]:

• Have their voice heard on issues that are important to them.
• Defend and safeguard their rights.
• Have their views and wishes genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives.

Advocacy is a process of supporting and enabling people to:

• Express their views and concerns.
• Access information and services.
• Defend and promote their rights and responsibilities.
• Explore choices and options

An advocate is someone who provides advocacy support when you need it. An advocate might help you access information you need or go with you to meetings or interviews, in a supportive role. You may want your advocate to write letters on your behalf or speak for you in situations where you don’t feel able to speak for yourself.

2. What is debate?

What is a debate?

One of the methods used by advocates are debate.  A debate is a verbal argument that is conducted within a set framework. Debates are common in both political and educational environments. People can disagree with opposing views in a structured setting that gives all participants a chance to present and defend their arguments as well as reach conclusions about the arguments of their opponents. There are many different formats possible for a debate but debates also have many features in common.

The topic of a debate can be virtually anything. However, most debates with a public audience centre around a controversial issue that has interest for the audience such as the topic of immigration laws & acceptance of refugees, for example. Some debates have audience participation with some questions posed by the audience to the debaters. Debates may involve one participant against another, or they may be in a team format. Basic debate formats vary widely in terms of time limits for speeches, the order of speeches and how arguments are presented.

The beginning speeches in a debate are called "constructive speeches" because the debaters present the basic construct of their argument. An argument in a debate means stating your position and then justifying that position by stating why your position on the topic is the right one. Evidence gained through research such as in the form of statistics or in the form of research results is used to justify a position in a debate. Quotes and personal testimony can also be used as position-strengthening evidence. 

The two positions in a debate are the affirmative and the negative. The affirmative or "pro" side in a debate argues in favour of something while the negative or "con" side argues against something. For instance, the affirmative stance on gun control would argue why firearm regulations are necessary for public safety while the negative stance on gun control would argue why controls wouldn't work to ensure the safety of the public.

Good debaters understand the importance of appealing not only to logic and reason but to the emotions of the audience. Argumentative strategies are important, and debaters must anticipate the responses of the other debaters and the audience. An in-depth understanding of the topic and not just the main points is essential for a good debate. A good debater needs to prove not only why his or her position is the right one, but why the opponent’s position is the wrong one.

Most debate formats include a cross-examination section where participants can pose questions to the other candidates. The strategic debating idea here is to try to expose weaknesses in your opponent's argument. Rebuttal speeches are those at the end of a debate. They offer both a summary of each debater's argument as well as conclusions drawn from the arguments of the other debaters.

3. What is a round table debate?

What is a round table debate?

The round table debate usually used as an expression for a group or team to sit down to discuss an issue, share opinions, strategies, tactics, creation, maintenance, outcomes assessment, or just to brainstorm (throwing forth any ideas , no matter what they may be). At these meetings, individuals should be open, honest, and direct with others around the table; always showing mutual respect for the opinions of others.

The main differences there for between a round table debate and conventional debate is that there are not only two positions and round table debates are much less restrictive in the points that you have to argue and the narrative you have to stick to many different views and interests can be expressed making the debates more than two dimensional.

Advantages of Round table debates:

• A round table discussion is an excellent form of small group communication when the group is going to be a long-term engagement.
• Round table discussions are extremely useful when it comes to learning, whether the learning be social or academic.
• Since round table discussions are usually a long-term type of small group discussion, cooperation is vital to the group’s success.

4. Advocating for refuges & immigrants

Advocating for refuges & immigrants

As the social workers across the globe encounter immigrants and refugees – people who have been misplaced from their homes for varying reasons – they have begun to advocate for the protection of the human rights of immigrants and refugees throughout the migration process as well as denouncing harmful practices and policies related to the process (MSW Career, n.d.).

However, as an individual, advocating for the rights of the immigrants and refugees is not always easy. The MSW article lists five things one can do in order to contribute in the advocation of immigrants and refugees.[1] First and foremost, one must listen to the refugees and immigrants in order to understand their point of view. Secondly, getting involved with NGOs active in helping refugees and immigrants increases one’s contribution significantly. Thirdly, contacting the local or national government representatives regarding issues related to refugees and immigrants is a fantastic way to advocate for them. Fourthly, participating in marches, protests etc. indicates one’s support for the refugee and immigrant communities – there is strength in numbers. Lastly, spreading information, educating and fighting against prejudices in one’s own social circle is an important way to advocate for immigrants and refugees.

The Canadian Paediatric Society (n.d.) states that creating an advocacy strategy is essential. To build an effective strategy, the problem must be carefully documented and defined, a target audience or a group that can effect change must be identified, a solution must be proposed and evidence together with data is important to have included in the strategy. [2] Moreover, there are three types of advocacy for refugees and immigrants: policy, system and case advocacy. Policy advocacy calls for changes in policies, system advocacy works to achieve practical changes that improve the quality of life of refugees and immigrants, and case advocacy appeals to the audience through individual stories of refugees and immigrants.