Thoughts

3 Methods To Become an Advocate for Change

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Are you fed up with the world that we live in? It seems that we have never been more segregated. But many people think that they do not have the power to elicit change. But to those people, have you ever considered being an advocate for change? You have to remember that everything you do and every decision you make holds political water. Therefore, being an advocate is a practice that everybody can engage with. We all need to stand up for our values, so how can we be an advocate for social change? Here are some simple things to get you started. 

Think About What “Calls to You”

The best way to begin is to research the topics and issues that you feel an affinity for. It’s important to note that you don’t have to be an advocate for change for something that you think you should care about. The reality is that if you are someone who is passionate about cannabis, this isn’t a purely stereotypical stoner practice. The reality is that there are many socio-political issues affected by cannabis use. Initiatives like the Last Prisoner Project aim to address the harms of cannabis prisoners, people who ultimately believed in cannabis but got faced with judicial punishments for these beliefs. When you start to think about what calls to you, research around it. You would always find the answer, but if you encourage yourself to stay open about these issues, you may learn and unlearn certain things that will improve your perspective.

Boycott Products, Companies, and Services That Do Not Align With Your Values

It’s not just about avoiding products that don’t suit your view, you should look into the brands that you purchase every day and see if they are unethical in their practices. It’s an eye-opener to discover that a company that makes your favorite chocolate bar deals with such underhanded practices, like Nestle. When we start to open our eyes to what is going on in the world around this, we then can be an advocate for change, but we have to start by making a stand and steadfastly refusing to use products that contribute to evil. 

Check Your Levels of Privilege

We all exist at different stages of oppression and privilege. It’s important to look at where we come from, but also be aware if we are privileged when we think we are not, especially if we are white. But this is just one example, we don’t necessarily have to focus on race, we can talk about gender socioeconomic status, nationality, and so forth.

As we learn the importance of becoming an advocate for change, we truly get to what goes on beneath the surface. Sometimes, it takes a little incident to incite us to spearhead change, whether it’s the effects of a crime and the nature of the punishment, or learning the reality we live in is sub-par. If you want to make a stand for something, it all stems from what you believe in. If everybody became an advocate for change in a small way, the tides would turn quicker. 

 

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