Asia Director, Actionaid

In this editorial, Mr. Samuel states, "Advocacy, at its best, gives a voice to the voiceless. It seeks to empower the marginalised and works to better the world in fundamental ways. However, many think of advocacy only in terms of influence. While gaining access to politicians, or changing the mind of a business leader can be important, this is not the essence of advocacy. To be effective and true, an advocate must be people-centered. They must establish a meaningful relationship with the issues and interact with people on a grass-roots level. At its core, advocacy should be centered around people."

People-centered advocacy - advocacy with a 'human-touch' - to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria is "action which leads to social transformation and increased human rights, not simply a change in policy. It involves five critical elements: resisting, bridging, engaging, strategising, and creating."

Resisting

People-centered advocacy "resists inequalities at every level" and works to empower others by providing the necessary skills and tools.

Bridging

People-centered advocacy stresses active participation from the grassroots level and works to connect these activists with those working for broader policy initiatives.

Engaging

Advocates are encouraged to engage decision-makers, whether they be governments, corporations, or international organisations by writing letters, calling, sending email and holding meetings.

Strategising

According to Mr. Samuel, Communication strategies should engage the media and "must involve the creative use of symbols, language, information, knowledge, poetry, prose and politics."

Creating

"Using available tools creatively to amplify a clear message can result in the creation of an advocacy space."

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