African Nova Scotian Health Resource

(Disclaimer: The content of this page was adapted from University of Maryland's SHARE Program Module VI)

Advocacy: the active support or a cause or action.

Eg: Attending a local school board meeting and speaking publicly about the importance of music classes would be advocating for those classes

Healthcare advocacy: The process by which the actions of individuals or groups attempt to bring about social and/or organizational change on behalf of a particular health goal, program, interest or population.

Eg: Attending a school board meeting and speaking publicly about the rise of a communicable disease within the student body.

What do advocates do?

• Help an individual or group accomplish goals by providing resources, like money or supplies

• Provide skills to move a cause forward

• Develop tools for people that need help advocating for themselves

• Provide resources to people so that they can succeed

• See a problem and work to find a solution

• Speak up for a cause and educate others as to why this particular cause is important

How do I become an advocate?

• Think about what you are passionate about, or where you see a problem

• Think about any people you know who could help you get started- do you know anyone who has done something similar before, or who is directly involved with the problem you noticed?

• Talk to people- see if other people have noticed the same problem, or if there are any existing groups in your community working towards a solution

(Image Source: https://bit.ly/2KJDivx)

Dr. Onye Nnorom is advocating for public health agencies to record data on the intersection of race and health.

​Questions to Consider

• What is Morgan advocating?
• Who is Morgan advocating for?

Starting Off

• Pick a cause to advocate for- it helps if you feel strongly about it
• Research the problem in your community:
  • Use the Internet
  • Talk to the people around you- what are their experiences?
• Use  the brainstorming worksheet found just below

Writing the Letter

• Write a persuasive letter convincing a representative that this is a problem in your community, and urging the representative to help solve the problem

• You should be able to present a solution to the problem in your letter, and convince the representative that this is the best solution for everyone

Things to keep in mind while writing:

• What is the problem?

• What is your solution?

• Who is your audience?

• What facts do you have?

Reading more will help you write more

• Get an idea of how to write effectively by reading the Persuasive Writing Examples found below 

• Listening to famous speeches may give you ideas of how to write persuasively