This week we will discuss Advocacy, Arts and Culture in PPPM. I am not a person that has a fine vocab, so when I thought Advocacy, I didnt have a clear definition of what is meant. So before reading into this chapter I looked up the word in my handy dandy dictionary. (someday i will read this dictionary to enlarge my knowledge of words… someday)
Advocate: one who speaks or writes in support of another or a cause.
After reading this, I thought duhhhh…. this sounds like a true American word. This is what makes America so awesome and interesting at the same time. This is our first Amendment: Freedom of Speech. Without advocacy, America wouldn’t exist.
The nonprofit definition was very interesting; “primarily engaged in promoting a particular cause or working for the realization of a specific social or political goal to benefit a broad or specific constituency” (Nonprofit Nation page136). To have a reaction to this, I have to think, and I like to think ‘why did this come about?’ This tells me that not everyone has the same opinion in the USA, and this helps define our American Culture. I know that there are probably a lot of organizations in this area of the nonprofit sector but, I did not know there were 8, 343 organizations! Now that is a lot of Advocacy in the USA. (That makes me think of that song by John Melloncamp; Born in the USA, random but very true)
A solid point from the reading which I agreed with, “all nonprofit organizations may engage in some advocacy work” (Nonprofit Nation page138). This really stood out to me when I was reading because, it is so true. Nonprofits usually form from a group of people who want to support their belief or values, and this comes from the heart. The reason there are so many advocacy organizations, people want to change the policies and practices of the government and corporations. Advocacy makes America, but at the same time it breaks it down. Do you think Advocacy organizations go to far with their purposes? I think most of these organizations do well in society equaling out our checks and balances.
My reaction to the chapter on Advocacy, makes me think of how we as college students are young advocates. At the UO, I feel that they support advocacy and encourage students to express their opinion publicly. I feel that our classes are kind of like practice to becoming an advocate. Which I like, because this lets us hear others. By listening to someone else can strengthen your own opinion. If you can understand how the other thinks, then you can think yourself. I feel this is a lost thought in today’s society. No one wants to understand someone else, they just want to be right. This class is a good way to open your mind from the left – right and gain knowledge.
I think your last paragraph was very interesting. I do think that to a certain degree as university students we are all advocates for education, among many other individual things. Personally, this one of the few classes I have had thus far where my own thoughts have been rightly challenged, and my eyes opened to new ideas and viewpoints. I think this has been accomplished because of the safe and welcoming environment that has been created in our classroom. A lot of times I think advocacy groups, among other examples, are a lot like students in other classes where they do not want to understand anyone else, they just want to come across as right. If only our country had the same environment as our classroom where everyone can be right or wrong, but more importantly learn in their own ways.