By Ranjan K Baruah
Lock down and corona are buzzing words since last two months. It is bringing more questions than answers in front of us. In this context none of us can easily think of new jobs or employment. The mega Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package announced by our Prime Minister is a measure to save the lockdown-battered economy and focuses on tax breaks for small businesses as well as incentives for domestic manufacturing.
There is no doubt that the goal is to build a self-reliant India and this total package is equivalent to 10 per cent of India’s GDP.
If implemented properly, millions of individual should be benefited. But announcing packages means there are possibilities that all amounts may not reach the right place due to poor governance and corruption. Here comes the opportunity for people who are interested to work for social justice and get engaged in advocacy works. Advocacy work can be a career option where we work with community and raise their and make them heard.
Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group that aims to influence decisions within political, economic and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to influence public policy, laws and budgets by using facts, their relationships, the media and messaging to educate government officials and the public. It can include many activities that a person or organisation undertakes, including media campaigns, public speaking, commissioning and publishing research. Let us not get confused with words like advocate as both the words are different. To get engaged in advocacy or social advocacy it is not necessary to be a lawyer but if a lawyer does it then s/he gets more advantage.
Social advocacy is not new and this approach continues to be used by individuals and groups in a wide variety of issues. Many organisations specialise in social advocacy addressing and fighting the injustice suffered by a group or individual. Social advocacy has proven to be very effective in bringing about big and small change in the society. This field requires people who are persistent, patient, organised and most of all passionate, who will work in a way to bring positive solutions.
I am talking about social advocacy as it is the time to get engaged and make sure all reliefs and announced packages make real sense. Students who have studied social work or development studies or legal studies may easily come to this field but they need other skills too.
Economic packages bring hopes and opportunities during crisis but effective implementation is a must and for this, there must be people engaged in advocacy so that people are well-informed. Let us make sure that poor people and others who are supposed to get relief get everything. Few aspirants may take it up as a full-time profession and engage in advocacy works. They may work with NGOs, research organisations, media etc. Let us stay positive and face the challenges due to lock down.
(The author is a career
mentor, motivational speaker, skill trainer and strategic
planner and can be reached
at 8473943734 or
[email protected])