in English - Handicap International

Here, we are going to talk about a broader kind of influence,
which affects the social environment and that is also referred to
as political-social advocacy, or simply advocacy.
This type of advocacy seeks changes in people’s attitudes, promotes
greater awareness about a situation or problem, educates
in order to generate cultural changes, positions specific themes
within society, etc.
This type of advocacy utilizes campaigns that are developed by
different social actors. For example, an ecological group that
uses campaigns to alert people about environmental deterioration,
or about the next water crisis.
This type of action creates the kinds of conditions that are needed
for eventual political advocacy work, since it tends to generate
more social awareness (and consequently support from public
opinion). However, such a campaign could be developed in an
ongoing manner or over a long period of time, and might not necessarily
be linked to attaining a specific environmental protection
policy or program.
Some good examples of this type of advocacy are contained in
Article 8 of the Convention, related to raising awareness in society
about the discrimination against and exclusion of people with
disabilities, and the need to promote respect for their rights and
dignity.
As we all know, people with disabilities suffer from different types
of stereotyping, prejudice, and discriminatory practices in our societies.
Most people associate disability with pity, with underestimation
and incapacity, with sins and curses, with social rejection,
with dependency and non-productivity. Ultimately, disability is something
negative and sad in our societies.
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