To do truly responsible advocacy work, you have to go global.
Adding a global sensibility to your activism means reaching outside of your own community to get a broader view of the inequalities at hand. By hearing and acknowledging global perspectives, rather than listening to the single story that comes from your own region, you're able to see how inequality is connected, not just how injustice personally impacts you.
Yet, thinking of social justice issues in a global context is often something we shy away from. It gets messy to pay attention to the collision of region, culture and inequality. Most of the time, we don’t even know where to start, so we don’t start at all.
"There's a responsibility in the work to look at issues globally."
But just because there's discomfort in extending your advocacy to a global scale doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. In fact, it’s required.
"There’s a responsibility in the work to look at issues globally," Rachel O’Leary, director for membership mobilization at Amnesty International, tells Mashable. “And that responsibility is to be as informed as you can, and show up with as much integrity as you can."
Feb. 20 is World Day of Social Justice, which encourages those in advocacy work to recognize social movements and human rights struggles around the globe. But the day also reminds any advocate of an essential point -- in order to advocate meaningfully, you have to move past your own worldview.
These six tips will help take the nervous tension out of that obligation -- and to make sure your own activism is designed with the global community in mind.
1. Think globally, not internationally.
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It's important to think of social issues in a holistic sense -- especially when it comes to widespread issues like racial justice, LGBTQ rights and women’s rights. These issues transcend country borders and are often deeply interconnected, meaning you have to look beyond your own place in the world to really understand global inequalities.
Though the terms "global" and "international" are often used interchangeably every day, the words mean very different things when it comes to advocacy. Thinking globally means recognizing the way your piece of the puzzle fits into a larger context.
"It's then one movement that has a lot of momentum."
Thinking internationally, however, often creates an "us and them" binary, often leading those "domestically" to place ourselves in a superior position to those "internationally." The roots and underlying struggle of inequality, however, are often universal, even if they take on different forms region to region.
O’Leary says thinking of social justice work in terms of "domestic" and "international" simply doesn’t serve the work. Instead, she advocates for work that puts value on collective activism.
"It’s then one movement that has a lot of momentum, versus the fraught conversation of working locally or internationally, never with the possibility of both," she says.
To fully understand the scope of massive, global inequalities, you need to first recognize the impact of those issues on the world at large. Though you may not notice a tangible difference in your local advocacy with this change in awareness, especially if you are already intently listening to communities on the ground, your broader understanding of what these issues mean will get more complex.
By broadening your outlook, you aren't just getting an excerpt of the story -- you're getting the whole narrative.
2. Be conscious of culture.
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While it's important to look at issues with a global perspective, it's also necessary to recognize issues don’t always impact regions in the same way. Culture often plays an important role in how different social justice issues manifest around the globe.
"It’s really important to check your perception of what you know or think you know, and really be mindful of what assumptions you carry into a space," O’Leary says.
"You just really have to do things with the careful consideration you would want others to afford you."
Being on the outside looking in can often lead to cultural misunderstandings -- for example, there's the common Western assumption that hijabs are inherently oppressive and a form or gender inequality, which is doesn't resonate for many women who actually wear them.
When it comes to culture, it’s important to note that you won’t ever be able to fully understand a culture that isn’t you own. Instead, you need to value the understandings and perspectives of those living in that culture, O’Leary says, by showing up with solidarity and integrity in your work.
"And what that means is making sure you are helpful and what you are doing is in alignment with what the community is working on,” she says. “You just really have to do things with the careful consideration you would want others to afford you."
Bert Wander, campaign director of global advocacy organization Avaaz, says all social justice issues come with cultural specificities. But, no matter the cultural difference, the essential thing to remember is that social justice issues are interconnected, upholding each other and impacting lives in sometimes surprisingly similar ways.
"When you get to that level and realize that, you can make extraordinary things happen," Wander says.
3. Value voices around the globe.
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When looking at widespread inequalities, society often champions voices from developed nations over those from developing nations. You should recognize this reality -- and be mindful of who is and isn't being heard.
"They're able to bring the nuanced understanding ... that only those with deep roots truly can."
"There’s enormous value in a broad range of voices," Wander says. "We have an incredible breadth of humanity and an incredible breadth of perspective. Traditionally, a lot of voices have been marginalized and pushed aside by existing power structures."
To help demolish these power structures, O’Leary says advocates should let communities impacted by inequality speak for themselves, rather than speaking for them.
"It’s really important to open up that space, rather than take up space with your own viewpoint," she adds.
Clare Winterton, vice president of advocacy and innovation at Global Fund for Women, suggests thinking of yourself as a "megaphone for amplifying voice" in your advocacy work, especially when looking at how a broad issue affects a place or identity that isn’t your own.
"It’s so important that [people] who often lack power in their community, have control over their own narratives," Winterton says. "When they speak in their own words, the impact and the passion are far more powerful than anything we could say. They’re able to bring the nuanced understanding of their particular country and cultural context that only those with deep roots truly can."
4. Be aware of the savior complex -- and avoid it.
Often when looking at issues in developing nations, it’s easy to want to swoop in with solutions from your own worldview. But don’t be so quick to place yourself as a authority.
Just because inequalities may appear to be less oppressive in one region doesn’t mean the same solutions will work in all spaces -- or that some regions deserve to be demonized more than others.
"Advocacy is not always a sexy thing."
O’Leary says to avoid the savior complex, it’s essential to constantly ask a simple question: "Who is centered in this work?" The answer should be those who are most impacted.
"Advocacy is not always a sexy thing, and it’s not always the thing you thought it would be," O’Leary says. "That doesn’t mean it’s not important just because you aren’t centering yourself."
This allows for more complete, thoughtful conversations in advocacy work. When you aren’t focused on "saving," O’Leary says, your intentions shift toward meaningful solidarity.
"The focus becomes different. The narrative becomes different. The conversation changes," she says.
5. Hold yourself accountable.
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Being a true global advocate takes constant evaluation of your biases and your activism.
The global lens you apply may sometimes get foggy or cracked -- and that’s when you need to call yourself out to look at things in a clearer way. O’Leary says holding yourself accountable is the main emphasis of responsible global work.
And it's the responsibility of the advocate -- never the impacted community -- to make sure their own work is impactful.
"You have to find accountability mechanisms, but also simultaneously know it's OK to make mistakes -- as long as you take the time to actually learn from them," she says.
6. Know it gets complicated -- and that's OK.
Advocating with the global community in mind is tricky -- there's simply so much to be accounted for, and you're going to make mistakes.
"Social justice work is collaborative and energetic and electric and messy."
But without keeping the global community in mind, we risk oversimplifying discussions on complex issues, and often place local struggles at the center of attention. Our local issues echo those globally, stemming from the same roots of social injustice. Widening our scope, then, allows for more comprehensive discussions, a more collective movement and, ultimately, more thoughtful solutions.
Though it may get complex, O’Leary says thinking globally is required for the most meaningful work.
"Social justice work is collaborative and energetic and electric and messy," she says. "And it will always be those things. Inside of that space, our best efforts to fight our imperfections has to be enough."
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