​Christian AID

The importance of advocacy for ending poverty Bishop Desmond Tutu once said that, 'There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.' That is the approach of advocacy. It is about first finding out why people are poor, what are the underlying root causes? In practical terms advocacy means speaking up on behalf of someone else. We adopt their cause and take up their case, as Isaiah wrote, 'Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.' Isa 1:17 (NIV) However, it requires research to understand and identify the root causes of poverty, assess how they can be tackled and who is best placed to seek the necessary change. This research leads to policy positions being agreed, around which we can then advocate for the changes that are needed. It’s not quick, but it can be transformative when done correctly. In terms of international de-velopment this could mean that we support people to do advocacy themselves on behalf of their own community or that we advocate on their behalf. In India, Christian Aid sup-ports an organisation called Ekta Parishad. In 2012 they organised a huge month-long march of around 60,000 people, mainly Dalits and tribal Indians, from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh to Delhi, to demand a new land reform policy that would guarantee access to land and livelihood resources for all people, and a law establishing the right to shelter. Less than a week into the march the government called a meeting with the organisers and publicly signed an agreement in front of the marchers accepting their demands. The new deal gave backing to the provision of agricultural land to the landless poor in the poorer districts and urged states to protect the land rights of Dalits, tribals and 'all other weaker and marginalised sections of society.' Ekta Parishad are continuing to work to ensure that these commitments are kept. Ekta Parishad’s President, Rajagapol, said 'No charity, no amount of other development activity is going to remove poverty from the earth unless people have control over land and livelihood resources.' Thank you for your prayers and interest in Christian Aid