Speaking for the voiceless is an easy task if and only if you have the influence. Voicing your concerns is one thing, and getting an audience from relevant authorities is yet another task ahead.
Many people view human right advocates as noisemakers, they but time to test your level of patience. If you aren’t, you lose grip of your target audience.
Your interpersonal skills, professionalism and integrity, are essential to staying afloat in this dynamic industry. It’s an unpredictable job with a lot of uncertainty.
Today, you are on the streets demonstrating for a common cause; tomorrow, the government of the days don’t support your activities, and men in uniform teargas you.
In the following action, you are in the board room brainstorming on a constitutional issue. Corporate entities are on your neck for prompt action on a labour issue.
Some influential politician is looking for you to take a bribe to drop a case in court. You have a family to look after and a social and spiritual life you also need to build.
With all these on your head, you have to arm yourself with the right tips to become well-sought-after human rights.
- Widen your professional and social circle of friends
Human rights advocacy isn’t a one-person show. You need people around you to brainstorm and take action on the situation at hand.
Social friends help you push on and offer motivation and encouragement when the going gets rough.
They also provide honest feedback. You don’t have to win all wars, but the positive impact you leave makes you have the voice to fight another day.
Professional friend helps you work within the rules of the land. Lawyers, for example, guide on the next course of action within the law.
- Maintain your moral standards
Human rights advocate’s life is on the limelight. You are a celebrity, and every movement is monitored. Remember, they want to bring you down with something you did to minimize your level of influence in fighting for the voiceless rights.
You are a public figure, and your life is in the public limelight. You can’t afford to do things contrary to what you fight for; it will be used against you.
We are in the social media era; someone will capture you or even take a video and post on social media platforms, you might not fight it, and it’s automatically a losing battle.
- Stand on your ground.
Do thorough research on the issue at hand. Check its context in line with the law.
Human rights at times tend to contradict themselves; arm yourself with information in case someone uses that to hit you or pin you down.
Once you get the public about an issue, stick to it to the latter irrespective of the time it takes.
Whether people and authorities tend to convince you otherwise, stick to what you started even you become a lone ranger.
You are carrying the hope of millions of people on your back; think of them. You can’t afford to disappoint them.
You have to be steadfast in your pursuit of justice, just like the lawyers do to their clients they represent.
This is possible when you have the following skills
- Team player
- Excellent organization skills
- Research and writing skills
- Top-notch interpersonal skillsHigh level project management skills
- Be a go-getter
Human right advocates have no option but to be aggressive. You should be someone who can get to any office despite the warnings to make sure your voice is heard.
As long as you are within the law, you have to work extra hours away from the regular office hours if that is what it takes to meet the authorities’ authorities to approve a controversial event.
You need to be creative in your pursuit of justice. When one route fails, do you give up or device other means to reach the end?
You only stop after you have achieved your objective despite the time. Even if you remain the only man standing, that is what your job entails.
That is when you get to be a renowned and influential human rights advocate.
- Use social media platforms to educate, advertise and inform your audience.
How will people know of your existence when the mainstream media have instructions not to cover your activities and events?
Social media is a savior in such cases; let people have a reason to like and follow you on social media platforms. That is only possible when they also get value for their time. Educate, empower and equip your audience with human rights information to make them realize when their right are violated and how best to come out and speak about them.
You need them to make your work relevant. You don’t have to be controversial all the time; give credit where it’s due.
When you fought for environmentally conducive companies when they do that and go-ahead to provide an exceptional water ump for the community, give credit.
If they even go a step further to design low maintenance for the price of a water softener, applaud them.
That makes you gain confidence among your followers.
- Follow up and give reports.
When you start a journey, always give a report and follow it up to the latter whether you succeeded or not; that is called accountability.
People will appreciate your effort and see your commitment to the course, but probably the system wants on your side.
That makes you build confidence with your clientele to become an influential human rights advocate.
You have all it takes to become a global human rights activist, you only need to do everything right, and you get to the much-desired status.