I recently participated in an advocacy training that served as a welcome reminder of the importance of my voice in the local democratic process. I’m not just talking about my voice as the Director of Fair Tide, but also as a member of the community with thoughts and opinions about the town I call home. Too often we sit back and follow the happenings within our community, either with approval or discontent, and feel that we have no control over them. The truth is, to a certain extent we do. In fact, it is our civic duty to engage ourselves in the process to be sure those making the decisions are well informed about the will of the people. Here are a few key points I took away from the training…
- Our local leaders rely on input from constituents to make decisions. If they don’t hear from you, they have no way of knowing how you feel about certain issues, nor will they be able to benefit from any information or insight you have to offer.
- Know who the decision maker is. Do a bit of research to figure out which individual or governing body has the final say and gear your advocacy in their direction.
- There are multiple ways to let your voice be heard – public comments during meetings, emails, letters, phone calls, and face to face meetings. Ask your leader(s) to grab a cup of coffee and share your thoughts with them!
The main take away here is that your voice matters. Over the next several months there will be multiple opportunities to use your democratic power to help influence decisions directly related to Fair Tide’s goal of bringing more affordable housing to the area. I will keep you informed of these and hope you would consider joining in a chorus of support to help keep our community economically diverse.
Whatever your passion, or cause, or vision – participate in the process and be a part of the future of your community!