Advocacy

Advocacy

We believe that advocacy is accessible to all of us and can be accomplished individually and collectively.  

Advocacy can start with self-advocacy which can look different for everyone. Some examples of self-advocacy include:

  • Setting personal and professional boundaries to maintain wellness

  • Addressing health disparities by alerting medical professionals about lack of medical history

  • Ensuring Colombia is spelled with two O’s and not the dreaded U.

  • Talking about adoption in public spaces, with friends, partners, and family members to normalize adoptee identities. However, remember to maintain your professional and personal boundaries. You get to choose when, how, where, and with whom to share about adoption related topics. 

Collective advocacy is a unique strength of our community. It can be demonstrated in multiple ways. Some examples of collective advocacy include the following:

  • Engaging in research and scholarship addressing relevant issues impacting our community

  • Petitioning for Human Rights for Colombian adoptees

  • Collaborating with Colombian child welfare officials to increase services for adult adoptees and origin families.

  • Bringing awareness to specific citizenship and national identification challenges some Colombian adoptees encounter with Colombian consulate and embassy staff members. 

Advocacy also expands to the creative realms. Many members of our community are gifted creators across mediums to express advocacy. Some creative advocacy examples include:

  • Poetry

  • Social media campaigns

  • Blog posts (*please consider sharing to the ACÁ blog!)

  • Photographs

  • Paintings

  • Graphic designs

  • Woven or Knitted crafts

  • Songs, music

Please share with us your ideas about advocacy big or small.

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