{"id":5069,"date":"2021-01-11T09:41:29","date_gmt":"2021-01-11T15:41:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/?p=5069"},"modified":"2021-01-11T09:41:29","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T15:41:29","slug":"advocacy-101-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/advocacy-101-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Advocacy Resource for Young Adults"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Advocacy is one of the most important actions we can take to end hunger and poverty. It\u2019s also deeply embedded in many faith traditions, including Lutheranism. From biblical figures like Esther and Nehemiah to Martin Luther\u2019s calls for civic justice, there is a long and rich history of advocacy within our shared traditions<\/a>. Advocacy is not merely something the church does<\/em> but a central part of who the church is<\/em>. And when it comes to hunger and poverty, working toward just public policies is a critical step toward real, lasting change.<\/p>\n

But what is advocacy, and how do we get started?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\u201cAdvocacy 101 for Young Adults: When Faith Meets Policy\u201d<\/a> is a new guide prepared by Hunger Advocacy Fellows in tandem with ELCA Advocacy<\/a> and ELCA World Hunger<\/a>. The easy-to-use resource<\/a> is divided into four sessions and is designed for use with young adult groups on college campuses, in congregations and in other settings. The guide<\/a> includes insights from leaders, lessons from local, state, and federal advocacy, and activities to help participants learn more about what advocacy is and what it means for them and their communities.<\/p>\n

Each session of the guide<\/a> introduces one aspect of faith-based advocacy, and each features an audio story of a leader that takes participants deeper into the theme of the session. Jeanine Hatcher<\/a> from Michigan, for example, tells her story of advocating for fair pricing and access to medication she and others need to manage lupus during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the third session, Roberta Oster<\/a> of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy<\/a> talks about the importance of working together toward common goals.<\/p>\n

The sessions include interactive activities that invite participants to learn more about advocacy as a method and about the ways policies impact their own lives and communities, with tips on how to adapt the activities for virtual settings.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The four sessions in \u201cAdvocacy 101 for Young Adults\u201d are:<\/p>\n