In effort to help my community representatives to advocate against HB 772, I would raise awareness about implications of this bill by utilizing social media as a tool for advocacy and engaging my community in becoming more active in the political process.
Social Media as an Advocacy Tool
According to Kidwai and Imperatore (2011), “social media is an important tool in your advocacy toolbox and a method you can use to educate media, members of Congress, and state policymakers about the critical need…especially as America faces tight budgets and a stagnating economy. A majority of politicians are using blogs, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook to communicate with the public” (p. 36). As a social worker and constituent I can help my community representatives to utilize social media to educate the public, especially those who lack voice and presence, about the implications of HB 772, and how this bill will affect impoverish communities. In order for practitioners to get started using social media as a tool for advocacy, they would need to determine which platforms make the most sense for their particular needs, and start with a search for the policymakers and media they want to reach (Kidwai and Imperatore, 2011). According to Kidwai and Imperatore (2011), when creating social media advocacy messages, bear the following in mind:
- Keep it short and direct
- Employ data and stories
- Use strong but respectful language that will make the point clear without descending into rudeness —this can dilute the message and lead to removal from social networking sites
- Provide links for more information on HB 772 or related
- Re-tweet others' messages when relevant to HB 772, and thank people for participating
The barriers I would encounter with this advocacy tool is individuals lack of access to the internet, and ensuring the community is aware of the sites. I could overcome these barriers by collaborating with the local libraries to conduct teaching workshops to help educate individuals on how to use the internet, and informed them that the library is a great source for internet service. I can also join community groups on the social networking sites.
Community Engagement
As part of my collaborative advocacy, I would engage me community by keeping them inform about HB 772, and how this bill would affect the growing community of Gwinnett County. Gwinnett has almost 70,000 recipients on food stamps (Food Research and Action Center, 2012). I think with this number being so high, it is important the people of Gwinnett County know the implications of this bill before it becomes implemented into law. The skills needed to support this suggestion: public speaking skills, knowing legislation, knowing key members of the community, know the bill thoroughly, and maintaining a presence in the community. I think the only barrier I could possible encounter with community engage is the community lack of participation and acceptance of going against the bill. I think I could overcome this challenge by being assertive, and engage the Older Adults in the community, because they are the active voters.
Public innovators are the leaders that move our communities forward.