So, how exactly does one effectively advocate for change?
I work in the non-profit, non-governmental sector where attitudinal change is a significant part of our work. However, many of us run into a familiar and incredibly frustrating predicament of thinking:
If only the larger community knew the facts and statistics, they would be shocked and therefore moved to do something about it!Yeah, it doesn't work that way unless, apparently, you're Oprah. The rest of us just manage to alienate and bore people by quoting research and stats. Doesn't matter if it's about homelessness, economic policies, or breastfeeding.
For example, convincing people about the merits of a safe injection site by quoting the numerous researchers who have proven its harm reduction efficacy is a huge uphill battle. While in Surrey, BC for an economic development conference, former NYC mayor, Rudy Giuliani called
Insite, North America's first and only supervised safe injection site a "terrible mistake".
“You should not encourage the use of drugs, that's a terrible mistake,” Mr. Giuliani said. “It's just going to make your drug problem much worse.”
[quote] This, of course, is an overly simplified analysis of a safe injection site, but compelling to anyone who does not have a more thorough understanding of just how desperate the levels of addiction and the spread of infectious diseases are in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
If you try to convince someone that breastfeeding and extended breastfeeding is the safest, healthiest choice for a baby by quoting respected, non-partisan organizations such as the
World Health Organization (WHO),
UNICEF or the
Centers for Disease Control, you run the risk of being told (as I was) the following head-shaking fallacies. I have to remind you that these are all true arguments that have been made to me against breastfeeding.
Head-Shaker #1:
The WHO promotes breastfeeding simply to avoid having "third world" countries up in arms. That particular argument left me wondering what bargaining chips some of the poorest women in the poorest countries in the world actually had. How exactly would they be up in arms?
Head-Shaker #2:
Breastfeeding proponents are nothing more than propaganda machines, "granola crazies" and "boob-nazis". You know, I always thought those UNICEF people were shady. ;)
Head-Shaker #3:
The rise of anaphylactic allergies in children and the rise in breastfeeding since the '70s are causally linked.Head-Shaker #4:
Allergies, ADHD, chronic ear infections, and, early breast development in 6-year old girls are all exclusively attributable to breastfeeding.
Wow, eh?
In the face of compelling evidence about breastfeeding from countless reliable sources - whose primary role and areas of expertise are the health of children and preventive societal health
, I must add - I simply can not understand how one can still argue that breastmilk is bad for infants. It is truly mind-boggling...not to mention upsetting.
I spend a considerable amount of time carefully (and belligerently) outlining facts and stats that are evidence-based and peer-reviewed only to get crazy in response. So, what's the point?? All I've managed to do is get pissed off and seriously discouraged at the level of misinformation and ignorance out there.
So, any suggestions on effective advocacy...that actually works? ;)
