What is advocacy?


"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral."
Paulo Freire

Fundamentally, it is the act of expressing your vision of Hamilton to those who have the power to effect change. It is an inclusive form of civic engagement which provides citizens an opportunity to voice concerns regarding the state of our city, as well as, issues of public-policy and funds allocation.

Advocacy at it's best encourages dialogue. It is a vehicle to raise questions, incite debate and propose solutions. It targets those who are not responding to the needs of our city.

Advocacy Hamilton exists to educate and encourage all Hamiltonians to participate in a thoughtful discussion regarding the issues that face our city by providing timely, evidence-based resources. It's mission is to reach equitable, sustainable and fiscally responsible solutions that address the needs of all members of the community, from all walks of life.

Does advocacy work?

    Yes. In order to measure success in advocacy, the primary goals must be understood: awareness, dialogue and change. Awareness is information and education. It involves more than knowing an issue exists; it seeks to combat [...]

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Is letter writing politically partisan?

    No! In fact, the most effective advocacy groups make sure that they do not endorse any particular candidate or party. Indeed, some non-profit or congregations are excluded by law from making such statements. It doesn’t [...]

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Tools for effective letter writing

    Letter writing is simple. In fact the more simple and straight forward it is, the more effective it becomes. Using the tools and tips on this site will get you up and running very quickly! [...]

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@AdvocacyHamON:

My citizenship is more important than my being a t…

Posted on: June 10, 2013.   No Comments

My citizenship is more important than my being a taxpayer. Don’t reduce me to a consumerist. thestar.com/opinion/editor…

@AdvocacyHamON:

Excellent read for a Sunday night. Celebrate our c…

Posted on: June 9, 2013.   No Comments

Excellent read for a Sunday night. Celebrate our citizenship! thestar.com/opinion/editor…

@AdvocacyHamON:

Hope the new anti #poverty caucus is hearing this…

Posted on: May 27, 2013.   No Comments

Hope the new anti #poverty caucus is hearing this loud and clear cbc.ca/news/health/st… #onpoli