Awareness, Policy Framework Are Key For Responsible Social Advocacy

With the thrust on public affairs and policy, and various entities adopting advocacy models for social campaigns, the advocacy sector is expected to grow in the country. At this juncture, it is crucial to ensure that the various kinds of advocacies are brought within the regulatory framework so that vested interests do not misuse them or mislead the citizens. 

Since advocacy is a broad and overarching field, it typically does not have a single universally reported growth rate. However, related industries and sub-sectors, in terms of community and economic development, have witnessed an upward growth trend over the past few years. For instance, civic and social organisations, which fall under the nonprofit, voluntary, or community sector, are expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of about 3.9% (globally) through 2029. The NGOs and charitable organisations market, which is a related sector, has also witnessed a steady growth graph in the past few years, with a projected CAGR of 5.6% in the coming years. 

Responsible Advocacy For Social Impact

Advocacy in social campaigns is a strategic and multifaceted endeavour. Responsible social advocacy is a concerted effort of citizens to stand up for a cause, so that it influences the outcome and impacts policy-making. 

For instance, the All India Street Children’s Conference (AISCC) in 1994 brought hundreds of children living in street situations to one forum where they spoke, wrote and advocated for their rights respectfully yet powerfully. Their memorandum, submitted to national leadership, helped change welfare policy — without hostility or polarisation.

Similarly, iconic environmental movements like Chipko (Sunderlal Bahuguna), Appiko (Panduranga Hegde), and Silent Valley (led by KSSP) were rooted in non-violent moral courage. Women and villagers embraced trees, teachers and scientists wrote pamphlets, and poets and children joined hands. These movements proved that advocacy can remain firm and yet compassionate, powerful yet peaceful.

Responsible advocacy is passion anchored in truth, empathy, and respect, says Joseph Scaria Junior, former Regional Director, Habitat for Humanity International. It is more crucial than ever — even imperative to be brought to the masses. People should be made aware of responsible advocacy and its significance, he stresses.

Why Is Responsible Advocacy Relevant Today?

Responsible advocacy is more relevant today than ever because:

• We live in a time of information overload and instant reactions.

• A single tweet or video can mobilise or mislead lakhs of people.

• India is young; our 1.4 billion people need platforms for expression that build trust, not break trust.

India’s environmental victories — such as the Silent Valley movement, driven by teachers, scientists, youth and the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) — remind us that responsible advocacy can save ecosystems without confrontation.

Responsible advocacy, therefore, in many ways, is citizenship in action. In the modern context, responsible "digital" advocacy has to be integrated into the discourse, Junior points out during a free-wheeling chat with The Secretariat.

Is Responsible Advocacy Really Essential?

Recalling particular instances in which responsible advocacy made a major impact in the country, Junior said, "Polio eradication remains one of the finest examples of responsible advocacy. Governments, NGOs, UNICEF, and the WHO, among others, spoke in one voice."

"Another example, which had, in fact, shaped my own life, was the All India Street Children’s Conference (1994). Children in difficult circumstances, including those living on the streets, became delegates, and not subjects. The memorandum from the conference influenced child welfare policies, and reflected why the right to speak belongs to everyone," he further recalled.

The Legal Framework

"India does not have direct laws to regulate or control advocacy, except for Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution. There needs to be some regulation, and not control, of advocacy; indirectly, advocacy is being regulated through the FCRA [Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act], in terms of contributions of NGOs and other social advocacy groups," says Saurabh Sagar, an advocate based out of New Delhi. "A balance has to be struck between advocacy and regulation. Self-regulation is the best method for regulating social advocacy groups. Direct regulation by the government will bring excessive bureaucratic control in matters of public importance," he opines. 

India remains steadfast in realising its long-term vision. It has the energy, intelligence, and moral imagination to become a global model for responsible advocacy — if it invests in them, deliberately and collectively.