So I'm starting another new blog :)
It is currently titled Write your Elected Official and it is my term project for my Advocacy Writing course.
The goal is to make it easy for people like me to take action on subjects near and dear to their social justice bleeding hearts. The way I see it, easing the pathway to political action will leave people feeling involved and good about themselves. I am quite aware that my recent swoop towards the depths of depression was partially brought about by overwhelm at situational problems, but more significantly, was triggered by over-exposure to social injustice on several fronts - local and global, affecting children, women, and traditionally marginalized groups such as people with disabilities and different sexualities and racialized others.
What has brought me from the brink, and is getting me through, is taking each day as it comes, focusing on maintaining hope and optimism, and focusing on campaigns which leave me feeling empowered. Thus, I plan to avoid issues such as violence against women and prostitution/sex workers legal/constitutional rights. These issues leave me feeling vulnerable and exposed, and unable to articulate or argue my point of view. I plan to stick with universal, individual rights we have as Canadian citizens. I intend to start with poverty reduction.
Writing letter templates on social justice issues will be a challenge for me as an academic writer. The object is to keep the message simple, clear, concise. No big words. Describe all terms that may be construed as jargon repeatedly. Make a request, suggest a pathway to action, to policy change. Couch it in terms of mutual benefits - how will those currently opposed see potential change as a benefit to themselves as well as to people living in poverty?
I'd like to write about 5 or 6 templates to start, over the next two weeks. The project is due at the end of the month, and it'd be nice to have 8 to 10 done by then. They'll only be a page long each :)
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