BRIDGES for a Just Community - Member of the National Federation for Just Communities
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Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes – including public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic and social systems and institutions – that directly affect people’s lives.
 

Advocacy consists of organized efforts and actions based on the reality of "what is." These actions seek to highlight critical issues that have been ignored and submerged, to influence public attitudes, and to enact and implement laws and public policies so that visions of “what should be” in an equitable and just society, become reality. Human rights – political, economic and social – are the over arching framework for these visions. Advocacy groups draw their strength from and are accountable to people – there members, constituents and/or members of affected groups.

 

Advocacy has purposeful results: to enable social justice advocates to gain access and voice in the decision making of relevant institutions; to change the power relationships between these institutions and the people affected by their decisions, thereby changing the institutions themselves; and to bring a clear improvement in people’s lives.

 

Given BRIDGES mission of achieving inclusion, equity and justice for all and findings from our first (Spring, 2005) BRIDGES Progress Report on Human Relations in Greater Cincinnati:
  • Residents of the City of Cincinnati and suburban residents experience a gap in perception of progress in inter-group relations and fair treatment of minority groups
  • There are notable differences between Hispanics, Whites and African Americans in perception of progress in both race relations and fair treatment by the media and police
  • There is isolation of the burgeoning Hispanic population
  • African Americans and Hispanics report experiencing similar amounts of unfair treatment
  • Respondents feel distance from Muslims, Gay/Lesbians and Jews, similar to national trends

BRIDGES is focusing on these key advocacy areas:

  • Immigration
  • Disparities in Access to Healthcare
  • Interfaith relations and Church-State issues
  • Police/Community Relations
BRIDGES for a Just Community: Bringing people together to achieve inclusion, equity and justice for all