What Does Advocacy Mean to You?

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During Saturday morning Shabbat services, K’Far Noar (rising high school freshman) shared their thoughts on advocating for themselves, their community and for global issues.

By Simon, Maddie, Tracy and Max
What does self-advocacy mean to you? Self advocacy means standing up for yourself even when you are faced with adversity. This past school year, I participated in a walkout to raise awareness for gun violence in our schools. Advocacy doesn’t just have to be about yourself.  Advocacy can be global.  There are many issues that we have to stand up for.  While you can advocate for global and national issues you can also advocate for things you do not have in camp, when I got assigned volleyball as my athletics, I advocated for myself to get the sport I wanted to do which was rollerblading. I was one of many people to march for women rights and advocate for more equality between women and men. There are many ways you can advocate for yourself whether on a  local or global scale.  The question is how are you going to advocate for yourself?

By Sydney, Lindsay and Lauren
When was the last time you had to advocate for yourself? Did you have to self-advocate at camp, at school, or at home?  Many people are fighting for themselves everyday around the world.  Each of us has a time where we stood up for what we though was right. This past March 1 I attended the “March for our Lives” with thousands of others in Washington, DC. This helped people to voice and demonstrate their opinions peacefully about the gun control laws. I did this because I want to help makes a difference.  Self advocacy can also be done on a smaller scale.  It has no size. In school, people will give me a hard time, but I don’t let that get the best of me.  I stand up to the people who would tease me and let them know that I have a voice.  I tell them that I am a real person an that I need to be respected as one. Change can be accomplished, but it all stats with one person. Stand by what you believe in, and self-advocate to achieve what is right.

By Emma, Remy & Talia
When it comes to speaking up, there are many different ways to express your beliefs.  Whether it’s speaking up for yourself others, or causes you believe in. It’s important to advocate for yourself, especially at camp.  While living in K’far with so many girls, its easy to lose your voice in the crowd. So make sure you are an advocate for yourself in the village and in main camp. Making sure that your advocating for others is also a very important part of co-existing with everyone. It’s important to speak up for others when they cant do it themselves.  Whether its standing up for yourself others, or a cause, advocating is an essential part of having shalom bayit (peace in the home). 

By Mia
Inside or outside of camp, it is important to advocate for yourself.  No matter where you go, there will always be someone that has a different approach to a situation.  In this case, speaking up and allowing yourself to be heard is a way of advocating for yourself.  Without speaking to others about how you feel or what you need, you won’t be able to achieve anything. So, for the rest of the session and in the real world, stand up for yourself and achieve your goals.