Advocacy is more than the tasks it undertakes; it serves societal functions.

Advocacy survives because of some degree of societal support for its existence.

Advocacy engages society and precipitates thought, dialogue and change.

Advocacy and the vision it promotes is only as strong as its supportive constituencies.

Advocacy will falter if there are not change oriented individuals and social movements that will act to assert its claims, message and vision.

Societies are typically divided and incoherent in some measure in regards to their values.

Societies are also typically conflicted by many competing interests and agendas and advocates must address and overcome these contradictions by offering a more “life giving” and principled vision.

Values based advocacy can help advance “life giving” vision for people’s lives and thereby diminish the strength of “life denying” vision.

“Life giving” vision has many interlinked elements including;

A “life giving” vision must seek to understand, honor and support the person’s own unique path in life to happiness and fulfillment.

A “life giving” vision would result in a given person being strengthened in their autonomy, decision-making and the governance of all important matters in their life consistent with their fellow citizens.

A “life giving” vision would support the person in being treated equally under the law, consonant with the principle of positive presumption, such that there are no discriminatory exceptions made based on their status.

A life giving vision would accord to a given person the premise that they are fully human in every respect in their life and should be treated accordingly irrespective of their personal limitations.

A “life giving” vision would support the person to be able to fully enabled to take advantage of all of the resources of community in regards to meeting their specific needs and personal lifestyle.

A “life giving” vision would ensure that the person is not deprived of their life, physical well being and survival through any means including neglect, denial of treatment or lower standards or indifference.

A “life giving” vision would support the person to manage their specific vulnerabilities in life such that any safeguards created would not be life denying, lead to control of the person by others and would ensure the continuance of a good life.

A “life giving” vision would support the embededness of the person in relationships, family, networks and community.

A “life giving” vision would seek to find ways that the person’s gifts, passions, strengths and other capacities and potentials are developed as fully as possible and expressed within community.

A “life giving” vision would enable the person to acquire the valued social roles within community life that they would find meaningful and supportive of their values and lifestyles.

There is a role for advocates in terms of shared leadership with others in regards to strengthening “life giving” vision through;

Supporting alliances based upon “life giving” values.

Repeatedly seeking values engagement.

Truth telling

Ambitiously “imagining better”.

Assisting people to obtain and succeed in valued social roles.

Supporting ground breaking “leading edge” positive examples of what is possible.

Pursuing the empowerment of people.

Cultivating values based leadership.

Advocates must be committed for the long term in order to make a difference.

Advocates must maintain their integrity and be accountable to the people they claim to uphold.

Advocates must stand for life giving values and be willing to pay the price.