Advocacy: In Search for a New Meaning

Advocacy can be redefined in the context of reduction of distances. The distance between where people are now and the distance to an alternative version of a reality that is possible. The goal of advocacy must be to ensure that the vision of an alternative future is clear and shared by a broad layer of society. That the imperative to achieve the different version of the future is urgent, it inspires people to adopt values, principles, and strategies to arrive at it. They will be willing to make sacrifices now, because they believe strongly in this alternative. Where the alternative version of the future is blurred, people are left with what they have, and will accept and promote it even in the process it compromises their future livelihoods or the survival of the society.

There are people who take so much, yet give so little to so many who depend on them to influence positive change in the societies in which they work. Such persons directly or indirectly through their actions or decisions, their inactions or indecisions support the structures that uphold inequalities because it is much easier than taking the stance to challenge such structures. There are those others who give so much, their comfort, their freedom, even their lives, to achieve benefits, distinct from their personal gains to support many to fulfil their potential, to live lives with dignity in a stable, fair and just society.

All children have access to schools with adequately trained teachers with resources needed to inspire creative learning regardless of where they live in Liberia. This is an example of an alternative version of the future that must be shared by teachers, school administrators, parents, traditional and community leaders.  At such, teachers can advocate for not only increase in salaries, but can also campaign against teachers’ absenteeism and the misuse of school supplies and materials. Parents, teachers, communities, students in each education district can work to clean the payroll of ghost lists of teachers that do not exist, even of schools that do not exist. The removal of ghost names of the payroll is not left with central bureaucrats whose interest it may be to maintain such a situation, but by the teachers, students, parents and communities who are affected when resources are misapplied.

Intrinsic in this alternative version of the future is the empowerment of families and communities to take responsibility in public services delivery – where access to information and decision making channels allow citizens to exercise their agencies for the common good of their societies. Decentralization is what this is called. Decentralization is not policy carved on paper by bureaucrats only interested in maintaining the status quo without really intending to give up any of their power. Advocacy’s new meaning is to make certain that all reforms lead to something different and positive from what already exists.

In President Sirleaf’s annual address to the legislature in 2014[1], she expressed concern about the civil service and admits that civil servants underperform with a ‘runaway wage bill’ which includes ‘thousands of ghosts, is bloated, nearing one-third of the total national budget’. The President rightly concludes that every day the country wastes ‘precious resources to maintain a broken system’.  Information exists on where these wasteful spending goes. A story in the Front Page Africa on line news of 16 May 2014 referred to an audit report by the General Auditing Commission of the National Elections Commission in which it was indicated that US$573,000 was spent as transportation allowances for eight senior officials of the National Elections Commission over a five year period, consisting of US$1,500.00 to each official monthly[2]. According to the Front Page Africa, citing the audit report, these allowances were paid without ‘evidence of any policy regarding transport allowances’ to officials who had ‘assigned government vehicles which were fully fueled and serviced’ by Government of Liberia.

Concerted efforts by broad layers of society must lead to a situation where there will be no hiding places for people who misapply public funds, because families, communities, social groups, religious institutions – the churches and mosques would not celebrate loot, but rather shun such behavior because values of integrity, hard work and service will underpin expectations of their members

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[1] Annual Message to the Third Session of the 53^rd National Legislature of the Republic of Liberia by H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, (2014) www.emansion.gov.lr

[2] ’Millions Vanish: Wasteful Spending At Election Commission’ Front Page Africa www.frontpageafricaonline.com