The primary method utilized in the development of the centres is that of mobilizing the voluntary capacity of disadvantaged residents. Problems created by social and economic gaps continue to grow. Poor people’s inability to access entitlements and to participate in decisions that affect their lives creates a sense of powerlessness and hopelessness. The mysteries of complicated, unaccountable bureaucracies, poor language skills, and the expenditure of the bulk of one’s energy to make ends meet helps to further disenfranchise the poor and erodes their faith in the democratic system’s ability to reduce inequality. The Centres respond to issues of inequality – between rich and poor, among vulnerable population groups, and across social divisions – utilizing various tools and methodologies.
Methodologies:
| Store-front | The store-front serves as a walk-in centre providing immediate information, referral and advocacy in accessing entitlements and receiving existing services. The store-front is staffed by trained community volunteers and social work students. The physical setting of the store-front signals to the community that the Centre promotes inclusion of all its residents, providing easy access for the population. It establishes an important symbol that the rights based organizations must belong to and facilitate interaction among groups of people who tend to live side by side while harbouring fear and prejudice about each other. The store-fronts deal with the issues based on the needs of residents, identified by the residents themselves. The third feature of the store-front is that the service is principally carried out by volunteers who themselves went through the empowerment process. |
| Outreach | The outreach component is designed to bring advocacy services to those who are unaware that they have been deprived of their rights and entitlements and are unable to come to the store-front. Through door knocking, store-front services are brought to the community, to the elderly and to the handicapped. Experience has shown how important it is to go where people need services rather than waiting for them in the central offices. |
| Community Organization | Issues that cannot be solved through individual advocacy but rather require policy change and affect large numbers of people are identified; community workers organize groups to advocate for rights. Issues that bring together people of diverse backgrounds are defined. They can be tackled by establishing new autonomous organizations or by changing laws or regulations. Advocating for change takes into account the needs of disadvantaged groups. |
| Participation | Participation is both a method and an outcome in human rights advocacy practice. Participating in decision making is a right and an essential tool of empowerment. Through participation, people become claimants. |
| Policy Analysis | An ability to provide information on what is available and to receive rights underlies all of the above methodologies. In many cases this information is not readily available and reading laws by qualified people is necessary to understand and to translate the legal language into rights. Key issues that arise from policy analysis are brought to the attention of the public. |