Leadership Required to Make a Difference for B.C.’s Children and Families
I think that “leader” is a more useful word than “advocate” for describing what’s needed to create a comprehensive system of adequate child care supports for B.C.’s children and families. Many advocates are leaders, and I don’t want to dismiss the important work that many advocates do for children and families – the point is not create a choice between leaders and advocates. I simply think that the action of leadership is more essential for making a difference than is the action of advocacy. We need more leaders to change the child care system in B.C., not more advocates. And we need those leaders to come from the bottom up, or from the ranks of unpaid and under paid child workers – including parents, grandparents, preschool teachers, daycare workers, nannies and other early childhood educators.
An advocate speaks for someone, or on behalf of someone. In contrast, a leader speaks for herself by working with other people to build power and get heard. Leaders make a difference by influencing community life. That is why leaders are the most essential thing required to create change, build organizations and sustain movements for justice, or any other set of beliefs and values, all of which goes beyond advocacy – or speaking up on behalf of others. Leaders are needed in communities because they create and sustain organizations that shape cultural and community life. Leaders are required to influence community life and for an idea or cause be acted on and become part of society.
