Learning Activity 1: Recognize and organize our motives

Applying the idea of the Golden Circle to education advocacy does not mean that  we have to spend most of our time looking for the one purpose that represents our deepest and noblest motive. Instead, we acknowledge that as human beings, our choices and actions are driven by many different motives, and we are often not fully conscious of what they are. We have many WHYs.

In addition, our different motives can undergo changes over time because of our new insights from our life experiences, and as we respond to changing situations. Some motives may become stronger and more important. Others may weaken, wane, and wither away.  New motives may emerge and come to the fore. Such is our life as human beings.  

In this learning activity, we seek to recognize what these different motives can be,  so that we can organize them and harness them for effective and sustained action.

We can cluster the different motives that drive us to engage in education advocacy, using our three keywords and generative themes – EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, CITIZENSHIP,

EDUCATION

• What Personal educational experiences or observations drive you to advocate for changes in our system of education?
• What specific education issues – policies, programs, governance – do you want to change through advocacy?
• What ideas on improving education have you learned from various sources and  which do you want to advocate?

ADVOCACY

• What Personal experiences, positive or negative, do you have in advocating any issue to any public authority, which you want to use in education advocacy?
• What observations do you have about other advocates and their advocacy activities that you want to use or avoid in your own advocacy?
• Do you feel frustrated at the silence of your fellow citizens, and do you feel that your voice can make a difference? 

CITIZENSHIP

• Do you believe that as a citizen, you have the right and responsibility to influence the government’s policies and programs?
• Would you rather just do what you can as an individual to improve the situation, or do you see the need to influence fellow citizens to act together to bring about needed changes?
• What are your experiences and ideas about influencing public opinion and public policy that you want to pursue?

You are the one who can best identify what your different motives really are, and judge in what way these motives can drive you to engage in education advocacy. In addition, exchange and compare with fellow learners your different motives, and explore how you can help each other further strengthen them.

In the following exercise,  make your baseline map of motives. From time to time,  refer to this baseline map to track your motivations as an education advocate.

Mapping of Personal Motives for Engaging in Education Advocacy as a Citizen

Use the framework to identify what you think are the different motives that currently drive you to engage in education advocacy as a citizen. They can be your experiences and observations, ideas, criticisms and aspirations, about EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, CITIZENSHIP, and other fields.

Questions after this Learning Activity:

• Do you have a clearer idea of your different motives for engaging  in education advocacy?
• Among your many motives, what are strongest as of now? 
• What motives do you need and want to further strengthen? 
• What steps will you take to make this happen?