What are some best practices and resources for allyship and advocacy training?

1 Define your terms

Before you embark on any allyship and advocacy training, it's important to understand what these words mean and how they differ. Allyship is the ongoing process of supporting, empowering, and amplifying the voices of oppressed or marginalized groups, while recognizing your own privilege and biases. Advocacy is the action of speaking up for, or on behalf of, those who face injustice or discrimination, and challenging the systems and structures that perpetuate them. Both allyship and advocacy require humility, empathy, and accountability, and they are not static or one-time roles, but rather dynamic and evolving practices.

2 Assess your gaps

The next step in allyship and advocacy training is to identify your knowledge gaps and learning goals. What are the issues and perspectives that you are not familiar with or need to learn more about? What are the biases or assumptions that you may hold or encounter that could hinder your allyship and advocacy? How can you measure your progress and impact as an ally and advocate? These are some questions that you can ask yourself to assess your gaps and set your learning objectives. You can also seek feedback from others, especially those who belong to the groups that you want to support, and listen to their experiences and needs.

3 Seek diverse sources

One of the best ways to learn about allyship and advocacy is to seek diverse and credible sources of information and education. This could include books, podcasts, articles, videos, courses, webinars, workshops, events, or any other formats that cover topics such as social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, anti-oppression, human rights, intersectionality, and more. You can also follow and engage with activists, experts, organizations, and communities that are leading the way in allyship and advocacy, and learn from their insights and examples. However, be mindful not to expect or demand education from marginalized groups or individuals, as this can be exhausting and burdensome for them.

4 Apply your learning

Learning is not enough if you don't apply it to your actions and behaviors. Allyship and advocacy training should help you to become more aware, empathetic, respectful, and supportive of others, and to challenge yourself and others to change the status quo. This means that you should actively seek opportunities to practice allyship and advocacy in your everyday life, such as by amplifying marginalized voices, calling out injustice or discrimination, educating yourself and others, donating or volunteering for causes, joining or creating coalitions, and more. You should also be open to feedback, criticism, and mistakes, and be willing to learn from them and improve.

5 Keep learning

Allyship and advocacy training is not a one-time or finite process, but rather a lifelong and ongoing journey. You should never assume that you know everything or that you have reached the peak of allyship and advocacy. Instead, you should keep learning, growing, and evolving as an ally and advocate, and keep up with the changing issues and needs of the groups and individuals that you support. You should also keep reflecting on your own privilege, biases, and impact, and how you can use them for good. Allyship and advocacy training is not a destination, but a direction.

6 Find support

Finally, allyship and advocacy training can be challenging, emotional, and exhausting at times, especially if you face resistance, backlash, or burnout. That's why it's important to find support from others who share your values and goals, and who can offer you guidance, encouragement, and solidarity. You can join or create networks, groups, forums, or platforms where you can connect with other allies and advocates, exchange ideas, resources, stories, and strategies, and support each other's learning and growth. You can also seek mentorship or coaching from someone who has more experience or expertise in allyship and advocacy, and who can help you navigate the complexities and challenges.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?