What is awareness in terms of promoting causes? Is it basically about knowing the issues? What makes awareness effective in promoting causes like heritage conservation or disaster preparedness?
Awareness is an important or even the first step in promoting any cause. It's a challenge to preserve built heritage if people do not know the story and relevance of a heritage structure. In another sense, it is hard to promote disaster preparedness if people do not know the dangers of hazards and calamities that can happen to them. Most of the time, awareness provides information to address such concern. But is knowing already being aware?
It was a unique experience to for me today to have met Jaymee Leonen, a psychologist by profession and an advocate in the cause of parenting. Talking to her about heritage conservation in Calle Escolta in Manila, the topic of awareness was brought out. I realized that awareness is more than just knowing. Knowing is not enough. Invoking emotions is as important as giving facts and other information to a cause.
Is fear a good motivator for awareness? Fear can immobilize and make one surrender. But Ms. Leonen shared that, if fear is present, one can rise above it and act. Overcoming fear by knowing and acknowledging it and doing what is necessary. In other words, it is being empowered.
In the end, I realized that involving emotions is necessary in promoting awareness. Make the audience feel. It is the role of the advocate to connect the cause emotionally to the audience. Make them relate through stories. And in the end, make them realize that they can do something to help, that they can make a difference. To make others know, concerned and empowered, that is the goal of awareness.
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