The proposed policy encompasses the creation of the religious freedom club that targets a wide audience. The incentive focuses on students but covers community members, non-profit organizations, as well as policy-makers who pay attention to the matter or are involved in the corresponding programs. The implementation of any policy is associated with certain opportunities and challenges that have to be considered (Jansson, 2018). This paper includes a brief analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed policy.
One of the strengths of the development of the religious freedom club in the school-based setting is its format. Discussions and such events as a movie watch or musical venue are an appropriate platform for addressing the issue under consideration. Social media can become a potent tool to disseminate information and engage even a wider audience (Janson, 2018). Ahmed et al. (2017) claim that the creation of the ecosystem can facilitate the change as the members of the community share their experiences and learn how to respond to various situations.
The religious freedom club will be open to all members of the community who will be encouraged to join in and contribute. Thus, instead of simply understanding others, the participants of the project will be able to help others gain this understanding. Another strong aspect related to the incentive in question is the collaboration with non-profit organizations and policy-makers. Rocha et al. (2010) state that certain legal limitations to advocacy (that are often related to the lack of people’s awareness) can undermine the successful implementation of a policy. The collaborative work of the mentioned stakeholders will eliminate (or minimize) such barriers or mitigate their negative effects.
However, the policy is also characterized by some weaknesses that should be addressed. Rocha et al. (2010) emphasize that one of the major berries to effective advocacy of social workers is the lack of confidence and knowledge on the strategies and exact instruments advocates can utilize. Therefore, in addition to being speakers and the participants of events, policy-makers will also contribute to raising the staff’s awareness on advocacy and religion-related legislation. Enriching these people’s knowledge on advocacy will empower them to take action and use effective tools to make a difference (Schwartz-Tayri et al., 2020). Hence, it is important to make sure that those who implement the proposed policy are updated on the most recent strategies in advocacy and changes in legislation.
As far as clinical social workers’ practice is concerned, certain changes can occur as a result of the proposed policy. The project implies close interactions within the community and the creation of a network that can be used to address other social issues, such as gender or racial inequality, cultural bias, and so on. Social workers may use this network by introducing the projects and discussions, and they can create similar ecosystems that can be further combined into larger structures. Social workers’ clients will be most affected as they will feel more empowered to become agents of change rather than recipients of care.
In conclusion, it is necessary to state that the creation of a religious freedom club in a school-based environment can be instrumental in improving life in the community. People will understand each other, and more importantly, will develop confidence and the necessary skills to become advocates for changes in diverse spheres. The club can become the stimulus of social change as discussions assist in motivating people and making them more open to new experiences and new approaches.
References
Ahmed, S. R., Amer, M. M., & Killawi, A. (2017). The ecosystems perspective in social work: Implications for culturally competent practice with American Muslims. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 36(1-2), 48-72. Web.
Jansson, B. (2018). Becoming an effective policy advocate (8th ed.). Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning Series.
Rocha, C., Poe, B., & Thomas, V. (2010). Political activities of social workers: Addressing perceived barriers to political participation. Social Work, 55(4), 317-325. Web.
Schwartz-Tayri, T. M., Malka, M., Moshe-Grodofsky, M., & Gilbert, N. (2020). Integrating micro and macro practice: An evaluation of the policy advocacy course. Journal of Social Work Education, 1-14. Web.