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THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR INTERNATIONAL ADVOCACY IN THE 21 ST CENTURY

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Authored By: Reyyan Mansoor

Middlesex University Dubai

Introduction

When referring to an advocate, one typically imagines a lawyer, and until recently, they would’ve been correct. In today’s day and age, advocacy has become more than just legal representation, and advocate ranges from legal professionals to trusted family and friends. An advocate refers to a person who acts for another individual or party, representing their case and acting on their behalf. They hold influence in decision making and ensure that peoples voices are heard and that their rights are respected.

Legal advocacy is the practice of bringing a case to the court or tribunal. They provide legal advice to their clients by means of informing them of their rights and their options should the client want to take the case to court. International advocacy focuses on the condition of human rights in various countries, influence global policy and promote change for a better and safer future. They aim to protect human rights and push for change and with the growth of social media, their work goes beyond national borders and into international waters.

Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube have taken the world by storm over the last decade, with people posting videos and letting the world become their audience. Challenges, Get Ready With Me (GRWM)’s, and the occasional drama have all become available with just a handful of apps on our phones. It’s not challenges or trends alone that bring engagement. Industries like the business, legal and social fields have started to use social media as a way to promote their institutions and services with short, attention-grabbing clips, even humanitarian groups use them to showcase their work and bring donations to better their cause.

Body

Not all types of advocacy go to the court-room, some take the form of letters, petitions, or campaigns. As previously stated, international advocacy aims to protect human rights and push for change in global policies and laws for a better future. Amnesty International, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), is an organization focused on human rights who hold a vision of “A world where everyone can enjoy the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights mechanisms”.[1]

The NGO’s “Write for Rights” campaign started in 2001 where millions of people worldwide write, sign, email and post for the release of individuals who have had their human rights violated through various means including wrongful conviction or detainment. One such individual was Moses Akatugba, who in 2013 was convicted of a robbery he never committed and was sentenced to death. He was subjected to torture and was forced to sign two pre-written confessions at just 16 years old. With the help of Amnesty International, hundreds of thousands of letters, petitions and more were sent to Emmanuel Uduaghan, the Governor of Nigeria’s Delta State who granted Moses a pardon in 2015, ten years after his arrest in 2005. In 2026, the campaign is still running strong with participation from millions of people, activists, and civilians.

International Advocacy organizations have strengthened accountability among and between nations. In order to understand legal accountability, it is pertinent to draw from Velasquez Rodriguez and Honduras (1988) where Velasquez, a 35 year old student activist,  was kidnapped by a group of armed people in civilian clothes.[2] His disappearance was one among many others. It was seen as public knowledge that these operations were undertaken by law enforcement and military officials who proceeded to deny any knowledge of disappearance or the events that occurred thereafter. He, along with other victims, were detained, tortured and ultimately executed. His family attempted to get any information at all but were refused every time.

The case went to the Inter-American Court on Human Rights held that the Honduras Government had violated multiple articles of the American Convention on Human Rights including Article 1(1) – obligation to respect rights, Article 4 – the right to life, Article 5- right to humane treatment and Article 7 – right to personal liberty. The court found that this was not an isolated incident, and compelled the Government of Honduras to pay compensation to Velasquez Rodriguez’s family.

An international human rights body – Inter-American Commission on Human Rights –  took the family’s case, owing to the complete refusal of officials to find Velasquez and the inability of the court to help them in any way that could be helpful to them. This shows how international advocacy bodies can take charge to bring justice and peace to families, individuals, and parties who are unable to get answers or feel heard in a way that can lead to a justified decision.

People like Moses Akatugba and Velasquez are only two of hundreds of cases where people have suffered injustice because of a court system and political interference. Organizations like Amnesty International and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights take those cases and bring them to light, with the help of hundreds of people to support them and get the justice they deserve.

With case law and principles, legislation also comes into play. Owing to agencies like Human Rights Watch, International Labour Organization (ILO), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), policies have been implemented to make the world we live in a better and much safer place.

Finally, the rise of social media has made launching campaigns, promoting policies and engaging in humanitarian work a global event in the last decade. These short 30 second – 1 minute videos are enough to engage the worldwide audience to act and take part in a cause that could change someones life.  In other words, social media connects people from all around the world.

In terms of where advocacy comes into play, there are different trends and challenges which have influenced the dissemination of information over last few years, many of which were extremely wide-spread and successful. One of the trends that took platforms by storm was the ‘Me Too Movement’, an initiative originally started by Tarana Burke in 2006 to help the survivors of sexual violence, abuse and harassment gain a sense of solidarity, peace and share a space with others who had suffered like them. It gained traction in 2017 online with women all over the world, coming forward with their stories and sharing their experiences with working in various industries while facing dismissive behaviour from their work places.

A similar trend was The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neuro-degenerative disease affecting a persons motor neurons leading to symptoms like paralysis and loss of motor function. The premise of the challenge was easy – having a friend of family member dump an entire bucket of ice water on the participant and donate to an ALS organization. It was started by three men in New York in 2014 and spread to over 15 million people raising over $115 million dollars globally going towards ALS research and treatment. The trend dominated social media platforms, all towards the ultimate focus of treating people.

Earth Hour, a similar trend, started in 2007 and encouraged citizens and tourists in Sydney, Austrailia to turn off their lights for one hour once a year all together. The purpose is to reduce energy consumption and bring notice to various environmental issues. They used social media as a means to promote their activities and it gained traction in over 20 countries getting billions of views and encouraging people all over the world to join in.

These trends are a few of many, showcasing the use of advocacy organizations incorporating social media into their operations, promoting their cause and engaging with a global audience. Volunteering has also become a huge part of these causes with social media becoming a tool in taking in applications and encouraging people from all over the world to support the cause and work organizations to promote change and make the world a better and safer place to live.

Conclusion

The 21st century has seen the rise of social media in ways that have never be seen before. For news, challenges and trends, the first app people open is Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, to share it with their friends or family and comment their views reaching a global audience. International advocacy has been growing for years, and social media has been an anchor to promote various activities and encourage international participation. Volunteering rates have also increased dramatically over the years, owing to the new-found availability of information. Overall, advocacy organizations have made strides  all over the world, making changes and improving peoples lives in ways they could never imagine and social media has made their reach a lot farther better the world, people and society.

Bibliogrpahy

Cases

  • Velasquez Rodriguez v Honduras Inter-American Court of Human Rights Series C No 4 (29 July 1988).

References

[1] Amnesty International, ‘Who We Are’ (Amnesty International) amnesty.org accessed 28 May 2026.

[2] Velasquez Rodriguez v Honduras (Merits) Inter-American Court of Human Rights Series C No 4 (29 July 1988).

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