How PR training is helping one community advocate to elevate his work
How can challenging issues like antisemitism be addressed in our communities? David Decolongon of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) believes the solution lies in education and collaboration. To take his advocacy work to the next level, he鈥檚 now pursuing the Public Relations Certificate at SFU.
A civic-minded political science major, David began working at the B.C. Legislature in 2016, first as a legislative assistant then as a research officer. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, as he witnessed the increase in anti-Asian hate during that tense period, he began to reflect on ways he could make a difference through his work.
David鈥檚 family is of Filipino descent, and he remembers watching news stories about attacks on local Asian seniors and worrying about his elderly grandfather. Then he had a disturbing encounter of his own. 鈥淚 remember walking in downtown Victoria when someone screamed out at me. They told me to 鈥榞o home鈥�,鈥� he recalls.
At the time, David was working with the B.C. opposition critic for anti-racism and multiculturalism, a role that brought him in touch with the team at CIJA. With its long history of advocating for the Canadian Jewish community, the organization was sadly familiar with the way that troubling headlines in one region can turn diaspora communities into targets. David soon discovered that CIJA鈥檚 approach to combatting hate closely aligned with his own ideas.
鈥淚 believe we need to educate and work together with governments and society, and I found that the organized Jewish community very much had that same point of view,鈥� he says. Ready to plunge into advocacy work, David left the B.C. Legislature to join CIJA as its associate director of policy and communications for the Pacific region.
While experienced in policy, he says he felt less confident about the communication side of his new position. For formal training, David turned to SFU鈥檚 part-time program.
鈥淭o elevate the role, I needed to learn things in a more structured environment,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚n my jobs, I鈥檝e learned to write a press release, how to write a communication strategy. But a lot of those pieces felt very loose, and the course work at SFU has really provided me with structure and helped me to put a lot of the pieces of the puzzle together.鈥�
David says he values learning from instructors with PR experience in a variety of sectors. Their real-world examples have helped him to apply what he鈥檚 learning directly to his role. 鈥淚鈥檓 now in the course related to external relations and community engagement, which very much is the bread and butter of my work,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited that we鈥檙e getting into it.鈥�
David also says he鈥檚 grateful that provincial funding covered part of his tuition. 鈥淚 feel privileged that I was able to access the stronger BC future skills grant,鈥� he says, as it will allow him to complete the program in one year instead of the three it might otherwise have taken him.
Now halfway to earning the certificate, David is hopeful that he鈥檒l finish the program with the tools he needs to deepen his work: 鈥淚 believe I鈥檒l be able to consult with stakeholders and our community to tease out better, sharper policy solutions; write clear, concise policy statements and documents; write op-eds and pitch them to media; and have more effective advocacy with government on our issues.鈥�
Despite the challenges inherent in his work, David says he finds his role highly rewarding. He鈥檚 proud to have contributed to CIJA's advocacy to make Holocaust education mandatory in B.C. high schools, which had been a decades-long request from community leaders. He also feels encouraged by the new mandate letter for B.C.鈥檚 attorney general, which includes another item that CIJA has long been advocating: the protection of places of worship and their safe access.
鈥淥nce we actually start to see movements on these things, I find that extremely fulfilling,鈥� says David. 鈥淚t shows that public relations matters. Being able to bring people鈥檚 stories forward and being able to talk about these issues in an authentic way鈥攊t matters.鈥�
By Kim Mah