Braz,
I think you're on to something here. It's the same strategy the police use
in getting confessions out of suspects - the good cop, bad cop routine. You
need the conciliators to soften them up, and the hard hitters to let them
know what the stakes are.
Both are useful in their own time if used strategically. However, we have to
be able to work together on this. If we're squabbling amongst ourselves
about the right approach, we're sitting ducks for an ideologically driven
power régime.
David

At 02:18 PM 09/01/98 -0500, you wrote:
>The message from Alana LaPerle and the response from Dennis Raphael
>illustrate that within the field of health promotion, as in all fields, we
>can be working towards the same goal using different approaches.  I'd like
>to use this exchange to illustrate the way I see the two approaches being
>represented.
>
>Alana seems to represent a collaborative or partnership approach.  The goal
>is to reach an understanding with the political leaders whether or not you
>agree with them, find common ground and make change from there.  Dennis
>seems to represent a confrontational activist approach where political
>leaders are challenged head on and forced to answer for their actions.
>Change is accomplished by generating public resistance to something that is
>being done, or support for something that needs to be done.  Politicians
>then have to change or lose voter support.
>
>My opinion is that each of us must use the strategies that we are
>comfortable with and the skills that we possess.  For some that means being
>an "advocate" and for some an "adversary".  I would not take this idea to
>the extreme where any means would be justified, but I do believe that a wide
>range of strategies or approaches implemented concurrently is much more
>effective than a one alone.
>
>Any further thoughts on this from anyone?
>
>Braz King
>Managing Director
>Smaller World Communications
>116 Westwood Lane
>Richmond Hill, ON
>L4C 6Y3
>(905)771-6965
>(905)771-7974
>
>
David Burman                    [log in to unmask]
University of Toronto           phone: 416-978-0536
19 Russell Street               fax: 416-978-8511
Toronto, ON, Canada
M5S 2S2