Collective Courage: Breaking the Silence One Voice at a Time

Do you really think your voice will create change?

It is the question that lingers in the minds of so many who push back against broken, entrenched systems. When the barriers are this high and so many before us have tried and failed, it is tempting to believe that nothing will ever change.

And yet it can. Change is rarely quick or measurable. But when one person speaks up, it makes it safer for the next person to do the same. And then the next. And then the next. One voice becomes many, and that is when systems start to shake. That is collective courage.

Advocacy can be lonely. It is difficult to speak up in a system that rewards complacency and compliance. Those who stay quiet are seen as “easy to work with,” while those who name harm are labelled as difficult, unreasonable, or even a problem themselves. They show up in meetings outnumbered, around a table of “experts” who dismiss their concerns or listen only to appease rather than to truly understand. They write letters that go unanswered and watch children lose time they can never get back. Time without the supports they need. Time in environments that strip away dignity and rights. The exhaustion is real. The temptation to stop fighting is real too.

There have been times I have felt like it was impossible to create change. Times it felt easier to follow along with the majority than to stand out and question long-standing norms. Times when going quiet felt like the only way to keep the peace.

Silence does not create change. It breeds shame, turning us inward, carrying the weight of harm as if it were ours to bear alone. When we speak out and connect with others, we create space for compassion. We feel less isolated, less vulnerable, and less afraid. In telling the truth, we offer others the courage to tell theirs, and shame becomes courage. 

Silence protects systems, not children.

Collective courage grows every time someone speaks, even when it feels like no one is listening. Speaking out creates space for others to feel less alone, less afraid, and more willing to speak their truth.

Parents, caregivers, and advocates, when you speak, you are not speaking only for yourself. You are holding open a door for someone else. You are showing others that their experiences are real, that they are not imagining the harm, and that they are not alone.

This is how movements are built, one act of truth-telling at a time.

No single voice will fix everything. But together, we can shake the walls of the system. Together, we can refuse to let them hide behind policies that protect institutions instead of children. Together, we can demand more than empty promises.

Children are not disposable.
Their rights are not optional.
Their dignity is not negotiable.

Our silence will never protect them more than our truth will. Our words are weapons when used for justice. Our courage is contagious.

Speak.
Even if your voice shakes.
Even if they dismiss you.
Even if they don't want to hear what you are saying.

Someone is watching.
Someone is listening.
Someone is realizing they are not alone.

Your courage might be the reason they find theirs.