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Worksheet for Effective Advocacy
Background Research
Think about the following questions:
- Who are my elected officials? Why am I relevant to them? (Hint: Living in the district makes you a constituent. Registering to vote there makes you an elector.)
- What is their legislative record and general philosophy on refugee issues?
- What issues are my elected officials passionate about?
- What committees are my elected officials on?
- Are my elected officials newly elected, or more senior?
- What party do my elected officials belong to?
Message Development
- Tell a compelling story – you have something of value to contribute!
- Know your facts (see our factsheet and FAQ on Palestinian refugees)
- Make your message your own – why is the Right of Return important to you and your community?
- Be positive – how can you and the elected official work together to solve a mutual problem?
General Message Delivery
These tips apply to all communications – letters, phone calls, and meetings.
- Decide which method of communication suits you and your purpose.
- Develop a thoughtful, well-argued message. (volume does not equal effectiveness)
- Ask your member to take a specific action in support of the Right of Return.
- Ask your member to respond to the request.
- Make it clear what your priorities are.
- Tell your congressional office how you can be an ongoing resource on the Right of Return in their district or state.
- Make your message targeted and forceful without being rude or threatening.
- Tell the truth.
- Respond reasonably/rationally about opposing points of view.
- Be prepared to answer questions about opposing arguments.
Effective Meetings
- Determine whether a meeting is needed to deliver the message.
- Decide where you want to meet after looking at the congressional calendar at www.house.gov or www.senate.gov.
- Decide who you want to deliver your message (preferably someone from the district).
- Limit the number of people you bring to the meeting.
- If you’re in DC for a national meeting, try to coordinate with others from your state.
- Fax the scheduler a meeting request, including a list of issues and attendees.
- Follow-up with a phone call to the scheduler after sending a written request. (find fax and phone numbers at www.congress.org)
- Schedule carefully to ensure you will be on time, but not too early, for each meeting.
- On voting days, try to schedule meetings with members before 11:00 A.M.
- Be prepared to meet anywhere – standing up in the hallway or on the run to a vote.
- Be prepared to deliver your message in five minutes. Practice!
- Don’t forget to get the names of staff members at the meeting.
- Make sure you have short, concise, and consistent information to leave behind. Don’t forget a one-page factsheet about the Right of Return.
- Leave your information in a file folder with your organization’s name on the label.
Effective Cultural Events/Site Visits
- Decide Who to Invite: Is this event/site visit for staff? Members? House members? Senators? A combination?
- Sketch Out a Plan: One way to make the invitation enticing is to be specific about what the elected official can hope to gain from the experience.
- How will the elected official get to and from the event? Directions? Parking? Escorts?
- Time: How much time can the member commit to the event? Do not try to cram too much into a short visit. Make sure you hit the highlights.
- Food: If this visit is going to occur during a regular mealtime, you should consider setting up a discussion over an informal buffet or box lunch.
- Weather: Obviously, you can’t control the weather, but you can be prepared for all possibilities. Make sure you have enough umbrellas, bug spray, or whatever you’ll need to make the visit pleasant for everyone.
- Attendance: Think carefully about who you want from your program to attend the event/visit, while keeping the total number of people to no more than will fit comfortably.
- Recording The Event And When To Bring In The Media: You want to be sure to capture this auspicious occasion. Draft a press release in advance of the event.
- Consider inviting the media – but avoid the “ambush”! Co-ordinate media planning for the advocacy event with the Congressional office(s).
Following Up
- Send a thank you note to the staff and the member soon after a meeting or event.
- Always ask again if you haven’t heard back, but give it some time.
- Report on your meeting in a non-threatening way.
- Be sure to let Al-Awda know how your meeting or phone call went by e-mailing a short summary to info@al-awda.org.
This material is adapted from materials on http://www.napta.net.
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