Staying Fit
In addition to participating in the occasional big event, such as a rally, march, or lobby day, you can organize your own gathering to raise awareness of your cause and recruit others to get involved.
"House parties," for example, are an increasingly popular organizing tool: You invite friends to your home for food and drinks and to watch an educational DVD, listen to a guest speaker, or join in a conference call with an expert or an official. Guests then may write letters, sign a petition, make donations, or join a mailing list.
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At some Amnesty International house parties, guests watch a documentary about interrogation practices used by the U.S. government, and then they can write a letter or sign a petition on behalf of specific detainees at Guantanamo.
By speaking up at a public forum—such as a "town hall" meeting hosted by a local politician or a public hearing—you can share your point of view on an issue. In this kind of venue, you can ask policy makers whether or not they’ll take a specific action. You also may capture the interest of the local media that are covering the event.
Several years ago, Herminia Servat’s immigrant-advocacy group, CASA de Maryland, drafted legislation addressing the problems of domestic workers in Montgomery County, Md. She and the other volunteers met with members of the county council individually and spoke at hearings and community meetings. CASA members gathered thousands of signatures at malls, churches, and Metro stations for a petition supporting the legislation. "We had to show the council that it wasn’t just domestic workers who wanted this passed," said Servat.
As a result of CASA’s efforts, the Montgomery County Council recently made law a measure providing greater rights for domestic workers. Believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, the law requires, among other things, that employers offer written contracts specifying the terms and conditions of employment, including hours of work and pay. "For so long, this work has been invisible and hidden, but now, finally, workers have a document supporting them and the support of the county," said Servat.
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