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Thinking Outside The Box

THINKING OUT OF THE BOX

Do not confine yourself to the traditional forums discussed in the preceding chapters. Create your own. Be innovative and explore other avenues for shining a spotlight on your issue, garnering media attention, and building public support and political will. By thinking and acting outside the box, you may be able to achieve the same or similar results you could achieve through more traditional avenues and, at a minimum, lay a stronger foundation for future efforts in one of the traditional forums. Among the countless possibilities, you might:

Establish an organization or a new chapter of an existing one back to top
Being part of an institution often conveys to decision-makers staying power, organizational resources, and commitment. It can also amplify your voice and give you credibility with them because you have the weight and name of the organization behind you. Many civil rights and other advocacy organizations, such as League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the NAACP, and the ACLU have a chapter structure that you can plug into.

Leverage the election season-Just be careful back to top
You will find that politicians are usually more accessible and accountable during election season. Use this time as an opportunity to find out where they stand on your issues and get concessions on the record. Organize a candidate forum or an accountability session-if they refuse to come, that is a story in itself (and an indication of their lack of regard for you and your issue); if they actually attend, that’s also a story. You can also distribute a candidate survey or show up at one of their town hall meetings or debates and ask them a question in front of the audience.

Be careful that you don’t engage in any activities that are prohibited for nonprofits. You have to give all candidates equal opportunity. You can never support or oppose a political candidate or engage in “electioneering.” Avoid even the appearance that you are doing so. It’s a fine line; make sure you know the rules so that you do not break them. A number of publications and organizations provide detailed information on the do’s and don’ts of nonprofit advocacy. A recommended place to start is the Alliance for Justice. Visit its website at http://www.allianceforjustice.org/nonprofit/index.html or call (202) 822-6070.

Request a public hearing back to top
Just about any elected official or governmental body has the discretion to hold a public hearing without having to go through the legislative process. Ask your congressional or state legislative representative to hold a hearing on an incident in his or her district. Approach the Human Relations Commission or another governmental agency. Also consider nonpublic entities that can host public hearings that draw a crowd and media attention. Examples are Amnesty International, the League of Women Voters, and civil rights, and human rights organizations.

Try to interest investigative reporters back to top
If information is being withheld under a shroud of secrecy and you suspect that something may be awry (or at least a good scoop), try to get a local investigative reporter interested in exposing the truth. She or he may be able to get information that you cannot, and any article she or he publishes, or a TV or radio report that is broadcast, will heighten public awareness of the problem and provide an objective source to bolster your agenda.

Organize a town hall meeting back to top
Town hall meetings are good mobilization tools to educate and motivate people to take action and to collect stories and identify good spokespersons. They are also a way of creating a forum to raise the profile of your issue. If you plan carefully to ensure it will be well-attended, you can often get the local news-television and radio-to cover it. To increase your chances of media coverage, try to get a local news anchor or radio personality to moderate the event.
Engage in public actions back to top
Public actions provide another opportunity to showcase your issue and draw public attention. They include public theater such as mime, spoken word, and rap and demonstrations and sit-ins. They remind the public and decision-makers that there’s another point of view, and they keep the issue alive while you advocate for change.

Develop an issue-oriented website back to top
A website dedicated to your issue can move your advocacy efforts forward. By featuring concrete information rather than rhetoric, your website can become a useful tool for encouraging discussion.

Pass resolutions back to top
You can build public support and political will by getting local entities to pass resolutions supporting your agenda. Whatever the issue or entity, resolutions effectively force governmental bodies to take a stand on what is good for the community.
 
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