ADVOCACY BASICS
Advocacy is about making your voice heard, or speaking out on behalf of those who have no voice…
-to others in a community
-to the media
-to politicians
Strategies to achieve your goals include creating social networks, community organizing, lobbying, education, fundraising, and other advocacy “tools”.
• When change needs to occur, advocacy has a role to play
• Have a clear objective- be able to identify your issue.
• Create concise, clear presentations to explain your position.
• Know your audience- different groups may respond to different messages.
• Consider forming coalitions to strengthen your collective voice.
• Aim to give more than facts- empower others to action
• give specific examples of how to proceed
• Offer solutions and advocate for them!
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
Register to vote and educate yourself and others on election issues.
Write Op-Ed pieces and Letters to the editor
Write, telephone, and visit your elected representatives:
U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (ask for your Senator's and/or Representative's office)
Address for Representatives: www.house.gov
Address for Senators: www.senate.gov
White House comment line: 202-456-1111
Email the White House: President@WhiteHouse.gov.
Fax the White House at 202-456-2461.
HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Universal Declaration of Human Rights: www.un.org/en/documents/udhr
World Social Forum: http://wsf2007.org
Social Medicine Portal: http://www.socialmedicine.org
HEALTH CARE FOR ALL
People’s Health Movement: http://phmovement.org
Health Care for America NOW!: http://www.healthcareforamericanow.org
Physicians for a National Health Plan: http://www.pnhp.org
Cure This!: http://www.curethis.org
Global Health Watch: http://www.ghwatch.org
National Physicians’ Alliance: http://npalliance.org
WAR AND VIOLENCE
Global:
Physicians for Social Responsibility: www.psr.org
Physicans for Human Rights: www.physiciansforhumanrights.org
Emergency: www.emergencyusa.org
Act Now To Stop War & End Racism: www.answerla.org
Code Pink: www.codepinkalert.com
Office of the Americas: officeoftheamericas.org
Medact http://www.medact.org
School of the Americas Watch: http://www.soaw.org
Voices for Creative Non-Violence: www.vcnv.org
Iraq and Afghanistan:
Iraq Action Group at UCSF: www.iraqactiongroup.org
Education for Peace in Iraq Center: www.epic-usa.org
No More Victims: nomorevictims.org
Rethink Afghanistan- a documentary that brings to life many aspects of the occupation and its consequences: www.rethinkafghanistan.com
Turquoise Mountain Foundation- restoring the historic commercial center of Kabul and constructing a new bazaar and galleries for traditional craft businesses- www.turquoisemountain.org
Israel/Palestine:
American Jews for a Just Peace: http://www.ajjp.org
Gaza Community Mental Health Center: www.gazamentalhealth.orgwww.combatantsforpeace.org
US Campaign to End the Occupation: http://www.endtheoccupation.org
IMMIGRANTS’ RIGHTS:
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights L.A.: http://chirla.org
Instituto de Educacian Popular del Sur de California: http://www.idepsca.org
