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Dear Activist Abby,
I’m part of a local activist group. We’ve been around for a few years.
We have regular discussion meetings and occasionally hold rallies or
participate in larger events. But even though we’ve been around for a
little while, people don’t seem to know who we are. Any suggestions to
get noticed? - Notice me!
Dear Notice me!,
Like it or not, to get noticed you are going to have to work with the
media. That means letting your local newspapers, TV and radio know about
your events. Besides informing a larger public, the media can empower
residents, nudge politicians, and add momentum to a grassroots
initiative. Be careful, however, if you are not used to dealing with
the media. Many journalists look for stories rooted in conflict, error
and injustice. They may impose a confrontational agenda that can
actually make it more difficult for you to resolve your issue. For more
advice, read Making the News by Jason Salzman.
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Dear Activist Abby,
I’m trying to convince ordinary people of why we need higher fuel
emission standards. What do you think is a good way to reach folks?
- Concerned about Cars
Dear Concerned about Cars,
One good way to reach people is to approach local groups about speaking
before them. Any group that meets regularly, be it Lions or Rotary,
a church or a synagogue, a Chamber of Commerce or a political party,
is often looking for speakers. Chances are they’ll be happy to have
you come speak. For more on cleaner cars, see the Sierra Club’s
clean car campaign (www.sierraclub.org/planet/200206/carmakers.asp
or 202-675-2388).
- Activist Abby
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Dear Activist Abby
There is some debate among the ranks of my group. We are trying to stop
sprawl. We are up against big-time developers with a lot of money and a
lot of lawyers. We are mobilizing against a current project to build
condos on what is now open space, which is something we probably could
stop with enough pressure. But there are some among us who think we need
to get a town-wide initiative to buy up lots of open space. There seems
to be little broader support for this. But we just don’t have the people
to pursue both. What should we do? - Stumped by Sprawl
Dear Stumped by Sprawl,
Success breeds success, and if you can win one victory against these
condos and for open space, you will empower your members to take
on larger tasks, like tackling a town-wide initiative. For more
on sprawl, contact Sprawl Watch (202-332-7000 www.sprawlwatch.org,)
or Sprawl Busters (413- 772-6289, www.sprawl-busters.com).
Activist Abby
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