Here are some ideas and ways to reach out to the many people
who may or may not know about the movement to Drive Out the Bush Regime. We need tens of thousands and eventually
millions of people to succeed in our demand: Bush Step Down! And Take Your
Program with You.
We should make a real effort to reach broad sections of
people and not underestimate the degree to which they are agonizing over the
disastrous course the Bush Regime is taking this country and the world. We need to do outreach to both the
‘usual’ and ‘unusual’ suspects to alert and mobilize their membership for the
State of the Union events, January 31 and Feb. 4 and beyond. This is a template
that can be updated and used beyond the State of the Union events. It’s very important that we provide
these organizations with all the materials they need so that it will make it
easy for them to pass them on to their membership.
ORGANIZATIONS WITH LARGE EMAIL LISTS
One way to
approach this is to develop an email announcement that can be sent to
organizations, with an introductory note asking them to forward the
announcement to their e-list as well as to other organizations. Many organizations
work in coalitions or have networking circles. We
should try to focus on organizations that have an active base, not just a
handful of activists with an email list.
Note: You can put out a call to for everyone
to send the announcement to organizations they think would be interested. It
really won’t hurt if a group receives it more than once from different people!
The announcement can also be posted on organizations’ websites, bulletin boards
and blogs. And people can also add their personal endorsement (‘Here’s why I am
working with WCW, or why I’m going to Washington
on Feb 4¼’).
The email
should include a link to the website, and it could also have an ‘organizing
kit’ attached (PDF of the flyer and a list of ways that people can contribute.
The email should also ask each reader to forward the email to others.
The email
announcement should be visually eye-catching, short and sharp. Here is an
example:
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If not now, In his speech at Constitution Hall, Al Gore indicted the Bush Can you come to grips with this and NOT act? Can you know With the Alito And you can make it happen. How? Donate money, as much as you Make your plans now to participate in the State of the Union TUESDAY, In large cities and town squares across the country, we will SATURDAY, We will take our demand to the White House. This regime is Donate to get more ads on the radio and in newspapers, reaching the Forward |
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USUAL SUSPECTS
Peace and Justice Organizations, progressive
Synagogues, Churches, and Mosques, environmental/ecology groups, Lesbian Gay
Bisexual Transgender groups.
UNUSUAL SUSPECTS
Humane treatment of animals groups, lawyers, scientists , organizations
of disabled people, clinics and social service agencies, immigrant rights
groups, and librarians. People who work in non-profit organizations are
generally progressive.
Many seniors have responded to the Call. There have been a couple instances (one in
New York and one in the Bay Area) where people in retirement communities have
begun to hold meetings, raise money, etc. for WCW. Older people have a sense of
history, and older Jewish people actually do recognize the Hitler analogy.
RELIGIOUS
ORGANIZATIONS
There are many religious groups besides the churches. For
example, the African-American Disciples are generally progressive and exist in
many states. There are also organizations of religious people for choice and
groups that oppose ‘Intelligent Design’.
The Unitarian Universalist, United Church of Christ, MCC (LGBT) churches,
meditation and Zen centers are also progressive.
An example of reaching out to religious leaders: Get together an ‘organizing kit’, attractive
folders containing flyers, small posters, copy of the NY Times ad, and the
Letter to the Faith Community from
can be found on our website) and the following list of what you can do:
Here’s what you and your congregation can do to
Drive Out the Bush Regime:
In (insert your city), what would be the difference if the Faith
Community joined in and took a LEADING ROLE in the effort to drive out the Bush
regime? Could churches, large and small, make their voices heard and
actually join with others around this issue? Would they take this on,
making it their central focus right now? Could this actually change the course
of history?
· Endorse
the Call of The World Can’t Wait ( Drive Out the Bush Regime
· Reproduce the Call and make it available at your church. Call on
church members to pass them out at school, work and in their communities
· Post the bright green poster inside and outside your church
· Sell bus tickets to people walking out after services
· Announce the State of the Union protests from the pulpit, in CCD
and Sunday School classrooms, in your church bulletin, and post the
announcement on your website
· Invite World Can’t Wait to meet with your faith community. Call (Insert your local number)
· Arrange a showing of the Bush Commission DVD. This film
documents the opening session of the International Tribunal on Crimes Against
Humanity committed by the Bush administration
· Respond to the moral imperative to stop these crimes against
humanity by ringing the church bells at 8:00 pm, January 31, to drown
out Bush’s lies
· Invite the community to gather at the church on the night of the
State of the Union and then go into the streets with whistles and pots and
pans, raising the sound of resistance throughout the city:
Bring the Noise ( Drown
Out the Lies
Bush Step Down and Take Your Program with You!
· Ask everyone to contribute as much as they can to spread the
word and build this movement nationwide
‘That which you will not resist and mobilize to stop, you
will learn ( or be forced ( to accept.’
It can be very time-consuming to go to 20-30 churches or
try to set up meetings with ministers. A better approach is to identify 2-3 very
progressive ministers and ask them to send a letter to other churches calling
on them to rise to the challenge and mobilize their congregations for Jan. 31
and Feb. 4. They may have channels for reaching many ministers, eg. ecumenical
breakfasts, conferences, or by raising it within the denomination (Methodist or
UCC dioceses). There are also journalists who write regular columns on religion
or who have regular radio shows on religious themes.
Often churches have soup kitchens and child care centers that
reach into larger sections of people. If you talk with the minister or the
person responsible for the service, you may be able to make an announcement or
provide a written announcement that can be read during the service. Many
churches have peace and justice committees that will help arrange programs and
video showings. There are also coffee hours after services where you have a
chance to talk with people. Ask if you can have a table with literature, signup
sheets and other materials.
ARTICLES IN PUBLICATIONS WITH
TARGET AUDIENCES
One way to reach a large audience is through publications
aimed at specific interest groups. For example, there are usually a news weekly
in most cities. Locally prominent endorsers of the Call can write opinion
pieces or letters for these publications. The statements and articles that are
posted on the website can also be submitted to these publications. The Marc
Leno opinion piece, from the website, has been reprinted in GLBT newspapers.
Many of these weekly have free announcement listings for your meetings or
events.
FLYERING
Schools: Middle Schools, High Schools, Colleges and
Universities (get in touch with progressive/liberal groups on campus, ask them
to join the movement), Art and Technical schools.
Cultural Events: movies, theatres, concerts, dance,
galleries, poetry readings.
Stores and Restaurants: Don’t underestimate who will take
flyers, target an area and go from store to store asking them to take a stack
of flyers for distribution and to post them and/or the poster in their windows
or inside their store.
Rush hour commuters: public transportation centers,
downtown areas when people are pouring in or out of offices.