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My Voice Counts! Campaigns for Youth's Reproductive and Sexual Health: Advocacy and Organizing Toolkit [PDF]
Chapter 2. Educating Your Community
As a first step, get the support of as many people as possible in your community or school. Because the media has often covered the issue of teen pregnancy, many people are aware teen pregnancy rates in the United States. However, they may not have noticed that most media coverage of youth presents teens as "problems." Adults probably don't know what programs work best in teaching young people about sexual and reproductive health. They may not know what works best in reducing sexual risk-taking by youth or understand why the global "gag rule" undermines the well-being of women and their children around the world. Community forums and/or petition gathering are just two ways to educate your community about adolescent reproductive and sexual health issues and about the abilities and commitment of youth to improving young people's situation.
A. Community Forums
People can only support your efforts if they understand the issue, understand what needs to be changed and feel that they can make a difference. Community forums are excellent ways to educate parents, teachers, religious leaders, policy makers, and other youth about adolescent reproductive and sexual health issues. Community forums also offer an opportunity to solicit others' help in the next phases of your campaign.
What Are Community Forums?
- What is a community forum? A forum is an event where people who have experience in a particular subject share their knowledge, perspectives, and experience on an issue. It is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about an issue. It is also an excellent way to recruit activists. A community forum is an event that anyone can attend, where a panel of experts shares information, and where members of the audience can ask questions during a pre-set time (usually toward the end of the forum).
- Why hold a community forum? It is a great way to raise awareness in your community and to get people involved in an issue. It can provide an opportunity for activists to join forces to:
- Demand respect for youth's ability and willingness to make responsible choices about sex
- Advocate for the sexual health rights of youth
- Get local media to write about the issue.
- What is a forum's structure? A community forum should last about an hour (not longer than an hour-and-a-half)—long enough to educate your audience and short enough to keep their attention. Limit the forum to:
- Three presenters, each speaking for 12 to 15 minutes
- One question and answer session, lasting no more than 20 minutes (after all the presenters have spoken)
- Wrap-up session, when you motivate attendees to act.
The forum should have a moderator to introduce the speakers, coordinate questions from the audience, and handle disruptions (if any). You should also have a time-keeper, to help keep the forum on time.
- Where do I hold a forum? Consider a location and a time that will draw a natural audience, such as a school or campus building, immediately after classes, or a church or synagogue, immediately after services. The setting you choose for the forum will partially depend on the audience you wish to reach. If your target audience is parents or other students, then school may be the best location. If your audience is the community at large, then a community center or town hall meeting space may be the right location. Each location will have different regulations for use of the space. Once you decide on the ideal setting, contact the appropriate authority for that location, and follow the procedure set out for using the space.
- What should I call the forum? Experts say it should always be something catchy and interesting to get people to attend. For example,
Sex, It's Not So Hard to Talk About!
or
Respect My Right to Act Responsibly!
What Are the Keys to a Successful Event?
- Research your subject! Learn as much as you can about the subject. Learn the facts as well as the misinformation that circulates about the issue. Set clear goals for what you want to achieve. When you ask someone to speak at the forum, she/he will probably ask about your interest in adolescent reproductive and sexual health as well as about the specific topic of the forum. The prospective speaker may also ask about your goals for the forum. If you have done your homework on the issue and have specific goals for the forum, a professional will know that you are serious and will be more likely to respond positively to your request.
- Make your arrangements early! Because there is a lot to do to make a community forum a success, you should start planning the event at least six to eight weeks in advance.
- Contact potential speakers early, so that they can arrange their schedules and plan their presentations. This also provides you with enough time to book alternative speakers, if your first choice doesn't work out.
- Find a location that is easily accessible and central to your target audience. Book the location well in advance and arrange for audio-visual equipment, as needed.
- Develop a plan to advertise the forum. Be sure that you notify the media. (See the additional resources for a sample media advisory.) For a list of state and local papers in your area, visit Advocates for Youth's Take Action Center.
- Select dynamic speakers! Good speakers will help ensure that the forum is effective in getting your message across. Seek out speakers who have done progressive work on the issue, are knowledgeable about the subject, have the power to change policy, and/or will inspire participants to take action. If you don't know who to ask, check with your local department of health, pediatricians, pharmacists association, women's groups, school nurses association, Planned Parenthood affiliate, and/or any other group that is supportive of your issue. Possibilities for speakers include:
- The president or policy director of one of the types of organizations listed above
- Leaders of youth organizations
- Speakers from HIV and AIDS service organizations, family planning associations, and/or sex education agencies
- Policy makers, including city or county council members, members of the board of education, and/or progressive legislators.
Don't forget to invite student groups and staff from these organizations to the forum. You want a lot of people there; so invite as many potential allies as you can identify.
- Develop a detailed plan for the structure of the forum. The more organized you are, the more likely that the forum will be successful and that many people will attend. Make a list of all the questions you must answer to make your forum a success. Some of these questions include the following:
- When, where and at what time will the forum occur?
- How long should it last?
- How many people will speak and who are they?
- Who will moderate?
- Who will sponsor the event?
- Who will keep time?
- How much time will you allocate for questions from the audience?
- How will you publicize the event?
- How many organizations will be invited and how will the invitations go out?
- What printed resources will be available for participants to take home?
- How will you notify media about the event?
Finally, once the details have been decided, be sure to send a letter to each presenter, confirming the details of the forum, the structure and content of their presentations, and the audio-visual resources that will be available to them.
- Advertise. Make sure that people know about your forum well in advance. Get all the forum sponsors to assist in getting the word out. Involve other young people and adult allies in the community in widely advertising the event. Submit ads to your local and school papers for events calendars; include the event in announcements at organizational meetings and homerooms; and/or hand out flyers at community events. Place flyers on the bulletin boards at community centers, religious institutions, and popular hangouts. Local newspapers and radio, and/or cable television stations may be willing to run public service announcements (PSAs) about the forum.
- Be prepared to respond to opponents. Expect your opponents to come to the forum and to be vocal. Before the forum, prepare a non-confrontational response expressing the importance of dialogue. It is a good idea to ask everyone who wants to ask a question during the question and answer session where he/she lives and what organization she/he represents. While everyone attending the forum has a right to speak, those attending have a right to know exactly what organizations and/or position each speaker represents. To open discussion after an opposing question or comment, you could say, It sounds like there are some different views on this issue. It is important to hear different views, so who has a different viewpoint to express.
Do I Need a Checklist for the Big Day?
Yes! Your forum will run smoothly if all the important details are taken care of. Checklists can help you to ensure that nothing has been forgotten and that you have done every thing you can to make the event a success.
At least a week before the forum:
- Confirm that the room is still booked for the event and all necessary paperwork has been submitted.
- Confirm that all the presenters will attend and that you have all the information and equipment they will need.
- Confirm that all the audio-visual equipment, podiums, microphones, etc., have been ordered.
- Finalize any materials you plan to hand out on your issue, on the My Voice Counts Campaign, Advocates for Youth, and/or your campus club. Make sure you have enough copies for everyone you anticipate showing up.
- Copy or Print any petitions you wish to have at the event.
At least a day in advance, make sure that you have:
- Enough chairs for the number of people expected to attend as well as table, chairs, dais or podium, and props for the speakers.
- Sign-up sheets for participants so that you can contact them after the event.
- Media sign-in sheets for attending members of the press.
- Organized handouts that can be quickly distributed.
- Petitions on hand so youth can sign and support the issue right on the spot.
On the day of the event, make sure you:
- Arrive early to ensure that the room is properly set up.
- Assign volunteers to key locations to properly service the event.
- Place sign-in sheets and materials where people will enter the event.
- Test all audio-visual equipment to ensure that everything is in working order.
What Follow-Up Is Needed?
- Send thank you notes to the presenters for supporting the event and coming to speak!
- Thank, via e-mail if possible, the people who attended, reiterating what they can do to become or get more involved! Include a link to any petition, requesting that participants pass the petition on to friends and family.
- Contact Advocates for Youth about how the event went.
B. Petition Gathering
An important part of achieving change is to show that a lot of people agree with you. Gathering signatures on a petition about your issue is a great way to educate and activate people. Petitions help to build a movement without a lot of effort for you or the people who are signing the petition. The larger the movement becomes and the more signatures you get, the more likely it is that the public, the media, and policy makers will pay attention to you and the issues of adolescent reproductive and sexual health.
What Is Petitioning?
Petitioning is collecting signatures on a form in support of an issue, a bill, or a candidate. In some cases, a candidate or an electoral initiative requires that those who circulate the petition and those who sign must be registered voters. However, a petition designed to build an activist movement for an issue—like comprehensive sex education, confidential health care, or non-prescription status for emergency contraception—does not need the signatures of registered voters. These petitions still have a significant impact because they demonstrate public support for the issue. Thus, young people who are most affected by adolescent reproductive and sexual health issues can sign a petition and have an impact on policy makers. Petitions usually include a position statement on the issue followed by space for people to sign and provide contact information. When people sign the petition, they are agreeing to the positions spelled out in the petition.
Who Can Petition?
Anyone—youth, senior citizens, registered voters, you, your mom, your dad, your little sister, or your dog! (Okay, not your dog.) For a campaign in support of adolescent reproductive and sexual health, youth activists encourage other young people to lead in petition gathering. Anyone under age 25 can sign the petition—regardless of whether she/he is registered to vote or even a citizen of the United States.
Why Should I Petition?
In the United States, petitioning has had a long history as a way for people to make their voices heard. It is an easy way for a large number of people to voice their concerns about an issue.
Where Should I Petition?
Anywhere! Pick your spot! Your answers to the following questions will help you pick a great spot.
- Is it a visible area? (Pick a spot with good visibility, where you can see and be seen!)
- Do a lot of people pass by this area? (Pick an area with lots of foot traffic!)
- Do you need permission (say from a school or store) or a permit to use a park or public space? (That's okay, just check it out in advance, and get permission or a permit, if you need it.)
Good places to petition include:
- Online (Advocates for Youth includes all My Voice Counts! petitions on its Web site)
- In or in front of the cafeteria during lunch hour(s)
- At the student union or outside class buildings
- In front of a grocery store
- In or outside of youth centers
- In front of any local hangout for youth
- Near a subway station or bus stop.
How Do I Go about Petitioning?
Petitioning online—You can easily collect petitions online by following these steps:
- Go to Advocates for Youth's Web site and find the online petitions.
- Send e-mail, with a link to the petition (and the ePSA, if any) to all your friends, family, fellow students, and to Listservs you use. Include a personal message that encourages recipients to sign and forward the petition. Don't forget to sign the petition yourself.
- Post a link to the petition prominently on your Web site's homepage and ask organizations and other Webmasters to post it.
Petitioning in person—Gather up a few friends, some clipboards, extra pens, and plenty of energy. (Bring tables and chairs if that is how you plan to stage the petitioning.) Now, set out for your chosen location. Either 1) plan to sit at your table in an area with plenty of foot traffic and hope people will stop or 2) get out the clipboards and move among people, asking them to sign. Either method works and is fun.
Remember, always smile and ask politely for signatures. Be sure you explain briefly why you are seeking petition signatures. Then, thank people for their time and for signing.
Note: If someone does not want to sign, that's okay. Do not embarrass anyone or argue in an attempt to get him/her to sign.
Here is an example of how to request someone's signature:
You: Hi, do you have a second to sign a petition to show your support for young people's right to ______________________ (your issue)?
The other person: Sure, what's it for?
You: Today, young people all over the country are gathering signatures to show ______ (Congress, the President, School Board) that young people need and want ____________________ (your issue).
Be prepared to provide additional information on the issue if asked. Some young people may be in a hurry and ask no more questions. Others may want to know more. You can go to www.advocatesforyouth.org for valuable online information about adolescent reproductive and sexual health issues.
Source/Citation:
Azrak S et al. My Voice Counts! Campaigns for Youth's Reproductive and Sexual Health: Advocacy and Organizing Toolkit. Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, 2005.
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