Meet with Congress on critical human rights issues
All are welcome to participate in Amnesty International USA’s grassroots advocacy. You will be provided with the training, materials, and guidance you need to run a successful lobby visit with your legislators.
2023 Spring Lobby Weeks
Your representative and senators are likely to be in a district office April 3-April 14, making this a good time to meet locally with them. If those dates don’t work for you, you may schedule a meeting with the district office congressional staff any time this Spring. District office congressional staff are based in your state, not in Washington, D.C. All Members of Congress have district offices.
Lobby With Us
April 3-14, 2023
Amnesty activists across the country will meet in district with Members of Congress and ask them to protect individuals at risk and protect the right to protest in Sri Lanka.
Follow the checklist below to join us in demanding that elected officials take action for human rights.
Pre-Lobby Action Checklist
[Placeholder for Zoom embed]
Leave Behinds are documents that you will leave behind with Congressional staffers. For virtual lobby meetings, you will email these document to staffers in advance, during, or after your meeting. Materials updated 3/30/2023.
- Protect the Protest in Sri Lanka Leave Behind: Provide this document to Congressional staff.
- Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Leave Behind: Provide this document to Congressional staff.
- Defending Freedoms Project Leave Behind: Provide this document to Congressional staff.
- Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine Leave Behind: Provide this document to Congressional staff.
- Pass the Global Voices of Freedom Act Leave Behind: Provide this document to Congressional staff.
- Close Guantánamo Bay Detention Center Leave Behind: Provide this document to Congressional staff.
- March 30th Issue Briefing & Lobbying 101 Slides: Internal only document. Do not provide this document to Congressional staff.
Use the guides below to practice with your state’s delegation before your lobby meeting.
- Read through our lobbying tip sheet and roleplay exercise.
- Your state’s Legislative Coordinator will invite you to a lobby meeting practice session with the rest of your state’s delegation. If you haven’t been in touch with your state’s Legislative Coordinator yet, email us.
- How we talk about these issues is important. As you practice your meetings, keep this AIUSA policy guide in mind.
If you don’t know who that is, contact us.
It’s vital to report out on your meeting in as much detail as possible. Please complete your meeting debrief by April 30, 2023.
With permission, screenshot your meeting and tweet about your visit using #AmnestyLobby and tagging @amnestyusa.
Did you enjoy your lobbying experience? AIUSA Legislative Coordinators build relationships with elected officials and train and mobilize activists in their state to lobby. Apply now.