Civil Rights and the "War on Terror"
- Agonize or Organize! Hold a Public Forum on USA PATRIOT ACT and other Domestic "War on Terror" Policies
The Why
Why hold a public forum? Most of the general public is unaware of the many threats to civil and human rights and other problems associated with the USA PATRIOT Act and other "War on Terror" policies.
The first step is to mobilize activists to help increases public awareness. Organizing a public forum is a great way to accomplish this task. Colleges and universities are especially good places to organize an event since the new law and policies affect students, teachers, and administrators. Local libraries are also good places because the USA PATRIOT Act infringes on the rights of librarians and book borrowers. Community centers and houses of worship are also good locations, since the USA PATRIOT Act affects individuals there, too. A forum is especially appropriate because it creates a public space for dialogue and discussion for all.
Just remember that the "War on Terror" affects everyone in your community. So, the goal is to form alliances by cooperating with as many groups as possible, including other human rights groups, civil liberties groups, local officials, religious groups, student clubs, faculty members, school administrators, and, libertarian-minded political groups. As you begin to organize the event, keep in mind that the idea is to have an open dialogue - a space where everyone can discuss their rights, responsibilities, and concerns relating to the USA PATRIOT Act and the War on Terror.
The How
Now that you have the goal in mind, you can make it happen with a few guidelines:
Think Interactive. By actively involving your audience, you greatly increase the success of the event. Depending on the size and type of audience, you can do a variety of things. Here are three examples of interactive activities you should include:
- Begin with a short ice breaker: Reserve about 10 minutes for this activity. Ask everyone to mark on a timeline a point in their life during which they felt their civil or human rights were violated. Then have a few participants talk about these events in their lives.
- Facilitate a question & answer session: Reserve about 10-15 minutes at the end of the forum for this activity.
- Provide an action: Give participants the opportunity to engage immediately in activism by having a letter printed and ready for participants to sign (consider any of the letters included in this packet).
Form Coalitions. Collaborating with other groups increases the credibility of your message as well as the resources available to you. Think outside the box and outside of your own neighborhood. Consider having your Amnesty International group coordinate with the ACLU, Arab-American organizations, library associations, privacy groups, taxpayers' rights advocates and others interested in these issues. The more diverse the coalition, the more it shows that people of very different perspectives share common concerns about these policies.
Recruit Relevant Speakers. The key to organizing this forum is having the right speakers who are informed about the USA PATRIOT Act and/or the war on terror, and the consequences for your community or campus. Approach civic and campus leaders who might be interested. Ask them about contacts with others who have been designated to deal with USA PATRIOT Act issues such as library security, network security, and the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System). Also consider community activists, academic or faculty committee chairs, lawyers and/or community leaders. During your search, make sure you discuss the content and purpose of the forum with each prospective speaker, let them know how long they should speak, and be sure to check whether they will be willing to answer questions from the audience. If you need help identifying a speaker, contact your regional office of Amnesty International (www.amnestyusa.org) or ACLU (www.aclu.org).
The Plan
Finally, here is a checklist that will ensure a successful event:
- Brainstorm. Define your goals for this event. Formulate a timeline to follow as you carry out your planning, which includes contacting other groups and prospective speakers far ahead of the event. Find a location with good accessibility, appropriate space, and sound equipment. Also, decide on a budget and determine where you can get additional funding should you need it.
- Contact. As soon as you are done with the brainstorming, contact other groups and speakers, and confirm their participation before the next step.
- Publicize. Once you have received confirmation from all participants, begin creating public awareness and media for your event (flyers, brochures, press release, and etc...). Consider using school newspapers, local weeklies, announcement bulletins, class announcements, chalking, flyers, public/campus radio, and etc...
- Media. Get media coverage in three simple steps. First, using the Internet or the yellow pages, get a list (phone and fax numbers) of local media (newspapers, radio stations, TV stations). Then, five days before the event send out a press release (see sample press release in Activist Toolkit). Finally, two days before the event, call up news editors at each media outlet and explain why the forum is important and why they should cover it.
- The Event. Have a facilitator introduce the speakers, and present Amnesty International's role in this event. Also, don't forget to keep track of time.
- Follow-Up. After the event, remember to thank your speakers. Also contact people who expressed an interest in being a part of Amnesty International or a resolution campaign. Don't forget to congratulate yourself on having accomplished the action!
A Possible Next Step: Resolutions
Passing a community or campus resolution against the USA PATRIOT Act is a viable project that sends a powerful message and can produce concrete changes. A resolution has the two-fold purpose of affirming the principles of civil and human rights and expressing opposition to the USA PATRIOT Act. Across the nation, local councils and university/college governing bodies have passed resolutions opposing implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act. Before you embark on a resolution campaign, you should first determine whether your community would generally be supportive of such an effort.
During the planning of the public forum, discuss with other groups, speakers, and local and campus leaders the possibility of introducing a resolution in your community or on campus. Throughout the forum, refer to the resolution as a means of opposing the more problematic parts of the USA PATRIOT Act. At the end of the forum, have a sign-up sheet for those who are interested in working on such a resolution, and follow up with these individuals after the forum.
