Monday, October 13, 2008

• Top 10 Ways to Take Action
• Advocacy Tools
• Fact Sheets
• Materials

• Presentations
• Organizing Tools
• Workshop Tools

Top 10 Ways to Take Action

Top Ten Ways to Take Action on Darfur
March 26, 2007
"Here is the latest top ten ways to take action on Darfur. Click here to find new ways to increase pressure on the administration in your community..."  Go >

Top Ten Ways to Take Action to Cancel Africa's Debt
March 26, 2007
"Here is the latest top ten ways to take action to cancel Africa's debt. Click here to find new ways to educate, and organize your community on the impact of Africa's illigetimate debt burden..."  Go >

Top Ten Ways to Take Action to End HIV/AIDS in Africa
March 26, 2007
"Here is the latest updated top ten ways to take action to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. Click here to find new ways to take action in your community..."  Go >

Advocacy Tools

08: Vote to End Global AIDS
December 21, 2007
"This poster can be used by activists on the campaign trail in the final build-up to the January primaries. It outlines the positions of leading candidates from both parties on global HIV/AIDS and rates them according to their stances on this issue. Recognizing that HIV/AIDS is the greatest global threat today, Africa Action urges voters to make fighting the pandemic a central issue in the 2008 U.S. presidential election..."  Go >

Civil Society Letter to IMF
October 4, 2007 - Marie Clarke-Brill
The letter addresses an IMF Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) report that finds as much as 74% of additional foreign aid to 29 countries in sub-Saharan Africa between 1999-2005 has been diverted from its intended purposes and allocated to domestic debt payment and international currency reserves because of IMF policies regulating macroeconomic and monetary policies.  Go >

Media Training I: Letters to the Editor and Op Eds
March 16, 2006
Audio file (mp3) of our March media training. This hour-long training focuses on how to write effective Letters to the Editor and Op Eds, and how to craft your message for the media.  Go >

Media Training II: How to Get Press to Your Event
April 14, 2006
This training covers the building blocks of a media-friendly event, the roles of press advisories and releases, the importance of a media strategy and includes an interactive messaging exercise.  Go >

Sample Letter to the Editor
December 12, 2006
"Here is a sample letter that can be used as a template to send to the editor of a local or national newspaper to alert them of the Darfur crisis..."  Go >

Welcome Williamson Card
January 9, 2008
"Download, print, sign and send this card to U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Richard Williamson, U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20520..."  Go >

Working with the Media
July 19, 2005
There are many ways to engage the media on issues that impact Africa. Engaging the media is important in the process of informing and shaping public opinion and setting priorities for our decision makers. By working successfully with the media, we can generate positive press coverage which will in turn help to create the public and political will needed to build more just relationships in U.S.-Africa policy.  Go >

Working with Your Member of Congress
July 19, 2005
Writing a letter is one of the most effective ways we can communicate with our elected officials. Since most Representatives and Senators tally public opinion to help them make decisions, think of the impact we can achieve by flooding Capitol Hill with thousands of letters!  Go >

Writing Letters to End Global Apartheid!
July 19, 2005
Letter writing is one of the easiest and most effective methods of campaigning for more just U.S. policies toward Africa. It shows decision makers and elected officials that we care enough to sit down, think about the issue and contact them.  Go >

Fact Sheets

Understanding Vulture Funds - Key Terms to Know
June 2008
"This glossary defines twelve important terms to help you better understand what vulture funds are and how activists can help protect African countries from the exploitative business practices of these 21st century profiteers..."  Go >

The Local is Global! - HIV/AIDS Factsheet
November 30, 2007
"At home and abroad, AIDS takes its most devastating toll in poor communities, where people lack access to adequate health care..."  Go >

Key Contacts for Africa Advocacy
April 24, 2007 - Africa Action & the Washington Office on Africa
"This directory of key Africa contacts and policymakers for the 110th Congress is produced jointly by Africa Action and the Washington Office on Africa (WOA). It is designed to facilitate communication with Congressional leaders as advocates address important issues on Africa..."  Go >

more >

Materials

Africa Action knows that some of the most effective public education happens outside of books, articles and other traditional resources - no matter how well-written or compelling. With that in mind, we offer below stickers, posters and T-shirts to help spread the word on our priority campaigns.

T-Shirts

Stickers

Posters

more >

Presentations

Just L.E.A.D. Campaign Flyer
October 1, 2008
"Download and print this flyer to learn how you and your community can get involved in Africa Action's Just L.E.A.D. Campaign for peace and justice in Darfur and all Sudan. Then, take action by sending a message to the next U.S. president..."  Go >

"Wake Up Everybody! Start to Build a New Day" (2) [ppt]
October 29, 2005 - Emira Woods, Africa Action Baraza 2005

“Wake Up Everybody! Start to Build a New Day!” (1)
October 29, 2005 - Jim Winkler, Africa Action Baraza 2005

more >

Organizing Tools

Witnessing Genocide Poster
April 11, 2008
"Click here to download the Witnessing Genocide event poster..."  Go >

Event: The Zimbabwe We Want
April 1, 2008
"Africa Action and TransAfrica Forum sent a small delegation to Zimbabwe to interview elements of Zimbabwean civil society and to observe the elections. We hope you will join us for a reception where Briggs Bomba, Imani Countess and Roxanne Lawson will share their analysis of the situation in Zimbabwe and an account of their experiences. Click here to download the flyer..."  Go >

Walk with me in Zimbabwe
March 18, 2008
"The press is already heating up with stories about Zimbabwe in advance of the March 29th elections. The question is - are you getting the whole story? Africa Action invites you to journey to the region through our new blog: Justzimbabwe. Click here to find out more..."  Go >

World AIDS Day 2007 - Save the Date!
November 16, 2007
Africa Action invites you to take the opportunity of World AIDS Day 2007 to mobilize with us in a rally and march to The White House on November 30, 2007...  Go >

Vote for Africa Action!
September 21, 2007
Africa Action is proud to be on the Work Assets Ballot for 2007! If you are a customer of Working Assets please take a moment to vote for us...  Go >

Banner of Handprints
February 1, 2007
"Click here to learn more about how your school, organization, or congregation can join us in creating a banner of red hands. Join us in this action as a part of our Campaign to Stop Genocide in Darfur..."  Go >

Faces of the UN
December 7, 2006
"Feel free to download this new Africa Action poster that depicts the face of UN peacekeeping missions and the decision-makers that run the UN..."  Go >

New Bumper Stickers!
December 6, 2006
"Contact us at outreach@africaaction.org to order our new bumper stickers. They are currently free of charge, so please take advantage of this opportunity to spread the word of the atrocities in Darfur every time you get in your car..."  Go >

Bird-Dog the Big Dogs 101
September 25, 2006
"This is a guide to "bird-dogging" on the issue of Darfur, though the same tactics could work for other issues as well."  Go >

Darfur Action Sheet
September 9, 2006
"Download and distribute this action sheet which explains the need for a UN force in Darfur and lists the top 10 ways to take action to stop genocide in Darfur..."  Go >

Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Guide
August 25, 2006
"The purpose of this guide is to enable you to participate in civil disobedience with Africa Action on September 9, 2006 or to create your own direct action..."  Go >

Decorate your Neighborhood: Sample Darfur Flyers
December 4, 2005
Help us to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur. Click here to download sample flyers to post in your neighborhood.  Go > [PDF] [PDF]

Places to Stay in D.C. for Mobilizations
August 18, 2005
A list of affordable hotels and hostels in the D.C. area. Africa Action does not promote or support these establishments and cannot guarantee the rates quoted or availability.  Go >

Directions to Lafayette Park/White House
August 18, 2005
"Africa Action often hosts events in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. Click here for directions..."  Go >

Campaign Graphics Catalogue
July 20, 2005
Feel free to incorporate the following graphics into your materials when campaigning with Africa Action.  Go >

How to Get Other People Involved
July 19, 2005
Even the most experienced organizers find it difficult to organize a group by themselves. For this reason, it is important that you find someone with whom to work. First, think about the close friends that you have. Are any of them interested in politics, activism, or social justice? If so, they’re probably a good place to start.  Go >

Sign-In Sheet
July 19, 2005

How to Organize an Event
July 19, 2005
Organizing events around an issue is a great way not only to draw attention to that issue but also only to recruit people interested in achieving the same goals as you. Depending on what you want to accomplish, the event could take a variety of formats, including a speaker's forum, panel presentation, discussion group, press event, demonstration, vigil or many other creative ideas. A central way to advance a cause (whether it’s ending HIV/AIDS in Africa, advocating for debt cancellation or organizing to stop the genocide in Darfur) is to organize an event to raise the profile of the issue in the media.  Go >

Event Ideas
July 19, 2005
Events are great ways to engage your community in action and to draw greater visibility to the issue. Feel free to use one of the event ideas below or allow this list to spark your imagination to create your own unique event.  Go >

Chants on Debt
July 19, 2005

Chants on Darfur
July 19, 2005

Chants on HIV/AIDS
July 19, 2005

Film Festival Kit
July 5, 2005
The Film Festival Kit contains useful tools to help you organize a film festival, along with fast facts on the issues, ways to take action, and information on films of interest concerning Africa Action's three primary campaigns.  Go >

World AIDS Day Film Guide
December 1, 2004
"This World AIDS Day, December 1, Africa Action invites you to host a film screening on HIV/AIDS and lead a post-film discussion to help guide viewers into an informed dialogue about the root causes of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, the current state of treatment access on the continent and the role of pharmaceutical companies in limiting access to essential HIV/AIDS medicines..."  Go >

Anniversary of Rwandan Genocide Film Guide
April 6, 2004
"Africa Action has created this guide to help activists organize film screenings in their community to commemorate the Rwandan genocide and generate discussion on the genocide in Darfur..."  Go >

Workshop Tools

Build Your Own Workshop!

Workshops can be fun and effective ways to educate people about an issue and engage them in action. Workshops on issues connected to Africa are especially important in light of the massive misinformation that exists in the world about Africa. The best workshops on Africa or African issues will help to educate people, de-bunk common myths and inspire people to learn more or to take action on the issue being presented. Africa Action is pleased to lead workshops, when time permits, on a variety of issues that relate to Africa. However, since we are limited in capacity, we cannot meet all the requests made to us for workshops. Thus, we have developed the following sample workshops and a series of tools and tips that can help you to lead your own workshop on African issues. If you are new to leading workshops, feel free to contact us for advice in the process. You can reach us with workshop questions at outreach[at]africaaction.org.

(These resources were prepared by Africa Action. Feel free to copy workshop samples and tools to share, but please credit Africa Action.)

More Tools and Resources
July 20, 2005

Tool: Farmworker's Circle
July 20, 2005
The Farmworker’s Circle is a tool for affirmation and inspiration, to leave the workshop feeling upbeat and empowered. This can be especially helpful if the participants are feeling overwhelmed by the challenges in the world or wondering if their action will really help.  Go >

Tool: Jelly Bean Debt Exercise
July 20, 2005
Explaining the international debt crisis to beginners can be very difficult and, for those new to issues of the global economy, it can be confusing or boring. This exercise helps to involve the participants and engage them in the issue.  Go >

Tool: Mixed Media Messages
July 20, 2005
When leading a media skills-building workshop – or section of a workshop – it is helpful to practice media messages. It is important for people to learn how to craft effective messages that support the overall goals of the work as well as to be able to identify poor messages that come through in the media. The following tool helps in this process.  Go >

Tool: RainMaker
July 20, 2005
If you need to get people moving to keep the energy up, especially if your workshop is later in the day or if people have gotten sleepy or discouraged along the way, use the RainMaker.  Go >

Tool: Rolling Reporter
July 20, 2005
When discussing the value of the media, or in media skill sharing sessions, you might consider engaging people in role-play to help participants to practice their messages. The “Rolling Reporter” is one way to do so while emphasizing the importance of media messages being short and to the point, even when the media asks seemingly irrelevant questions.  Go >

Tool: Sample Workshop on Africa
July 18, 2005

Tool: Sample Workshop on Debt
July 19, 2005

Tool: Sample Workshop on HIV/AIDS
July 19, 2005
How can Apartheid be Global? Consider: an international system of minority rule (through control of the major global decision-making bodies) whose attributes include: differential access to basic human rights, where wealth and power is structured by race and place, embedded in global economic processes, political institutions and cultural assumptions. The HIV/AIDS pandemic, concentrated among Black people, reflects the deadly impact of Global Apartheid. Africa Action is building a movement of informed individuals across the U.S, and this workshop will explore consistent, clear, and simple means for taking action towards Ending Global Apartheid and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  Go >

Tool: Word Association
July 20, 2005
Word Association Exercises can be a helpful tool in a variety of circumstances and for a wide range of issues. The exercise helps to gauge an audience’s awareness of an issue and to draw out myths or misunderstandings that the audience might have.  Go >

Tool: Workshop DOs and DON'Ts
July 20, 2005