The
Democracy Center - Citizen Action Series
Excerpts from The Democracy Owners
Manual
(To preview or purchase the book visit www.democracyctr.org)
Today the Internet is one of citizen advocacy's most important tools used for research, public education, organizing, political discussion, coordination and much more. Here are the Internet’s basic tools and how to use them effectively for advocacy:
E-mail allows groups to communicate cheaply and quickly with their support networks, mobilizing them for action or just keeping them informed. Some groups publish electronic newsletters. Others put out action alerts as part of lobbying efforts or mobilizations. Some of these actually give supporters the opportunity to take immediate action by e-mail, such as to a corporate or public official. Some groups have used e-mail petitions to mobilize support for a cause, though many never actually reach their official target and just end up floating through cyberspace like a useless electronic chain letter.
Web Sites
Advocacy organizations use their Web sites for many purposes all at once as a library, calling card, meeting room, a platform for taking action, a portal to other groups and resources, and with the most modern features, even a radio and television station. It doesn’t necessarily take the fanciest technology to make a Web site effective, often it just takes clear and creative use of the simplest ones. A strong advocacy-oriented Web site gives people the essential information they need to know (with links to more for those who want it) and the basic tools they need to take action. Typically, such a site will include a home page, a publications section, a request for visitors’ e-mail addresses, some information on the organization, and a variety of other basic features. More elaborate features include searchable data bases and discussion forums.
List Serves and Discussion Groups
List serves and discussion groups are methods by which participants can send out messages to large groups of others interested in the same topic. The main question in putting these together is how open or controlled you want them to be, i.e. who has access to the list.
© The Democracy Center, 2002
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