We acknowledge and thank our colleagues at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) for providing much of the following excellent resources and information.
Meet with your Members of Congress during the August 2008 Recess
From August 8th to September 6th, your members of Congress will be back in their home districts. This Congressional recess is a great opportunity for you to meet with your Representative and Senators, or their staff. Most members of Congress will hold public meetings and forums during this period. Take advantage of these gatherings, or schedule a face-to-face meeting with your Congressperson to talk about Peace for Iraq.
Click on the links below to utilize the resources to help make your meetings with your members of Congress successful.
1. Find out who your members of Congress are and where their offices are. (After choosing your Senator or Representative, click on the “Contact” tab to find the location of their local offices.)
2. FCNL has prepared guides for scheduling Congressional meetings and meeting with Congress members.
Grassroots Toolkit: How to Schedule a Meeting with Your Member of Congress
Grassroots Toolkit: Meeting with Members of Congress
3. Eight Tips for a Successful Lobby Visit
4. Raising Questions about Peace with the Candidates
As the November election approaches, you’ll have an increasing number of opportunities to interact with candidates. You might attend town hall meetings, be invited to participate in telephone conference calls, or see candidates at other public events. FCNL has put together some tips for questioning congressional and presidential candidates about peace, including suggestions for raising these issues if you can’t get to a public forum.
Click here to see several questions from FCNL to ask the candidates that touch on Iraq, nuclear weapons, the environment, and other topics.
5. Congressional Bird-dogging Guide
For some tips on asking questions, be sure to check out FCNL’s bird-dogging guide as well.
6. Tips for finding Congressional meetings during the August recess. Click here for suggestions on finding the town hall meetings and forums that your members of Congress may schedule, and not publicize widely.
7. Other Congressional candidates (besides the incumbent)
Don’t know who the candidates are? Want to contact the candidates? Not sure where to find their websites? FCNL has up-to-date and accurate election information for every state.
8. Make Peace an Election-Year Issue In Your Community
How can you encourage people in your community to raise peace issues in this year’s election? One simple way is to give a presentation for your local organizations using the “War Is Not the Answer” toolkit. It has everything you need to start a thoughtful dialogue with candidates this campaign season. You can download the pieces to make the toolkit from FCNL’s website.
9. Find lots of other great tips and resources on the FCNL page: Make Peace an Election Issue in 2008
10. Find FCNL resources on Iraq here.
11. Find more information and resources on Iraq here.
12. “Quickly, Carefully, and Generously: The Necessary Steps for a Responsible Withdrawal from Iraq” published in June 2008
13. Keep Peace for Iraq in the Media
Click here to see DoP’s “Working the Media for Peace”
14. Comprehensive Peace Plan for Iraq
Utilize the Talking Points during your Congressional visits and give a copy of the full Comprehensive Peace Plan for Iraq to your members of Congress to read and support.
15. Congressional Declaration of Peace
Ask your Representatives and Senators to commit to Peace for Iraq by signing the Congressional Declaration of Peace
16. 7 Suggested Questions to Congress Members and Congressional Candidates