On Wednesday, March 26, the Commission on Justice and Peace sponsored a workshop on Advocating for Effective Action. The session was led by the Venerable Diane Riley, Archdeacon for Mission & Service; Belinda Stokes from St. Paul’s & Incarnation, Jersey City; Valyrie Laedlein from St. George’s, Maplewood; and Jody Caldwell of Redeemer, Morristown.
The workshop started with an overview of our spheres of influence, both economic and political. We have choices in how we use our financial resources and how we interact with our elected officials through voting and engagement. They then explained the differences between politics – being involved in government-related activities – and partisanship, which focuses on support of a particular political party and its candidates. In our Baptismal Covenant, we make promises to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves, strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. This is at the heart of our Christian vocation and why advocacy as members of the Church is so important: God’s politics is the politics of compassion.
The group provided some basic points of advocacy, which is more than service, as advocacy focuses on bringing about change to address the underlying issues. The “three Cs” of advocacy include:
- Collaborate – at the federal, state, and local level.
- Connect – be solution oriented and offer support to create the change.
- Communicate – your voice matters! So, contact your elected representatives and local leaders.
They then explained how a proposed bill moves through the federal and state legislative systems to become a law. In addition, each year, Congress and the New Jersey Legislature must pass a budget that determines how tax revenues are spent in service of the country and state. The New Jersey Legislature holds hearings and meets with stakeholders as part of their budgeting process, typically in March and April of each year, which provides a great opportunity to influence their decision-making. Importantly, state department heads meet with the Legislature every April, offering another chance to learn what issues are important to legislators and how the state is carrying out its various programs and initiatives. Because federal and state policies and programs impact our local governments, it is also important to know your local council representatives and other elected officials.
The most effective way to influence government officials is to understand the issues that are of greatest concern to them. Because raising funds for campaigns is critical, they are always weighing what will allow them to be re-elected by their constituents and financial supporters, which means they want to understand what their constituents and supporters care about. The workshop leaders advised attendees to be super clear when making a case about the issue, including why it is personally important – tell your story – and suggest a specific action for them to take. If they act as requested, show gratitude. If not, let them know about the consequences of inaction, such as no longer supporting them financially or losing your vote.
They shared the following links to find and contact our representatives, track legislation and learn about issues:
Federal
Representatives:
- U.S. Senate: Contacting U.S. Senators
- Find Your Representative | house.gov
- Find Your Representatives – Common Cause
- Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121
Committee members: Committees of the U.S. Congress | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Bills: Congress.gov | Library of Congress
New Jersey
Representatives: New Jersey Legislative Roster of Members | NJ Legislature
Committee members:
Bills: Bill Search | NJ Legislature
News & information
- Patch – Everything Local: Breaking News, Events, Discussions
- Americans of Conscience Checklist
- Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) – Library Guides at UC Berkeley
- League of Women Voters
The workshop leaders then focused on the options for advocacy in order of expediency and in reverse order of what is most effective:
- Sign petitions
- Write letters
- Make phone calls
- Visit offices
In addition, the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations offers several ways to connect with elected officials on issues on which the General Convention has passed specific resolutions.
Office visits are more complicated and generally work if you are part of a larger group. Constituents should make arrangements to meet at an office. (Local offices work well because they are more accustomed to meeting with constituents there.) One person from the group should act as a facilitator, make quick introductions to the members of the group, ask what the group can do to support the official in taking the requested action–such as talking directly to other constituents that might be opposed, then follow up with a thank you note or call. Expect to have only 20 minutes for such a meeting and be prepared to make your case succinctly.
The last segment of the workshop offered ways to get involved more publicly through participation in town halls and peaceful protests and marches. On Saturday, April 5th, a number of national organizations are co-sponsoring the “Hands Off!” National Day of Action rallies across the country. The diocese’s website now contains printable rally signs in its resource library that members can use for such rallies and marches. The Office of Communications will continue to add signs for specific events and issues as they arise.
Finally, after answering questions about the presentation, the workshop leaders promised to find ways to make it easier for members of the Diocese to access information about advocacy, including where to post information provided at this particular workshop. Look for announcements about additional resources and information in The Voice Online in the coming weeks.
