| A social justice
club is a group of people that meet to question social injustice
and to act on their awareness of issues currently affecting
the world.
In the next few pages, you will find a step by step guide
to starting or reinvigorating your social justice club. This
guide is a shorter version of the Rural Roots Guide For Taking
Action in Your School or Community. Contact CFCA for a copy! |
|
|
You have valuable
skills to contribute. Do you like to: Draw? Write? Act? Talk?
Sing? Think? Socialize? Volunteer? These are all examples
of skills that will help you get started.
• What you are able to do?
• What do you enjoy being involved in?
• What are some descriptive words that describe you?
• What skills do you want to learn? How will you acquire
them? |
I didn’t
think I had much to offer. I couldn’t draw or make posters,
and I didn’t like speaking in public. But everyone seemed
to appreciate my ideas – especially when I was the only
one at the meeting that day. Now I think a person can contribute
by just going and offering their time. There’s always
a job to do. |
|
|
This step is
really important as there are so many ways to get involved,
and even more topics to think about. It is easy to become
overwhelmed and not know where to begin.
Here are some questions to help focus your goals:
• What would you like to see different or change about
yourself?
• What would you like to see different at your school?
• What is one change that would like to see in your
community?
• What is one change that you think would really benefit
the world? |
|
|
One way of thinking about this is to
remember a time when you felt some anger in the bottom of
your stomach because you saw someone get treated unfairly
in your school or community, or you saw something happen that
really made you think.
It can be helpful to think about a topic that you are really
interested in or passionate about. If you are excited about
the work, you will spread this energy to those around you.
It takes passion and enthusiasm to create long term projects
that you will want to commit to.
What do you feel strongly about or what issues are really
important to you? Make a list and then decide the topic three
areas that you see as most important.
Here are some possible ideas, but remember to stick to the
topic that means the most to you! |
• Pollution
• Peace and conflict
• Poverty
• Music, art and social justice
• Landmines
• Pesticide use
• Community development
• Racism
• Energy conservation
• Human rights
• Literacy
• Homophobia
• Genetically modified food
• Local food production
• Environment
• Recreation activities for youth
• Globalization
• Animal rights
• Media
|
|
Once you have identified the three areas that are most important
to you can begin to do some research. Make a list of information
sources in your school and community. Here are some suggestions:
• People – other youth, your family, church,
elders, town councilors, business owners, teachers and many
more
• Library – magazines, films, books
• Organizations – Think of two organizations
you can contact for an interview. Many organizations have
already done lots of research, and you can use their resources
for your own group.
• Internet – It is easy to get lost in the loads
of information on the web. Try to narrow your search, and make
a list of five websites that are related to your areas of interest.
Try to find local, national and international sites to get a
broad perspective. |
|
Once you have identified the three areas that are most important
to you can begin to do some research. It can be helpful to
find examples of groups or individuals that give you inspiration.
Take a minute to think about someone you really admire, or
someone that represents something important to you.
1) What gives you desire to take action and get involved?
2) Who inspires you? Who is a model for the things you would
like to do? These might be a teacher, another youth, a community
leader, a musician, an artist.
3) Learn a little more about history and some of the powerful
changes that came about by individuals or groups. The internet
or library may prove helpful.
|
|
|
Mentors
Mentors can help if you encounter barriers, questions or doubts.
A Red Deer group called “Students and Teachers Opposed
to Prejudice” offers some advice on mentors:
“Find an open minded and popular teacher or administrator
(or community member) to serve as an advisor. It is useful
to have someone with connections to “go to bat”
for your group, to offer support and resources, to make crucial
phone calls that require an adult figure, to help coordinate
events and, perhaps, to identify some possible barriers to
you success”
|
Get Ready!
Now that you have done some of the background work you are
ready to plan your action. Some recommendations before you
get started:
• Spend some time on these first five steps by yourself
so that you can identify what will be the best project for
you.
• Look for allies and support. This can mean finding
others who want to work on the project, or those who will
help you with specific goals.
• Can you do it yourself? Or does it need a team?
|
|
This part relies on the previous
five steps and your creativity. Make a table with the following
information:
Use a red pen to highlight actions you could do right away,
a yellow pen to highlight
actions that require some more planning, and a blue pen for
long term. |
| What is important to me? |
What have I learned about your topic? |
What is a possible action I can take? |
How would I utilize my skills |
How much time does it require? |
| Inner city poverty |
People in my town lack basic needs – food, shelter,
clothing |
• Collect clothes for a shelter
• Get local food producers to donate healthy
food |
• I know lots of people who would donate clothes
• I have the people skills to phone around and
ask, write a letter, and perhaps get a teacher involved
|
• 2 weeks
• 1month
|
| Sweat shops |
Rich corporations do not pay workers enough, poor working
conditions |
• Host a sweat-free fashion show
• Create a flyer about ethical shopping
|
• I can use my public speaking skills to host
the show, I have to do research about the clothes
• I have the computer skills to create a simple
flyer
|
• 2months
• 4 hours |
|
|
It is important to set
an action plan for yourself – you don’t need to
plan a huge action in order to make change.
What is one or more goals you would like to accomplish? It
may help you to write this down and create a chart that looks
like this:
Example: Goal: To cut down
on the amount of energy that I use |
| Steps towards goal |
Support that is needed |
Possible Challenges |
Indicators of Success |
| Ride a bicycle |
Biking buddy |
Weather, equipment |
Physical health, money |
| Shut off lights |
Reminders from friends and family |
Forgetting or laziness |
Money saved on electricity bill |
| Lower heat |
Family support/school support |
Others whom share living space are not in agreement |
Money saved on gas bill |
|
A. Creating
a Group
This step is a big one and requires excellent organization.
The work of developing a strong, inclusive, energetic group
is a goal and task in itself.
Some tips for creating a group:
1) Find an accessible place to have a meeting
2) Decide on a time when the largest number of individuals
would be able to attend
3) Find some individuals that you know are interested so
they can help you to publicize the first meeting
4) Make a poster that has the location, time, date and what
the meeting is about. Publicize, publicize, publicize! Spread
the word and the energy. When your group is more established
you can start using your local newspaper, radio, or an email
list.
5) Create a list of things to talk about for your first meeting.
Get to know each other, discuss the purpose and the goals
of the group, list contact info, the next meeting date and
things to do before the next meeting.
B. Creating Some Guiding Principles
A guiding principle is a statement that helps your group to
clearly communicate what you’re about. This way everyone
knows what kind of group they are joining from the beginning.
An example of a guiding principle:
We promote the belief that people should be judged based
on their own merits, rather than on characteristics like age,
gender, religion, “race”, ethnic background, physical
appearance, sexual orientation or other factors unrelated
to the quality of their character
Another example can be found in Article 1 of the United
Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and human
rights
(This is adapted from Students and Teachers Opposed to Prejudice,
2000)
|
C. Creating
Group Norms
Group norms can help to create a safe space for all members
so that they feel they are respected, valued and encouraged
members. A strong group is one that allows for a diversity
of voices.
Some examples of groups norms are:
• Respect the opinions of others
• Create a non-threatening way of giving and receiving
feedback or suggestions
• Conflict is good but we commit to creating positive
ways of resolving it
• Have a social activity to celebrate successes once a
month • Everyone is valued as listed in the
Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms
D. Identifying Priorities
• Brainstorm with your group to find out individual
priorities. The point of the brainstorm is to get all the
ideas down and not to decide whether they are good or bad.
Your group can review the ideas at a later stage.
• This part of the process is the same as doing your personal
action plan. Again, it can help to map ideas on a chart:
|
| What is important to us? |
Possible Actions |
Skills and Experience |
Other groups doing similar work |
| Fighting Poverty |
Start a school lunch program |
Sue: Math skills for budget
Phil: communication skills for finding community partners |
Another school |
| Waste |
School Recycling Program |
Vadim: organization skills to make a list
of materials |
Community Waste Management |
|
| E.
Creating an Action Plan
Creating an action plan table can help you decide on a plan
and learn all the other components of project planning.
Sample Plan
Project Goal: Creating a Recycling Project in Your School |
| What needs to be done? |
Who is responsible? |
Resources |
Deadlines |
Concrete Steps |
| Develop a budget |
Sue |
Math teacher |
1 week |
Create a list of everything needed
Create a list of things that can be donated or found for
free |
| Create a schedule |
|
|
|
|
| Get approval |
|
|
|
|
| Find Partners |
|
|
|
|
| Create a design |
|
|
|
|
| Train Volunteers |
|
|
|
|
|
| Things to Buy |
|
Amount |
Total |
| Services |
Photocopying |
100 copies |
|
| |
Transportation of recycled goods |
1 time per week |
|
| Supplies |
Recycling Bins |
2 per classroom |
|
| |
Paint for promotional
posters |
|
|
| |
Paper |
|
|
| Equipment |
Vehicle for
Transportation |
|
|
| |
Pens etc for
promotion |
|
|
| Social events and volunteer appreciaton |
|
|
|
| Other expenses |
Postage |
|
|
| TOTAL COSTS |
|
|
|
| F. Putting the
Fun in Fundraising
Through your fundraising efforts you will:
1) Contribute toward the costs of your project
2) Raise awareness
3) Develop new skills
4) Make a connection to your community
Examples of fun events
Car Wash
Gather together a group of your friends. Ask the local gas
station, the mall, or the grocery store manager for the use
of a portion of their parking lot and access to their water
tap.
Ask the local hardware store to donate some of the soap and
sponges. Make posters. Be visible…and wash away.
Garage Sale
Ask your friends and family to donate items they no longer
want. Place an ad in the local paper or put posters up around
town. Be sure to recognize some of your donors on the poster!
Baked goods, drinks, and raffle tickets can also be sold at
your garage sale.
Potluck dinner with a movie/music event
Have everyone bring food to share. Rent a movie from the library,
store or community organization.
Coffee House
Ask a local coffee shop or restaurant if you can use their
space for one evening (ask them on a slow night). Ask some
local youth or adult artists or musicians to donate their
time and contribute a performance. Have information available
on the issue you are working on.
T-Shirt Sale
Ask you local used clothing store to donate some t-shirts
or to give a discounted price. Create a fun design and sell
them as a fundraiser. Use positive messages to build awareness
of your issue and group.
|
G. Strategies
for Action
Flyers: Get your message out and attract
people to meetings
Petitions: Encourage students, teachers,
and community members to sign a petition that indicates support
for an issue.
Teach-Ins: Host a workshop on a specific
issue and distribute relevant literature
Letter Writing Campaigns: Develop a sample
letter that others can use as a model for their own. Include
why your issue is important and a call for change. Write to
your MP, MLA, town or band councilor. For MLAs go to www.gov.ab.ca
or MPs go to www.canada.gc.ca
Letters to the Editor: People in your community
read these letters, and government officials have clipping
services that reprint the ones dealing with their area!
Radio: Sometimes there are opportunities
for free access to a radio program. Check out www.cbc.ca/outfront
or www.radiodiaries.org/handbook.pdf to make your own radio
show or program.
Websites: This is the best way to inform
other young people. Ask someone to give you a workshop on
the basics.
Tabling: Set up an information table in a
busy part of your school or community where you can hand out
literature, petitions and talk to people one-on-one.
Class Assignments: If possible, complete
one your class assignments on the topic you are interested
in. You’ll learn more about your topic, and you can
use this research for creating flyers and publicity materials.
Create a Buzz: People should be seeing your
posters, literature and events all around your school or community.
Get people excited and talking about it!
|
|
| Quick tips for being
media savvy
1) Be your own media: create buttons, stickers, t-shirts,
music, and poetry to promote your group and issues.
2) Develop media materials: Have well-made posters and information
ready. You and your group should develop a list of key points
to mention to media. 3) Document what you do and
develop media skills: Interview youth with a tape recorder
or video camera, or take photographs of your community and
put them on display.
How to Connect your Project with the Media
• Make a list of media in your community, find out
who is in charge of community events, get to know the deadlines,
and send a letter or press release
• Send a news release or write an article –
use the five Ws, and put the most important info at the top!
|
Writing a News Release
• On paper with the school logo (if you can), type
“News Release” at the top
• Give your contact details so someone reach you during
office hours
• Date it and give it a snappy title
• Make it clear what the story is for, dates of an
event.
• Use the first paragraph to outline the whole story
in brief. The 2nd or 3rd paragraph should contain info in
decreasing order of importance (editors “cut from the
bottom”)
• Stick in a quote from a group spokesperson
• Mark the release “Ends” so that they
know it’s over
• Repeat the contact details
• Double check for spelling and to make sure you’ve
included the who, what, when, where, why and how
• Fax or email it before the deadline!
|
Congratulations - you've done it! Visit CFCA's online Bulletin
Board and tell us all about your social justice group. Let us know
if the information we've provided has come in handy!
|
