Palestinian Rights Advocacy Day

Join the Rachel Corrie Foundation, Jewish Voice for Peace - Tacoma (JVP), and Washington Advocates for Palestinian Rights (WAPR) for our FIRST Palestinian Rights Advocacy Day!

Our goals during this fun, action-packed day are...

...to strengthen statewide organizing for advocacy on Palestine.

...to continue to inform and educate state legislators about issues related to Palestinian rights.

SCHEDULE:

• Gathering and Socializing: 9:00-10:00 a.m.
• Welcome and Introductions 10:00-10:05 a.m.
• Presentations & Training: 10:05
  • Schedule for the day
  • Our Goals
  • Guest Speaker - Leah Muskin-Pierret, Manager of Congressional & Grassroots Advocacy with the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
  • Visiting and meeting with legislative offices
    • Protocols and Guidelines for Visits
    • What are we asking of legislators?
    • Role playing office visits
• Lunch with Legislative District Groups: 11:30 a.m.
• Walk and Transport to State Capitol: 12:15-12:30 p.m.
• Group Photo in Front of Capitol: 12:30-12:45 p.m.
• Visits and Deliveries of Materials to Legislative Offices 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Those without meetings are urged to make stops at each of their district offices to deliver material and a request for a meeting during the legislative interim. Those finishing early will be able to flyer on Palestine, make deliveries to offices for which there is no representation, or return to the meeting venue where there will be organized activities, including letter writing, etc.

• Return to United Churches Location: 3:00-3:15 p.m.
• Debriefs – 3:15-4:00 p.m.
• Closing and Collecting Ideas, Contacts, Evaluations, and Plans for Follow-up and Ongoing Work: 4:00 p.m.
• Homeward or on to dinner in Olympia! 4:30 p.m.

TO KEEP IN MIND FOR ADVOCACY DAY:

• One of the most effective ways of letting elected officials know our individual and organization views is through respectful, personal meetings.
• Elected officials pay attention to numbers – the number of people we represent if connected to or representing an organization.
• Officials want to know our points of view and how legislation or actions will impact us and what the consequences or benefits of their actions may be.
• "The appearance of power is power."

LOGISTICS:

• LOCATION: Our Palestinian Rights Advocacy Day will be held at the United Churches of Olympia Social Hall, 110 Eleventh Avenue SE, Olympia, 98501. United Churches is within easy walking distance of the state capitol and legislative office buildings. Our day will begin here with presentations and lunch provided before moving to the state capitol for visits to legislative offices. We will return to the church venue by 3:15 p.m. to debrief and share info for future organizing.

• COST: Attendance is free. Attendees and supporters are asked, if possible, to donate $10 to help cover Rachel Corrie Foundation expenses to provide for this event. Any financial support from participating organizations is also welcomed. Contributions will provide for venue rental, printing costs, lunch, and other food and beverage items for attendees, etc.

• REGISTRATION: All attendees are urged to register by Friday, March 8th. Be sure to complete the advocacy day questionnaire that you will receive in your confirmation email. You will be asked to include your state legislative and Congressional districts and your contact information. You will also be asked if you can act as a "Lead Organizer" for your state legislative district for purposes of this Palestinian Rights Advocacy Day only. We will work with Lead Organizers to help them contact state legislative offices for afternoon appointments with legislators or their staff for those from their district who attend our March 15th advocacy day. Appointments are not likely to be confirmed until closer to the March 15th date. All advocacy day attendees will stop at their legislators' three offices, regardless of whether meetings are scheduled by the office or not, to drop off information and to request a meeting with the legislator during the legislative interim later this year.

OUTREACH

Please help us bring supporters of Palestinian rights to Olympia! Individuals and organizations receiving this invitation who support our goals are urged to share the information and invitation with other supporters of Palestinian rights and to urge them to join us!

Our Palestinian Rights Advocacy Day is cosponsored by the following organizations:

• Washington Advocates for Palestinian Rights
• Jewish Voice for Peace - Tacoma
• Sea-MAC
• Palestine Solidarity Committee (Seattle)
• Bishop's Committee for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land
• Jewish Voice for Peace - Seattle
• Salaam Center - Renton
• Radical Women
• Freedom Socialist Party
• Voices of Palestine
• Spokane Chapter Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME)
• Spokane Committee for Palestine
• Seattle Chapter Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME)
• Kairos Puget Sound Coalition

CO-SPONSORSHIPS

Is your organization willing to be listed as a cosponsor for this event, to help us with outreach, to bring supportive constituents to Olympia, and possibly to help with day of logistics? If so, please notify us at Advocacy@rachelcorriefoundation.org.

QUESTIONS?

Something more you need to know? Please contact us at Advocacy@rachelcorriefoundation.org or call (360) 754-3998.