Care about global issues? Want to make sure the next president does as well? So do we!
Are you concerned about ending poverty as we know it? About promoting fair trade? About HIV-AIDS? About climate change and our energy policy? About nuclear weapons, genocide, and the U.S. role in peace and security? The next president will have a chance to deal with all of these issues and to develop a more collaborative, sustainable path for the U.S. in world affairs.
You can make a difference by making your voice heard on these issues.
AID in coalition with international development, global health, environmental, and security organizations will be coming to Iowa, South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Nevada to train, equip and support activists with tools you can use to get real answers to your questions on the campaign trail, as part of a national network of young leaders in early primary states.
We want to raise the profile of international issues with our presidential candidates. To do this, lots of small groups of community members are going to campaign events, and asking all the candidates simple questions that we create together. This is completely non-partisan -- we need to reach out to *all* the candidates.
We need you and your friends to participate in these Youth Voice summits. This is coming up soon, so act NOW! All that is necessary is a commitment to bringing at least five or your friends or students who want to get their voices heard on the campaign trail.
Who is sponsoring it?
- National coalition partners: Americans for Informed Democracy, Amnesty International, CARE, Citizens for Global Solutions, Energy Action, NRDC, Oxfam America, and The Stanley Foundation.
What happens at the training?
- Learn about what’s at stake in this election, gain greater knowledge about one global issue that you care about, learn how to raise these issues with candidates at campaign appearances, figure out the "ingredients of a good question," and get a chance to PRACTICE (you will role play a typical campaign appearance)!
What will you get out of it?
- Meet other students and community members who want to get their voices heard
- Receive calendars of upcoming campaign appearances via e-mail
- Gain technical support to gain entry and action planning as requested
- Become a member of a non-partisan national network of activists who are getting real results from all the presidential candidates!
What's this bird-dogging thing?
- Bird-dogging is the name given to the idea of attending public appearances to win new policies from politicians by putting them on the spot with simple and fair-minded questions. This direct interaction between activists and decision makers rarely happens in Washington, and almost never at the district level -- except during election season. It's easy to have a big impact through the simple act of bringing five people to an event, working together to raise your hands, and asking questions that provoke a concrete answer.
Does it cost anything?
- No, thanks to generous support from ConnectUS, all summit costs including tuition, breakfast and lunch are covered for registered participants! You will be responsible for getting yourself to and from the summit and accommodations, if necessary. Furthermore, we'll have mini-grants available for all participants to attend campaign events since we know how expensive gas can become when following presidential candidates on the campaign trail.
To view the schedules for each conference and to register, please select below:
Mt. Vernon, Iowa, November 10, 2007
Charleston, South Carolina, November 17, 2007