Global Weekly Update January 28, 2013

Representative Nita Lowey Will Be Our Conference Call Special Guest in February

We will be pleased to welcome Rep. Nita Lowey (NY) to our national conference call for global grassroots advocates in February! Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 9, and dial (888) 409-6709 to join the 2 pm ET call. We’ve asked the congresswoman to share her view of how she expects the 2013 appropriations process to play out, describing what we could/should anticipate in our advocacy work for FY14 and recommending how we can best engage with our members of Congress in light of those expectations. It will, once again, be a great time to learn, share, and get excited about what we will accomplish in 2013. 

Group Planning, Face-to-Face Meetings, and World TB Day Grants!

“I’m Amazed at How Powerful it is to do Planning.” 

This declaration came from one of our veteran advocates after his group completed their 2013 plan for effective advocacy this year. The 2013 Group Planning materials are now available online on our group resource page. Our Global Campaign Summary and Calendar will be coming soon. Review the materials, check out the inspiring goals for 2013 on the forms, and set a time for your group to gather soon to create a plan to generate political will in 2013. Have each member fill out the Individual Planning Form before the meeting so that you’re ready for your planning time.

If you are a solo advocate (not part of a group), grab a copy of the Individual Planning Form and be part of the process as well. What an inspiring way to begin a brand new year! Questions? Contact Lisa Marchal, Global Grassroots Associate. 

Want to Meet in Person with Your Legislator? 

Look at the January 2013 action sheet, companion laser talk, and sample meeting request letter. These tools are designed to help you land face-to-face meetings with your members of Congress early in the year. According to research conducted by the Congressional Management Foundation, meeting face-to-face as a constituent is he most effective way to influence your members of Congress. Meeting early in the year will help establish a relationship at the beginning of the 113th Congress (which lasts through December 2014). Building relationships with our members of Congress is also what will allow us to request actions and call Congress into leadership. Make a request today. Then contact Ken Patterson or Lisa Marchal for support in following up on your request and forming a solid agenda for the meeting. Our goal in 2013 is to meet with every member of Congress for which we have constituent advocates!

World TB Day is March 24. Want to do Outreach? 

Folks don’t always have accurate information on what our country spends on foreign aid and on what a difference it can make in the lives of people. (Check out this video work by the ONE Campaign to hear more.) With that in mind, RESULTS is a powerful force in advocating for the end of tuberculosis as a disease of poverty, and so World TB Day is an annual opportunity to share about the strategic power of foreign aid to help us achieve sustainable, compassionate solutions for poverty-related issues. Watch this space for information on 2013 World TB Day Outreach Grant applications which will be due February 11. Want some preliminary information? Contact Ken Patterson, Global Grassroots Manager. 

Welcome, Columbus . . . and a Training Call TONIGHT That You Won’t Want to Miss! 

To complement the awesome domestic poverty group we have in Columbus, Ohio, we now have a global poverty group! Welcome! They join another group at University of Colorado-Boulder that is rather new with us and gaining some powerful momentum. 

Speaking of new RESULTS groups, we are working hard to keep building our presence all over the country. Do you know anyone in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, or Los Angeles who would be interested in RESULTS? We want to speak with them! Contact Lisa Marchal, Global Grassroots Associate. 

Finally, join Ken Patterson, Global Grassroots Manager, tonight, January 29 at 9 pm ET for a webinar on initiating and building relationships with members of Congress, new and old! You won’t want to miss this relevant, practical webinar that will help you build that relationship with that member of Congress you fear is too far from seeing things your way. 

• To join the meeting from your computer or mobile device, click or copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://www.fuzemeeting.com/fuze/f2988286/18400299. 

• To join the audio portion of this meeting, you can dial in directly to (775) 996-3560 or join via Skype by dialing out to “fuzemeeting.” Then, when prompted for the room number, dial 796141#. 

Building the Grassroots

Grassroots Board Voting

We have 4 candidates for the open Grassroots Board seat. Please vote for one of the candidates by Feb. 7. Candidates are: Rob Marshall of Atlanta, Mary Albertson of Detroit, Beth Wilson of Gig Harbor in Washington State, and Frank Gilbert of Louisville. Please consider their statements and bios and vote. 

Fundraising

Thank you to all the groups who are planning fundraising events for 2013. We’re thrilled that we have four events coming up in March:

• March 2, Greater DC: Arlington House Party with Zambian TB activist Luwiza Makukula
• March 3, Prince George’s County, Maryland House Party with Zambian TB activist Luwiza Makukula
• March 9, Chicago: House Party in Oak Park with musician Ella Gill
• March 11, Salt Lake City: Evening with Muhammad Yunus

For more info on any of these fundraisers or for help planning your own, please contact Cindy Levin.

“Self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let alone compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection – or compassionate action.” 

-Daniel Goleman, from Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships

1. January 29, 9 pm ET. Webinar on Initiating and Building Relationships with Members of Congress, New and Old. To join the meeting from your computer or mobile device, click or copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://www.fuzemeeting.com/fuze/f2988286/18400299. To join the audio portion of this meeting, you can dial in directly to (775) 996-3560 or join via Skype by dialing out to “fuzemeeting.” Then, when prompted for room number, dial 796141#.

2. February 9, 2 pm ET. RESULTS National Grassroots Conference Call for Global Poverty Campaigns featuring Representative Nita Lowey (NY). Dial (888) 409-6709 to join.

3. February 11, 8 pm ET. RESULTS Free Agents call for global poverty advocates. (218) 486-1611, passcode 7378587 (RESULTS). Are you a RESULTS activist with our global poverty campaigns, living in a town with no RESULTS group?  You are alone no more! Contact Lisa Marchal for more information on this monthly group call.

4. February 11, 9 pm ET. Training Call on How to Organize a Powerful Meeting with Your Members of Congress. Dial (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262 to join. This training is perfect for help on how to request a face-to-face meeting with members of Congress when they are back home in your district and then make the most of that meeting.  

5. February 13, 8 pm ET. (Please note the corrected time). RESULTS Website Tour. Dial (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262 to join this informative call. Please note the corrected time.

6. February 13, 9 pm ET. RESULTS Introductory Call. Please RSVP for the call so we can welcome you. Dial-in number: (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262.

7. February 22, 1 pm ET. RESULTS Introductory Call. Please RSVP for the call so we can welcome you. Dial-in number: (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262.

8. July 20–23, 2013. RESULTS International Conference in Washington, DC. Dr. Muhammad Yunus and author/speaker Marianne Williamson are already set to join us. Mark your calendar now!