A New Era of Community Advocacy

1
A New Era of Community Advocacy

• Ryan Clary
• Director of Public Policy
• Project Inform San Francisco, CA
• 415-558-8669 x224
• rclary_at_projectinform.org

2
Role of community

• Demand leadership from new President
• Educate new Members of Congress
• Add faces and stories to policy requests
• Ensure that elected representatives know the
  impact of epidemic on district/state
• Identify and recruit new advocates
• Ensure that policy advocates know whats going on
  at local/state level

3
Getting back to basics

• Its time to return to successful strategies
• Letters/phone calls/emails
• Media letters to editor, op-eds
• Rallies/press conferences
• District visits
• Establish ongoing relationship with elected
  representatives and their staff
• Invite reps/staff to visit local agencies/clinics

4
New strategies and partners

• We need new grassroots advocates
• Coalition building success
• Partnership between health department and
  community
• New alliances with other disease/health/social
  justice advocates

5
Immediate actions

• Write/call McCain and Obama campaigns urge them
  to make HIV/AIDS a priority
• Do same with other campaigns
• Encourage others in community to get involved
• Check out Campaign to End AIDS www.campaigntoendai
  ds.org

6
Immediate actions

• New health care access grassroots network
• Dont forget the state level!
• Prepare to let go of the past and focus on new
  opportunities