How to Make Friends and Influence Parliamentarians

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How to make friends and influence parliamentarians

• Margo Purcell
• Alberta Regional Coordinator, RESULTS Canada
• March 26, 2010 200pm-230pm

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RESULTS

• R Responsibility for
• E Ending
• S Starvation
• U Using
• L Legislation
• T Trimtabbing and
• S - Support

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Advocacy 101

• There is no Adversary in Advocacy
• Successful Advocacy is
• Relationship Building
• Positive
• Finding common ground working toward common
  goal
• No one wants to see children and people die
  needlessly
• Providing expertise and proven solutions
• Helping them do their job helps you do your job

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RESULTS proven Advocacy method

• RESULTS is not one of the best advocacy
  organizations in the world. It is THE best
  advocacy organization in the world.
  Robert Weisman, Essential Action
• 3 Pronged Approach
• Written Dialogue
• Letters to MPs, policy advisors and decision
  makers
• Verbal Dialogue
• Face-to-face Meetings with MPs, policy advisors
  and decision makers
• Public Dialogue
• Letters to the editor generating editorial
  pieces, opinion pieces and articles

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Why communicate with MPs?

• Build relationships/champions (best done in
  person)
• Become a trusted resource
• Expand your organizations circle of influence
• Empower your members, strengthening their
  commitment

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Be Specific

• Goal End TB Globally
• Reality over 2 billion people are infected with
  TB causing 1.7 million deaths annually
• Options investing in Global Fund, targeting
  deadly synergy between HIV and TB, raising public
  awareness
• Obstacles overwhelm at the size of the problem,
  attitude that the problem is somewhere else,
  political and public apathy
• Will members advocate now and often

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Be Strategic

• Who to lobby?
• Who are the key decision makers
• Who has the power to influence decision makers
• When to lobby?
• Early and often
• Be opportunistic i.e. World TB Day, World AIDS
  Day, Summits such as G8 and G20

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Be Prepared

• Build your case facts
• Persuasive facts on the problem
• Persuasive facts on cost-effective proven
  solutions
• Be current on legislative history
• Build your members
• Motivate
• Build confidence
• Arm with your case facts

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How to communicate with MPs

• E Engage
• P state the Problem
• I Inform about the solution(s)
• C Call to Action

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RESULTS Tuberculosis Campaign
RESULTED
Researched HOW to combat TB
RESULTS Canada
Put this HOW into ACTION
127.4 million for TB detection and treatment
programs
End RESULT
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Next Steps

• Take part in our monthly actions
• www.results-resultats.ca click Take Action
• Meet with your MP and MLA to talk about TB
  locally and globally
• Provide compelling facts on why they need to act
• Provide concrete solutions they can promote and
  push for in parliament
• Making a difference takes one person. Making
  whole scale change takes one person and their
  friends.
• Empower others with knowledge and encourage them
  to take action along with you

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• "In a democracy, silence is not dreaded by
  politicians as a sign of public apathy. Rather it
  is accepted by politicians as a sign of public
  approval."
• Margo Purcell