You may have heard or read about the efforts of the Friends Committee on National Legislation to form teams of Friends (including non-Friends who sympathize with our peace testimony) in as many states as possible to lobby our representatives in Congress to foster peace with their votes rather than further “defense” spending.
A few of us in the Rochester meeting undertook developing an advocacy team in Monroe County, and this is what I learned.
An advocacy team with a wide age range of members is essential. Older Friends may have more days available to visit members of congress or at least their local staff (Congress-persons and Senators post staff in various cities throughout a state), younger team members are the visitors who engage with staff more readily: you will be around longer to vote, after all.
So an effective team, at least in New York State, requires both the aged, the middle-aged, and the younger adults to work together in a process to first establish relationships with local staff, write letters to local newspapers about our concerns, and develop an on-going relationship with the member of congress to the point that occasional visits will keep them aware of Friendly concerns about peace-making.
Regular meetings of team members are important to learn each member’s strengths and gifts, to exchange information, and to plan who will make which contacts with local offices of the representative and the senators.
FCNL provides as much oversight of the steps to develop the team as a team requests. This includes regularly scheduled monthly meetings by phone (maybe video by now), plus phone support from both staff and experienced volunteers, so that all teams throughout the country are focusing on a particular issue at a given time, and making a direct request of their member of congress to support a pending bill.
While this looks complicated, I compare it to planning a Thanksgiving dinner with family members or the circle of best friends you know well. People offer to provide what they are either willing to learn to do, or feel confident about having whatever skills are needed.
Some members might favor the tasks of gathering information and writing letters to area and local newspapers about Friends peace-focused views that relate to legislation FCNL lobbyists are eager to see passed.
Other team members will take responsibility for developing contacts with their representatives’ local offices to request in person and zoom meetings with office staff or occasionally, their representative or senator.
With a date for an office visit in hand, the team members prepare for the visit that will be attended by those members who are available and interested in “lobbying”, i.e. informing/ educating their congress-person about pending peace and justice legislation.
Interested and also skeptical that lobbying involves all this? Take a look for yourself at FCNL’s website and see what they offer in current guidance through their projects this year. And talk with Mary Finn, who has been working with Sally Zelasko of Orchard Park Monthly Meeting, to build the Buffalo Advocacy Team.
If you, or a friend or family member, have an interest in participating in Quaker lobbying, we invite you to come to a Buffalo Advocacy Team meeting and join our efforts.