ADC Manual of Procedure

ADC MISSION STATEMENT

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is a non-partisan civil rights organization committed to defending the rights of people of Arab descent and promoting their rich cultural heritage. Since its founding in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk, ADC has grown into the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the United States with more than 75 chapters nationwide.

Through its Legal Services Department, ADC offers counseling and selected impact litigation in the areas of immigration, discrimination and defamation. As the educational branch of the ADC, the research Institute (ADCRI) publishes information on issues of concern to Arab Americans and sponsors ADC's “Reaching the Teachers” campaign, which aims at ensuring and accurate, objective and fair portrayal of Arab history and culture in schools. ADCRI also administers a year-round college internship program for Arab-American and other activist students.

ADC is committed to combating defamation and negative stereotyping of Arab Americans in the media and the corporate world. In doing so, it also acts as an organized framework through which Arab Americans can channel their efforts toward unified, collective and effective advocacy. By promoting a more balanced U.S. Middle East policy and serving as a reliable resource for the news media and educators, ADC has made great strides in correcting anti-Arab stereotypes and humanizing the image of the Arab people.

In its efforts to educate the public and maintain regular communication with its members, ADC issues a monthly newsletter, ADC Times , Issue Papers and Special Reports, which study and report key issues of defamation and discrimination ; community studies, legal , media and educational guides; and Action Alerts, which call on members to mobilize on issues necessitating grassroots response. As the voice of Arab Americans , ADC also regularly communicates issues of concern to the President of the United States and members of Congress.

ADC's Achievements demonstrate the success of the Arab Americas in building vibrant institutions and networks which not only draw on the strength of the Arab American community, but also engender the support of individuals and groups who are equally committed to deterring discrimination against all people.

In order to implement its goals, ADC is active in the following areas:

Legal: Counseling and selected legal cases in immigration, discrimination, defamation and other civil rights issues affecting the community as a whole.

Media Watch: Monitoring the press, TV and films for the bias; promotion of positive images of Arabs.

Education: Encouraging the involvement of ADC members in the educational process; monitoring textbooks and curricula in schools and on campuses; educating teachers about the Arab world.

Organizing & Outreach: working through a national network of chapters and activists, and building support for ADC campaigns among religious , ethnic and other non-Arab-American communities.

Government Affairs: Monitoring local and national legislation and policies; ADC addresses both domestic and foreign policy issues.

Publications: issuing ADC Times as a monthly publication, as well as other papers and studies on Arab Americans and their concerns, emphasizing cultural, historical and social aspects of the Arab world.

Chapter 1

Introduction

In the Beginning

With the national office as a resource and home base, more than 75 local ADC chapters have been founded since 1980. the establishment of each new chapter increases the visibility and power of Arab Americans within their communities.

Early ADC chapters pioneered the organizing process, and over time developed effective organizing strategies. This manual is designed to share this experience and assist you in organizing your own chapter so that its methods are consistent with other chapters and with the coordinating efforts of the national office.

The first three sections of the manual deal with the initial steps in organizing an ADC chapter: how to assess the need for a chapter; what steps to take to organize one, and how to form a chapter in compliance with the ADC by-laws established by the national executive committee. The remaining sections provide a guide for running a chapter. Sections 4, 5 and 6 provide a guide for developing and expanding the local membership, working with the media and fundraising. Sections 7, 8, and 9 provide information on how a local chapter can participate in national ADC efforts as well as initiate its own local campaigns and programs.

This organizing manual has been designed so that it can be easily updated and revised as often as necessary. Please keep in mind that this is a complete manual designed for a fully functioning chapter. Don't be intimidated by the amount of information presented. You will probably not need all of it in the first few months, but it is here for your reference in the future. We hope that you will share your insights with us so that we can pass them on to better serve our Arab-American community.

Chapter 2

How to Form a Chapter

A. ASSESSING THE NEED FOR A CHAPTER

Different chapters ultimately have different needs. It is important, early on, that you properly assess the need for a chapter in your community and the ways in which a chapter could best serve these needs. Listed below are some suggestions that should help you in assessing the need for a chapter in your community.

-Contact local institutions (churches, mosques, human rights groups, etc. ) about access to a variety of constituencies.

-Draw on different segments of society (students, business people, professionals, housewives, religious/ethnic, etc.)

-Ask the National Office for a roster of members in your area.

This last suggestion is very important as any local chapter usually begins with a person or a small group of people committed to organizing the chapter. If you are beginning alone, your first task is to bring together 5-10 people who are willing to share the initial work and form themselves into a steering committee. There may already be several ADC members in your community who share an interest in starting a chapter.

B. STEERING THE NEW CHAPTER

Because of the usually limited number of initial volunteers, the steering committee will likely operate on an ad hoc basis. It is important to keep in mind that ultimately a formal committee structure should be developed. The initial steering committee, however, initiates some of the most important work that ensures the long term success of the chapter.

There are some very important questions which the steering committee will have to address as it proceeds to shape the new chapter. How will an ADC chapter empower the Arab-American community in that particular area? What local and national issues are important to members of the community? What processes are needed to rally people around an ADC chapter? These are all important questions which must be considered when forming a new chapter.

1. Publicize your concern

Publicity is perhaps the most important tool for the steering committee of a new chapter. In this age of mass media, effective publicity is a fundamental channel through which any organization must thrive and get its message out. ADC urges all those interested in forming a new chapter to publicize their concern in the greater community. Below are some suggestions about how to publicize:

-Request literature and membership envelopes from the National Office and establish literature tables at local functions (church events, university campuses, club parties, etc.)

-Publish a brief note in church, mosque, and club newsletters, stating your intentions to set up a chapter. Include contact info, and ask that an announcement be made at any public meetings.

-Set up informal mini-meetings. Ask people you know who support ADC's goals to invite families and friends to a casual get-together where you can socialize and discuss ADC issues.

-If access to an E-mail list is available, consider this as another opportunity to publicize. This will make your concern more public and will increase the likelihood of involving individuals from the greater community.

-If the resources are available, simply print up publicity documents yourself and post them in various community centers.

2. Organizing the First Meeting

The first meeting of any organization is crucial as it sets a precedent for future meetings. A meeting that is productive and time efficient will encourage those in attendance to keep returning (and contributing) to the new chapters. It is important that all those involved in the formation of a chapter feel that it is worth their time. Nothing can accomplish these tasks better than a productive first meeting. Listed below are some tips for organizing that crucial first meeting.

-If there are ADC members in your area, phone them and set up a convenient date, time, and place for the first meeting. Divide the lists of interested individuals between a few volunteers and call to inform them of the meeting and to encourage them to attend.

-Plan the agenda. This is essential for meeting to be productive, organized, and efficient. The agenda can be decided upon with local ADC members in a small meeting or in a phone conversation. It should have specific suggestions (like sample agenda items) but must be flexible for group input. Make a copy for each person in attendance.

-Ask the National Office organizing staff for suggestions on agenda items. They can inform you of national office projects (status, and details).

-Remind attendees of the scheduled meeting two or three days in advance.

3. Running a Successful Meeting

The person who calls for the meeting will be expected to serve as chairperson. Above, we offered some suggestions for organizing the first meeting. Before the first meeting, you should have an agenda in place and have already contacted those interested in participating. (Remember, you should be compiling a list of everyone who has responded to your publicity, ADC members in the area, interested friends or family members, and other interested individuals). We have listed below some suggestions for running this first meeting.

-Call the meeting to order ( START ON TIME!!!)

-Ask for a volunteer to take minutes of the meeting.

-Give each person a copy of the agenda.

-Encourage everyone to participate, and avoid domination of the meeting by one or two people.

-Devise a phone tree (see p. 19 for details)

-Agree to which committees need to be formed immediately, and assign people to them. (The membership committee will need to be formed.) The basic chapter committees are: membership, media monitoring, fund-raising, education, legal services, and outreach. All committees serve a specific function for the ADC chapter. It would be worthwhile to review Chapters 4-9, which describe the role of each committee.

-Make sure that viable plans are made and that everyone leaves with a manageable assignment.

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-Before the meeting is adjourned, summarize decisions made at the meeting and set deadlines for reaching chapter goals.

-Send minutes promptly to attendees highlighting tasks they agreed to undertake.

This is quite a wide array of tasks for an organization to assume in its first meeting. Once again, you want to be careful how you delegate as you may initially have more tasks than you do volunteers. There are two major considerations that will affect your strategy in dividing up tasks:

-You will need to have an event that will attract more potential members and volunteers and officially establish your chapter.

-While your volunteer resources will be limited at first, you should develop a strategy to help build a local board with at least the six functioning committees mentioned above.

4. Introducing Your Efforts to the Community

Any organization, particularly one that strives to bring people together, will have to hold a major event to get its name out and attract new members to its cause. Founding events, as these are called, vary in size and scale. You will want to tailor the size and nature of your founding event around the needs of your chapter. The following are common founding events:

-An open-house reception. This can be thought of as the first effort to introduce the new ADC Chapter to the community. This event, as always, will be open to anyone interested in participating in the ADC. These types of events are usually used as founding events:

-A general membership meeting.

-A lecture or film showing

-An ADC picnic! Picnics are both enjoyable and inexpensive. Guests can bring their own food or buy food if you want to sell it there (selling food may create a small profit and be used as a working budget ).

These are just a few examples of events that can be put on to help establish the new ADC Chapter in your community. Remember that any event you undertake will be successful only if responsibilities and tasks are clearly assigned and completed. A well-organized founding event should attract a good number of people. This event also marks an important transition point for the new chapter. The steering committee can now look toward having chapter elections and officially formalizing

the chapter within ADC.

5. Deciding on a Project to Engage the Community in ADC’s Projects

As mentioned in Chapter 2, the Founding Event is one of the most important steps leading to the formalizing of a chapter. The founding event introduces the efforts of ADC to the community and plants the seeds for a full chapter. We offered some suggestions above for the types of events that would be suitable for most chapters. Listed below are some suggestions for making your chapter's event(s) a success.

-A newsletter (be it monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly) can be the most valuable method with which to maintain contact with your membership. The newsletter can include such pieces as a local calendar of events of interest to the Arab American community, news of members, updates of ADC issues, etc. The newsletter should also include letters to the editor that ADC members have published in the local paper.

-Send out special mailings if the issue or project warrants it.

-Send a summary account of events by e-mail, to make members feel connected even if they weren’t able to attend the event.

-Tell the national office about any needs you have for materials and information for mailings. Have mailing labels for membership prepared by the National Office.

2. Build a Chapter Phone Network

Divide up the membership list, with accompanying phone numbers, into small groups (usually ten or less) to give to board members and volunteers. Designate dependable people who will call everyone on the list given to him or her.

-If the chapter is large enough, the committee chair should designate a second group of contacts from among the active members who will also make phone calls to several people on a list.

-Build a feedback system, by telling each member who their contact is, and by having each contact report to someone -usually the president- about the outcome of their calls.

-Discuss what to say. Usually it is wise to write down the main points you need to include so that you can cover the same ground with each person.

3. Contact Members by Personal Visit

While newsletters and phone trees are both effective forms of communication, they remain no suitable replacement for one-to-one meetings. Personal visits with members allow you to put a face to a name, and better understand his or her needs and concerns.

-Organize, for instance, a "house meeting", in which three or four ADC members would each invite a friend or two over to someone's house for an evening.

-Use this social occasion to discuss what ADC is about and to explain current projects. Discuss community issues and problems, and ask for newcomers' concerns and reactions to the ADC projects.

Chapter 4

Membership Committee

A chapter is only as strong as its membership. ADC’s growth and success are measured best at its base, by its grassroots activism. Therefore, the membership committee is fundamental. The committee’s work is the backbone of any chapter, and the chair should be someone who knows the Arab-American community well. Because this is so important, the chairperson of the membership committee should be an outgoing individual who is able to communicate effectively with all segments of the Arab-American community in your area.

A strong membership has three characteristics:

1. Substantial Size

2. Diversity within the community

3. Active participation from its members. An active local board should mean an active membership as well.

Membership Committee Functions:

A. Keep the chapter membership roster current

B. Expand local membership

C. Renew local members and engage new members in activities

A. Keeping your Membership Roster Current

! Report all new members, deletions or changes in the address or phone number of members to the national office membership department.

! Send all membership dues and envelopes to the national office for processing in ADC’s computer. (The computer record includes mailing information, dues’ history, contributions by campaign, and committee participation.)

! Keep the printouts of all membership information on file. You can also ask for mailing labels or printouts of any combination of the above information as needed. We suggest that your group call the national office every four to eight weeks (depending on the size of your chapter) to ask for a new roster. This will allow you to remain updated about all new members of ADC, so that you can adjust your mailings accordingly. In addition, labels may be printed alphabetically or by zip code if needed.

! Prepare and send to the national office a list of important non-members such as other organizations, media contacts, community leaders, and clergy -- to be put on ADC’s press or “friends” mailing lists. (These are coded separately and appear on all rosters/label lists except dues-related mailings.) The non-member list should be updated periodically. Before updating, the entire local board should participate in deciding on additions or deletions to the list.

PLEASE NOTE: Our membership rosters are confidential and are to be used ONLY by ADC representatives for ADC business. If someone wants to use the ADC mailing list, offer instead to include the information in your next mailing.

B. Expanding Your Membership

! Map out your Arab-American community: contact churches, mosques, clubs and student groups for mailing lists; focus on Arab-Americans who have not been actively approached by ADC.

! Attend community events: ask to speak on behalf of ADC and mention membership services of interest to that group: legal, educational, informational, etc.

Use Individual Contacts

! Ask key members to host coffees or cocktail receptions in their homes (at which an ADC spokesman can make a presentation) and invite 10-20 non-member friends.

! Urge members to bring family and friends to each ADC event both for exposure and recruitment.

! Suggest that members call family and friends to discuss ADC (even those outside of the area).

! Publicize ADC events in local churches, mosques, clubs, restaurants and bakeries frequented by Arab-Americans.

! Sponsor a recruitment contest for local members with incentives (for example, a donated prize will be awarded to the volunteer who recruits the most members in a specified period of time); plan for a “gift membership” drive during the holidays.

! Prepare a monthly or bi-monthly calendar of events to inform members of future community activities of interest and to provide a community-wide service of information and support.

C. Renewing Current Members and Engaging New Members

1. The national office sends renewal notices to those members whose dues expire. Reminder notices are then sent again in the successive months until the renewal is received. Each quarter, the chapter president will receive a list of members up for renewal. All non-renewed members should be called to remind them to renew.

! Follow up on the national office’s mailing with a local mailing to remind members that their renewals are due.

! Follow up all renewal mailings with a phone call or personal visit. This personal contact has been the most successful strategy in renewing or recruiting members. Ask the national office for updated rosters and labels of non-renewed members; organize volunteers to contact each of these people by phone or even a visit. Remind these people of recent ADC victories, upcoming campaigns and events, and valuable services that come with membership.

! At ADC events and meetings, remind members of outstanding renewals and mention new member incentives as well.

! Report the results of local renewed efforts to the national office. Include updated mailing/phone information, any disputed dues’ information and the reasons people give for non-renewal. Remember: Volunteers should always refer problems or sticky questions raised by renewing members to the chapter president or the national office. It is better to refer a question concerning ADC policy to the national office rather than guess.

2. New members are a valuable source of potential activism, and should be encouraged as much as possible. Although new members receive a membership card and welcome packet from the national office, it is important for the local chapters to take steps to welcome and involve these members, since ADC is in essence a grassroots organization.

! Send each new member a welcome letter, describing the activities of your local chapter and its importance to the community. The letter should also give an idea of the different possible levels of involvement in ADC.

! Include local board contact information for the new member, so that she/he can talk officers about becoming more involved if she/he so desires.

! Include information about upcoming events and general meetings.

! Give the new member the option of signing on to your local ADC local e-mail list.

! Hold regular mass meetings that are open to all ADC members in your area. These meetings will allow members to provide input and ideas to the board, and be genuinely involved in the planning process. These meetings will also give committees an opportunity to mobilize volunteers. New members should be encouraged to attend these meetings and all ADC events.

Chapter 5

Fund-raising Committee

This committee plans chapter fund-raising activities and sets fund-raising goals.

A. Establishing a Fund-raising Committee

! Encourage ADC members with experience in business and fund-raising, who have a respected position in the community, to join this committee.

! Hold an initial meeting to identify potential sources of funding in the community. The endorsement of key individuals or organizations would bring in the contribution of others.

! Ask for advice, as well as financial support, from community leaders. Ask for their ideas on planning and implementing fund-raising strategies. Heed their advice.

! Develop a short term plan for raising money for the next year and a long term strategy for creating a sound financial base of dependable and renewable contributors. Include in your strategy specific plans on how to expand this base for continued growth.

! Identify an initial group of potential contributors and plan personal visits or a special fund-raising event during which you can solicit their support.

B. Developing Successful Fund-raising Attitudes and Skills

Successful fund-raising depends on four important factors: issues, information, motivation and sources of fund-raising.

Issues

ADC is an issue-oriented organization and our success and growth depends on how well we are able to present the various issues we deal with to the public in a clear and concise manner. Therefore, it is important to:

* Identify the issues or projects most likely to interest a specific contributor. The following are examples of possible projects which are appropriate for local fund-raising efforts:

1. Purchasing equipment for the chapter (i.e., copy machines, postage machines, typewriters)

2. Local events or activities (e.g., cultural activities or lectures)

3. National Campaigns and issues.

* Be prepared to discuss the details of the issue or project and why it is an important one which deserves their support. Examples :

1. Publishing a local newsletter is an important information project for our members and friends.

2. Sponsoring a fashion show or local debke troupe is important for promoting our rich cultural heritage.

3. Sponsoring a lecture by a noted author or scholar is important in educating your local community.

* Allow a contributor to choose an issue or project she/he is more concerned about.

Being informed

! People cannot respond to our requests for funds and assistance unless you tell them what you want. By the same token, we cannot inform people of what we are going to do, if we ourselves are not well informed.

! Therefore never solicit a contribution unless you know which projects are in need of financing. It is crucial to know the history and philosophy behind the issues we are representing. You may never be asked such details by the contributor, but you should always be prepared to answer.

! Tell the contributor how his/her money will be spent. Let him/her know that his/her financial support is for a real and defined purpose. The contributor will feel more comfortable knowing the purpose goals of the fund-raising event.

! Inform yourself by making a budget. This will give you an estimation of your financial costs and needs for a given project. In addition, it will show the donor that you are well organized and will instill confidence in assisting with the project.

! Keep records precise and easily accessible to contributors so that their contributions can be accounted for.

! Try also to find background information on the contributor, information about their history and philosophy, as well as about the kinds of organizations they have sponsored in the past. Tailor our proposal so it is appealing to them. Inform them how they can benefit as contributors.

Informing the Contributor

! Determine how each issue can be best presented to a contributor. Methods of informing potential contributors generally fall into two categories:

1. Directly through personal contacts:

- One-on-one contact, conversations, meetings.

- Personal letters, written proposals

- Telephone calls, telegrams

- A performance (i.e., visual presentation)

2. Indirectly through the following:

- Mass mailings

- Ads in periodicals

- Newsletters and other publications

- Personal contacts through other people

Motivation

Motivation begins with you. Everyone is capable, in one way or another, of helping to raise money if she/he believes in the cause and is committed to it. It is essential that you believe that ADC is valuable and vital to both the Arab-American community, as well as to others who support our goals. This should be expressed in your proposal in order to gain the support of contributors. The following tips will help you motivate potential contributors:

! Fund-raising is selling. The ADC program is the product. You must convince potential contributors that they are investing and not donating. Potential contributors must believe that if they don't invest, they’ll be losing, and if they do invest, they will be making a profit by investing in a better future for their children.

! Contributors will be looking for a return on their investment, which ADC must be prepared to give. They will be investing in a business where progress will be his return.

! Think of ADC as an important “business” providing valuable products and services to the community. You are not beggars; on the contrary you are selling them something from which they can expect a reward.

Sources of Fund-raising

Below are different methods to involve contributors in ADC functions. Choose events that interest people in your community to receive a good response.

! Contributions from individuals and local businesses.

! In kind contributions, such as donated space for meetings, paintings of newsletters, etc., donations of furniture or equipment for an ADC office.

! Banquet ticket sales, special-donor tables, program ads, “passing the hat”, VIP receptions prior to banquet.

! Canvassing, door-to-door solicitation.

! Raffles, bazaars, picnics or potluck.

! Ethnic festivals, fairs or fashion shows.

! Collection cans in Arab American restaurants, groceries, bakeries.

! Events featuring significant speakers, film, or slide shows.

! Ads in local newsletters.

! Open-house parties.

! Money bequeathed to ADC in wills.

! Youth group sponsored car wash or bake sale.

! Yearly pledges.

! Auctions

! Service projects.

Chapter 6

Legal Department

This committee protects the civil rights of Arab-Americans in cases of discrimination. It should strive to make ADC a recognized part of the civil and human rights network in your area. The legal committee educates the public about Arab-American concerns and builds public support for Arab-Americans from the larger community.

A. Establishing a Legal Committee

* Identify a committee chair and recruit members.

* Recruit at least one lawyer with a civil rights background to volunteer as a consultant or to serve as an active member of the committee.

* Legal Referral Network: The national office maintains a national network of lawyers who handle civil rights, discrimination, constitutional, immigration, criminal and other types of legal cases. Ask the national office if they know of lawyers in your community. Identify other local lawyers, add them to your network and refer them to the national office. These lawyers need not be Arab-Americans but they should be familiar with civil rights issues.

* The committee members should become familiar with and educate themselves about civil rights laws and issues. A necessary resource to become familiar with is ADC's "Legal Guide". Know your rights and privileges as citizens or residents, and study immigration and equal opportunity laws. Be familiar with the public debates over affirmative action, "English only", immigration policy, "free speech versus hate speech", racial profiling and other policies.

B. Community Relations

$ Initiate positive and cooperative relationships with other civil rights organizations, institutions, leaders and activists. This helps the committee build community support for Arab-Americans.

! Meet with the Civil Rights and Human Relations Commissions in your state, as well as the Equal Opportunity Commission. Introduce ADC and its purpose, discuss current issues and acquaint yourselves with each others background and work. Also contact the local Justice Department Community Relations Office and develop working relationships with officials such as the Mayor, City Council members, county officials and state legislators.

$ Contact African, Asian, Hispanic and Native American organizations as well as legal organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Catholic Charities has done great deal of work on immigration policy and employment discrimination. Meet with these organizations to

share ideas and support one another issues, perhaps use their programs as models for your own. Invite these organizations to ADC events and ask them to introduce themselves and their work to ADC members. These encounters will establish collegial relationships and cooperation between organizations.

* Add these groups to your mailing list to receive your newsletter. Give their addresses to the national office if you want them to receive the ADC Times. Send them action alerts and encourage them to respond on appropriate issues.

C. Discrimination and other Legal Problems

* Educate the Arab-American communities about their rights and responsibilities and civil rights issues. The "Legal Guide" contains detailed information about immigration, visas, residence, citizenship, political asylum and dealing with federal agencies.

* Once the Arab-American community has learned of ADC, you may receive reports of discrimination in employment, housing, schools or universities. Discrimination in the workplace can occur in regards to hiring, promotion or firing: problems among coworkers may occur such as ethnic jokes or overt taunting. (See the ADC employment manual for details). Airline security policies or personnel may subject Arab-Americans to inappropriate selective screening or harsh treatment at the airport. The committee may handle problems with immigration or law enforcement agencies, not necessarily discrimination. Essential, any incident in which an Arab-American feels that his civil rights have been violated should be reported to the Legal Committee.

* Document all cases of discrimination. Records should be accurate and include detailed information. Collect written statements or affidavits with name, address and phone number of the complainant. In the statement include complete details of the incident: date, time and location. When appropriate, refer callers to a lawyer from your contact list.

* Evaluate each case carefully. Not every claim of discrimination is justified. In some cases, people may over react and are quick to blame others, or experience personality conflicts in the office. For these reasons, research the case and background to ensure if a discrimination case is valid or misjudged.

* Report cases to the national office. The national office cannot respond to individual cases so they are often referred to its Legal Network. Even so, it is important that the office be kept informed of incoming cases in order to keep record and report difficulties facing Arab-Americans. These reports will help ADC compile data and statistics to inform official agencies and the public.

Action: When appropriate, refer complaints to suitable lawyers. Initially, the chapter may want to write a letter of concern to the offending agency. This shows that the offended individual has the support of an organized community. To address the situation, there may be instances where you can arrange a cross-cultural workshop or diversity seminar to introduce the agency to the Arab-American community and sensitize them to our concerns. This may be appropriate in an agency that employs a vast number of Arab-Americans.

In some situations, the chapter or complainant should address the case to the Commission on Civil Rights, Human Relations or other agencies. Job discrimination can be reported to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. However, you should consult with the Legal Department of the national office before doing so.

Hate Crimes: The worst outbreaks of hate crimes against Arab-Americans have occurred during times of crisis related to (or thought to be related to) the Middle East. At such times, be alert. Any incidents should be documented (with names of witnesses and suspects) and reported to the national office immediately. Train your community to document and report incidents of hate crimes promptly and accurately and to monitor the news by clipping any relevant news articles or taping television programs.

Community support from friends and colleagues is particularly important in addressing hate crime incidents. Contact other civil rights organizations and political leaders and ask them to make or sign statements of concern, join a press conference, send letters to officials or demonstrate public support for the Arab-American community. These efforts are an important source of strength and shows that our community is not alone and other communities are fighting for the same cause.

Official Harassment: Sometimes Arab-Americans have been subject to excessive or inappropriate visits and questioning by the FBI. Political activists engaged only in legal, constitutionally protected activities have been spied upon and arrested. Local police and government agencies have also targeted Arab-American shopkeepers for "selective enforcement" of laws and regulations. Individual police have sometimes behaved in an aggressive and bigoted manner toward Arab-Americans. If these cases occur, document the incident and consult the national office about a proper response. The national office can provide information on how to assess legal matters.

Chapter 7

Media Committee

The media committee serves two purposes: media relations and media monitoring. Good media relations and media monitoring should be the concern of all chapter members. Any ADC member who encounters poor media coverage or defamatory representation of concern involving the Arab community should record each instance and report it to the media committee and the national office. It is incumbent on all members to assist the media committee in monitoring activities involving the media.

(For a more detailed guide to media monitoring and dealing with the news media, see ADC "Media Guide")

A. Media Relations

Staying in contact with the media on a regular basis is the best way to insure quality coverage of your events and issues. It is imperative that you establish a working relationship with the appropriate media contacts for each medium in your area.

Media relations involves the following tasks:

1. Introducing yourself as an ADC contact.

2. Sending ADC literature and information with an initial letter requesting a meeting.

3. Establishing a positive working relationship with the media.

4. Providing feedback to the media, both positive and negative.

5. Providing resources such as background information and current data to the media.

Establishing a Good Relationship with the Media

* Appoint one committee member who can be easily reached as the media liaison or contact. This contact person should be an ADC leader, well versed in ADC issues and projects, and whom the media can contact day and night.

* Identify key figures in your local media: TV and radio personalities including talk show hosts and early morning news hosts, newspaper and magazines’ reporters.

* Prepare a list of these individuals for reference that includes their telephone numbers, mailing addresses and E-mails.

* Submit this list to the national office for entry into the central database. The national office will be able to provide you with a press roster and mailing labels to those who request them.

* Meet with key media representatives before you have a story publicized to discuss the issues being addressed. Specifically, contact the assignment or desk editor of the publication or the station personnel of the radio station.

* Send newsletters to the media to keep them informed about chapter events and issues the chapter is currently working on.

* Personally invite a key member of the media to chapter events.

* Monitor letter-to-the -editor sections of local newspapers to know which letters are printed and use them as examples.

Issuing a Press Release

*Send out an initial press release on any event one week in advance. Use the local ADC letterhead, not the letterhead of the national office. Remember to stay within the general guidelines of ADC policy. Public statements should be moderate in tone, attractive in appearance, and grammatically correct. If questions arise regarding guidelines, please contact the national office.

* Follow up on press releases with phone calls to assignment editors the day before an event. Be sure to include small, very local county and urban neighborhood newspapers on your media list. Many people read these attentively and they will often cover media events that major media ignore. Contact the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) one or two days before the event. Ask them to post the event in the "daybook". The AP and UPI "daybooks" are a list of stories for any given day used by assignment editors for choosing which stories to cover.

* In the press release, include the release date and the names and contact information of ADC contacts.

* Highlight main points with a headline.

* Write a simple and clear release.

* Include key facts, but keep the information concise.

* If possible; send photographs with the release. Write basic information regarding the photograph on the back in pen. Do not use pencil or felt tip magic markers.

* Follow up with the president after the event. Thank your media contact if your release was responded to, or explore the reasons why it was ignored.

* Send a copy of the release to the national office in order for the event to be publicized in the ADC newsletter. The national office keeps a copy of press materials in the central library: your chapter should also preserve a copy as a resource. Send a copy via e-mail to adc@adc.org.

* Press releases should only be sent when necessary and pertain to important events or issues. (See an example of a press release in Appendix #4).

Holding a Press Conference

* Send a press release four or five day before a press conference. Include date, time, place and a contact person for further information.

* Make a follow up call the day before to remind your press contacts of the press conference.

* Ask media representatives to sign-in at the door. Assign one committee member to make certain that you have correct names and phone numbers of all media representatives who attend. Keep a record for future use.

* Follow up after a press conference by personally thanking those who attended and covered the story well. Offer corrections or elaborations when errors are made.

* Keep a record of all stories that appear in the media of your events.

* Send copies of all materials to the national office for your activity to be publicized nationally in the ADC Times. Send materials through the fax or E-mail wires.

Please note: Hold a press conference only when the subject is of importance, for example, an issue of discrimination, defamation or the announcing of a major campaign or boycott. When preparing it try to find an angle that will make the story appealing to the media. (Think about the local, national and international contexts.)

Newspaper Calendars and Public Service Announcements

* Place notices of all chapter events in local newspapers.

* Use radio Public Service Announcements to publicize events.

* Keep newspaper items to 25 words or less and radio announcements to 20 seconds.

* Check with radio stations and local newspapers about guidelines for publicizing events. Remember

to send the notice two to three weeks in advance.

* Follow up on your notices.

* Keep a record of local announcements.

* Send copies of announcements, or reports to the national office for the archives.

Radio and TV Appearances

* Create a list of all programs that welcome guest appearances. ( radio talk shows or tv news programs) with names of producers for each show.

* Contact producers to find out how guests are selected.

* Volunteer to appear on the program.

* Practice your delivery with friends, mention key issues by preparing a fact sheet on ADC for reference during the program.

* Prepare a fact sheet on ADC and your chapter’s activities for the show's host.

* When interviewing on the radio, TV or with a print journalist, keep responses brief. Media generally responds to short comments.

* Keep a record of such appearances for the national office to include the activity in the national newsletter.

B. Media Monitoring

In addition to media relations and coverage, the media committee also monitors media sources and initiates action on local and national issues if discrimination against Arab-Americans occurs. Media monitoring is one of the basic functions of ADC, which keeps a vigilant eye on anti-Arab defamation and discrimination in the media and providing corrections and alternative perspectives on important issues.

How to Monitor the Media

* Select capable members of the community to monitor the media, both print and broadcast.

* Divide the local media sources and assign each source to a media committee member. Local media includes daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, radio and tv programs, trade and text books.

* Explain to each monitor his/her specific responsibilities. These include keeping track of the assigned medium by reading newspapers everyday, watching local and national television and news broadcasts, and maintaining a journal of offensive stories, references, or articles. In the journal, document the subject by including the date and source and note what actions were taken in response to biased reports.

* Explain to each monitor the process of reporting the information to the committee.

* Assign a liaison between the committee, the chapter president and the national office. This person is usually the media committee chair.

* Before taking any action, the committee should notify the chapter, president and the national office's organizing department. The national office can assist in mapping out useful strategies and inform other members to take action if the issue warrants a response.

* Monitor media for all age groups. Discrimination is prevalent in many different media contexts, including those of children, adolescents, and adults.

What to Watch for

* Unbalanced news reporting of Middle East or Arab affairs and issues.

* Absence of news on issues or events important to Arab-Americans.

* Inaccuracies in historical reference to the Arab world and Israel.

* Organized campaigns to discredit Arab-Americans, Arabs, and the Arab world by groups with a hostile political agenda.

* Preparation of negative Arab stereotypes in news, cartoons or entertainment. Examples: Arabs as sheiks, terrorists, belly dancers or harem girls, anti-Semitism, Islam as intolerant and oppressive.

* Anti-Arab bias or historical errors in school textbooks and lectures. Should you find inaccuracies or bias in educational materials, please report them to the National Office’s Educational Department.

Keeping a Media Journal

* Regularly listen to, watch, or read your assigned medium.

* When you spot a problem, write the time, the date, the source, author as well as what was stated.

* Inform your media monitoring committee chair and chapter president if media bias is found. In turn, they will notify the national office.

* Copy the article or record the broadcast if possible. Keep an original copy and send one to the national office.

* Try to locate "regular offenders".

* Use the journal material as a basis and reference for any action you choose to take.

NOTE: Keep a file of newspaper clippings, articles, etc. These will be useful in the future.

Protesting Defamation

* The media monitoring committee can initiate letter-writing protests, with input from the chapter president and national office.

* Address the editor or station manager. Send a copy of the letter to the Broadcasting Standards Office of the offending network.

* Make it personal, stating the story, the time and date it appeared and why you object. DO NOT use a formal letter to make a protest.

* Focus on the specific issue you wish to raise about their story.

* Keep your letters factual and to the point. Avoid using emotional language. Never use abusive language.

* Call or e-mail other chapter members and encourage them to write letters of protest as well. All media committee members should be responsible for sending letters in addition to any other assignments they have regarding an issue.

* Activate the phone network (see Chapter 3) giving all initial phone contacts a one-page fact sheet to make sure everyone has accurate information for writing letter of protest.

* Let the media monitoring committee chair, chapter president, and the national office know the outcome of the letter protest.

If the Media Ignores Your Action

* Have the most complete documentation possible. This should include documentation of this specific incident and previous documents illustrating defamatory coverage.

* Call for a meeting with their key personnel.

* Prepare and practice your remarks and main points before the scheduled meeting.

* If the media refuse to meet with you, organize some kind of public protest.

* Contact other community groups to participate in the protest.

* Hold a press conference, perhaps with a speaker from the national office ( give notice in advance).

* Invite representatives of each community group to attend the protest.

Using the Fairness Doctrine

Acquaint media committee members with the Fairness Doctrine that requires broadcasters to provide fair representation on issues of public importance. The FCC has ruled: "When the Arab-Israeli conflict involves a question of U.S. relations with respect to Israel and the Arab countries, the question is clearly a controversial issue of public importance in this country."

* Find other local groups who can join with ADC in forming an action coalition.

* Arrange a meeting between your coalition and the broadcaster to discuss the problem. When organizing the meeting, clearly state that you believe this is relevant to the Fairness Doctrine. Notify the chapter president and national office to map out a strategy before the meeting.

* Arrive with clear proposals, agreed upon by the coalition, for what needs to be said in reply and who will announce it on air. (This person does not have to be an ADC representative or anyone from the coalition, it might be a fair-minded anchorperson who has direct responses on the issue). The Fairness Doctrine is most effective when presented in face-to-face meetings with broadcasters.

* If a meeting with the broadcasters does not bring results, notify the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, D.C., providing documentation of the complaint both to the FCC and to the broadcaster ( call the FCC for specific documentation guidelines).

* Keep a written record of all contacts made and any results.

* Whenever you sense that a presentation was one-sided, let the press know that ADC has an "information bank" whereby we can readily provide them with speakers who are prominent or renowned scholars, business people, lawyers, etc. to address any issue.

Chapter 8

Education Committee

There is no better way to prevent discrimination than for schools to teach fully and accurately the history and culture of the Arab world. However, there are some 300,000 social studies teachers in 12,000 school districts in the United States and few of them have any academic training about the Arab world.

There is a great need for Arab-Americans to support and assist educators. Arab-American parents are greatly concerned about the quality of their children's education and the kind of messages they receive in school regarding their cultural heritage. Therefore, ADC instituted its program of "Reaching the Teachers" which encourages ADC members and chapters to become more in their community schools.

A. Establishing an Education Committee

* Identify a committee chair. Recruit parents, students and activists. Develop a core group of committed people to assist the committee.

* Research the local school districts. Who is on the school board? Does anyone know them?

Key offices to contact are the School Superintendent, the Social Studies Coordinator, Curriculum

Development, Staff Training and Human Relations Offices.

* What educational outreach has already been done? Have there been any recent teacher workshops on the Arab world?

* What are the general education issues in the news? What are the primary concerns of educators (budget cuts, school safety, curriculum) ?

* Contact the ADC Education Department at the national office for information, resources, and general consultation. ADC can provide lesson plans, bibliographies, and handouts for teachers and activists.

Parents and Students

* Ask parents about their problems and concerns with the schools. Do their concerns deal with curriculum, language and cultural adjustments, Islamic issues, discrimination incidents or other matters? Plan your work so that it addresses their priorities. Recruit parents by asking them to carry out a specific task.

* Include students in the committee and the planning process. Listen carefully to their ideas and concerns. They know what is going on in the schools and can identify teachers who may be especially interested. They may want to organize an Arab-American club in their schools. Provide them with resources to use for their term papers. Ask them to review the school’s library's resources on the Arab world. This will be a good way to get young people involved in ADC.

* Resources: Provide parents and students with good educational resources to give to teachers or donate to school libraries. The national office can advise you in choosing resources.

* Speaking to classes: Parents are often invited to speak to their children's classes about Arab culture and other topics. Encourage them to seek out opportunities and help them prepare a presentation. The national office can provide basic lesson plans on Arab culture, discrimination and stereotyping, Islam, Palestine, and other subjects.

* School committees and events: Encourage parents to become involved in school or district level PTA committees, human relations committees, ethnic heritage festivals, textbook committees and minority student committees.

Remind parents that research has proven that active parental involvement in the schools is an important factor in their children's academic success.

B. Outreach to School Districts

Getting Started

* Plan a strategy, set priorities, and identify opportunities. Identify interested and sympathetic people within the school system and ask them for advice.

* Meet with school officials. Introduce ADC, donate or recommend resources, arrange for speakers to go out to schools in a systematic way, discuss any problems which have arisen Ask how many Arab-American students they have in the school system. Make a few specific requests.

* Initiate a positive and cooperative relationship. Establish ADC and yourselves as credible partners in the educational process (rather as just another special interest group to contend with).

* Invite officials to speak at an ADC event and meet the Arab-American community. Honor outstanding teachers at the ADC banquet.

Curriculum and Textbooks

* Ask to review the curriculum, textbooks and supplementary materials, and outlines for world history, social studies and other relevant courses.

* What is being taught about ethnicity, discrimination and racism? What is the schools multi-cultural program? Are Arabs and Muslims explicitly included in the programs and its resource materials?

* Do courses on art, music, world literature, etc. include materials from the Arab world. Examine the materials being used. Do they offer an accurate and clear description for children?

* Ask that the problematic materials be discontinued.

* Donate or recommend books, videos, and lesson plans to schools or school districts. Some chapters have been able to place major teaching resources in every school in their district.

Discrimination

* If an issue of discrimination is reported to ADC, meet with the teacher or principal. Explain the problem. Ask for a correction if appropriate. Do not be hostile. Present your opinion concisely.

* The professional ethos of educators advocates multi cultural sensitivity, so most teachers are quite open and responsive to Arab-American concerns. Usually they are prompt to correct problems and actively seek to foster a climate of inter-cultural affirmation and good feeling.

* Use the occasional incident of insensitivity or bias as opportunities to build constructive and enduring relationships.

Classroom Presentations and Workshops for Teachers

* Offer to provide speakers on Arab culture and other topics for classes and school assemblies. The school district can notify schools and arrange for speaking engagements.

* Recruit and train people to go out to schools. The national office can provide basic lesson plans. Help people prepare and practice their presentations. Local academics and graduate students are often available.

* School districts have their own training workshops for teachers. Offer to supply speakers and resources such as lesson plans/books.

* Organize a workshop on the Arab World. As ADC becomes a familiar and reliable participant in the educational community, school districts will be willing to help recruit teachers to attend and give them credit for participation. (This cooperation is crucial in a successful workshop).

* Some workshops bring in a professional educator; others rely on local academics. Some are simple; others are an elaborate production utilizing the help of prominent Arab community leaders.

Educational Associations

* Do outreach to the State Council for Social Studies and to local affiliates of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers.

* Place information and articles in their newsletters.

* State Department of Education: Develop relationships with officials. Strategies on how you can have an influence on a statewide basis.

For more information: Contact the Education Department at the national office. Get the booklet "Educational Outreach and Action Guide". The national office also has information on resources and more detailed advice on how to get started, organize workshops and critique textbooks.

Chapter 9

Political Action/Outreach Committee

The political action/outreach committee is a critical part of ADC's growth and a fundamental tool for Arab-American participation in public life. This committee has two general functions:

1. Organizing campaigns to mobilize public opinion about current issues of interest to the Arab-American community.

2. Linking political candidates and elected representatives with the Arab- American constituency. This does not mean endorsing candidates or parties. However, Arab-Americans do play an active role in grassroots politics. The national office has always participated in political affairs, but the importance of ADC's voice at the national level depends on its grassroots presence.

ADC chapters function as part of neighborhoods and communities. Members need to develop ways to reach out beyond the Arab-American community by becoming involved in community affairs and involving the non-Arab groups in Arab-American issues. The purpose of outreach is to gain allies between organizations and leaders who will support and participate in ADC campaigns and events.

A. Establishing a Political Action/Outreach Committee

* Identify the political action/outreach committee chairperson. This person is the liaison with the national office for issues and strategies on the local and national levels.

* Identify local political leaders and civil rights activists who can play a major role in political work. Approach them and request their support for our work.

* Get background information on political leaders/civil activists and their position on issues.

* Request from the national office phone numbers of the Congressional representative for your district and maps of Congressional districts.

* Request from the national office summaries of any pending legislation concerning issues of importance to ADC and Arab-Americans.

B. Responsibilities of the Political Action/Outreach Committee

* Identify local leaders and important figures in civil rights, religious, peace and minority groups. Arrange meetings with them and other appropriate groups. Invite them to be on your local Advisory Board.

* Come to the meeting with basic information on ADC and on issues of concern which are similar to that group. Be prepared to make a short five-minute presentation describing your activities. Explore with members of the group areas of mutual concern and suggest sharing information or working collectively on such issues.

* Offer to speak and provide information to other groups. Prepare ADC teams to go out to groups to speak. Show films and slides.

* Invite others to speak at ADC events.

* Ask other local community groups or leaders to co-sponsor events of public interest.

* Hold events which bring ADC members together with other organizations of similar interests. Encourage the development of a network of informal relationships between ADC and other community organizations.

* Attend the events held by other groups. Support their activities, sign their letters, and notify ADC members of their events. Reciprocity is essential.

* Involve ADC in coalitions and networks (e.g., peace and justice coalitions, other civil rights organizations).

* Encourage ADC members to participate in and support the full range of coalition work.

* Consult with the national office to determine the best strategy for approaching the issue.

* Decide whether this is an issue you want coalition support on. If so, notify that committee members dealing with outreach and delegate the work among the coalition members.

* Identify the person responsible for coordinating this drive. This individual will be responsible for making sure all members follow through on planned activities and for coordinating activities between members.

* Design petition materials or ask the national office to do it for you. Be sure to include a brief statement describing the issue, leaving appropriate space for name, address and phone number.

* Sign up volunteers to petition from within the membership. On the sign-up sheet, each individual should write their name, home and work phone numbers, address and hours/days they are able to work. They should also choose a petitioning partner.

* Identify where you will petition. Regulations vary - you usually need the permission of the property owner or persons organizing public events where your volunteers want to collect signatures. Any area with a lot of traffic is potential ground for gathering signatures (supermarkets, shopping malls, college campuses, mosques, churches, community events, theater lines). Start with the areas you know best. Set a strategy and plan how you will approach the public. Plan a brief statement to persuade the crowd to sign the petition.

* Hold a second meeting to train volunteers. Assign and record petitioning locations for each team.

* Remind petitioners to carry clipboards or work at a table, depending on the location.

* Remind volunteers to avoid long discussions. You need a large number of signatures, so it is necessary to contact as many people as possible.

* If people hesitate but seem supportive, give them a postcard and brochure and tell them how they can contact you if they decide to sign.

* If you are being harassed, leave the site and call the chapter president. Do not engage in arguments.

* Always take completed petitions off the clipboard or table and collect them in a safe place. Occasionally opponents have been known to snatch clipboards or destroy petition sheets.

* Set up an attractive display table. Do not sit behind the table and wait - go stand in the flow of traffic and invite people to sign. Practice through role-playing.

* Set up a mechanism for follow-up to make sure that petitioners are in their correct location and

* Choose the most likely location for the event or march, and assign someone to investigate local ordinances governing peaceful assembly and distribution of information in public places.

* Set a deadline for acquiring the necessary permits and clearances. All applications and permits for clearance should be made in a timely manner.

* Prepare and print flyers for the demonstration to mail and distribute throughout your community.

* Contact coalition groups who might support you on this issue: this is particularly important for any demonstration or March.

* Organize volunteers to assemble posters, banners, as well as petitions and literature, if appropriate. Make sure you control the context or language of banners and posters.

* Coordinate your demonstration with the local police and assign marshals to control crowds. Having the marshals wear armbands will make them easily identifiable.

* Follow up the press mailing with phone calls to press contacts one or two days prior to the demonstration.

* Assign a photographer to record the event and provide glossy black and white photos for local media and the ADC national office.

* Follow-up by thanking your volunteers, thanking or criticizing the press, and letting the national office know of the outcome so it can be included in the national newsletter.

* Assemble a basic fact sheet regarding the basic points regarding the issue you want your elected official to take action on.

* Activate the phone network to inform members about this issue and ask them to write to the appropriate officials.

* Encourage members to promptly write a one-page letter about the issues you summarized on the phone. The letter should be written simply in their own words. (Congressional staffers advise us that E-mail messages and form letters receive little attention. Personal phone calls and individually written letters are much more effective).

* Make Follow up calls through the phone network to ensure that members have written their letters.

* Note the phone number for the Capital switchboard: (202)-225-3121. When calling this number, you need only request the office of your Congressman and your call will be transferred. Contact the officials' local number in your district as well.

* Stress the value of speaking directly with the appropriate legislative aide on the subject (domestic, foreign affairs, etc.).

* Remind callers to indicate their concern, but at the same time keep their phone calls polite, informative and brief.

* Share information about the results of your efforts with the chapter president and national office.

* Assess whether this is an issue for coalition work, and if so, contact community leaders to join the meeting.

* Call the legislator's district office to find out when the legislator will be in the district, and ask for an appointment.

* Hold a planning meeting for members of the delegation. Plan an agenda and prioritize issues of importance for the meeting.

* Discuss materials gartered either locally or through the national office describing the representative's position on the issues, as well as their voting record on the issues. Be familiar with the representative's previous work. What issues does he or she support or not support?

* Agree on the spokesperson's statement and brief remarks by others attending. Plan for a short meeting, around ten minutes. Ask if you can record the meeting.

* If suitable, begin by saying something positive about a recent achievement, award, or vote, showing you know the Congressman's record. If appropriate, end with some statement of appreciation and intention to keep in touch.

* Contact the legislator's administrative aide to find out the Congressman's schedule while in the district, so ADC members can attend public functions when the legislator appears. This should be done whether or not a meeting with the legislator has been successfully arranged.

* After the meeting, be sure to send a thank you letter. Briefly mention any specific points and comment about the meeting.

* Call the county clerk or election board to know what the regulations are on registering voters in your area. If possible, become a deputized organizer as to when registrars are available.

* Check with other community groups to find out if anyone else has dine this work and can give you some tips.

* Begin registering voters within your own community, at events, or events of other organizations. Activate the phone tree network and let them know that voter registration will be taking place.

* Consult with the national office on devising the registration strategy. Some areas make the procedure extremely simple (in the District of Columbia it is a mail-in form) and some make it very complex.

* Identify sources of support in the community. Candidates know they need the support of voters, but small constituencies such as Arab-Americans can easily be overlooked unless they work with other groups and maintain a committed presence.

* Get the candidate's position on issues of concern to your chapter from his or her campaign headquarters.

* Check with the local newspaper to see if they have files on the candidates, or get back issues of the newspapers at the local library.

* Check with the League of Women Voters, Republican, and Democratic party offices in your area, churches, and other issue-oriented organizations to see if they have information on incumbents and their voting records.

* Request "position statements" from the candidates by contacting their local campaign headquarters.

* Develop a typed questionnaire with spaces for answers and the candidate's signatures. The questionnaire should have a limited, but specific, set of questions.

* Call the campaign offices of each candidate, explain the purpose and use of the questionnaires, and find out to whom it should be sent.

* Send the questionnaire with a cover letter explaining its purpose and how it will be used. Include a deadline for responding of at least three weeks.

* Follow-up at least a week before the deadline, asking the candidates who have not yet responded to do so. Call again the day before the deadline.

* If you choose, you can meet with the candidates or staff to complete the questionnaire in person. Such sessions should be taped and are no longer than half an hour.

* Summarize the information and mail it to community leaders and organizations as well as ADC members. Conclude with a brief description of ADC on the coalition in which ADC has worked. Note any future electoral activities and a contact person's name and number. If responses are summarized, let people know how they can acquire complete responses.

* Send copies to the national office so that information on your Congressional delegations can be updated.

* Plan the event in coordination with other groups, which will increase the audience and the likelihood that candidates will attend.

* Choose the focus, either a single issue (foreign policy, jobs) or several issues of community concern.

* Contact candidates immediately after the first meeting of the coalition. Let them know you want to hold a forum, and give them tentative dates.

* Once the date is confirmed, send a formal letter of invitation to all candidates including the date, location, names of other candidates invited, information on topics and rules, how the event will be publicized, sample questions and the names of organization presidents.

* Locate a site. The best site is a centrally located auditorium or hall, possibly a local school. If a good sound system is not in place, rent one.

* Mail flyers to ADC members. As a follow-up, invite ADC members by calling and suggesting that each member bring a friend.

* Contact local churches and organizations, and invite high school and college classes.

* Notify the media about the forum, and give them the name and number of a contact for further information. If time allows you to issue a press release, it is preferable to do so, otherwise a phone call is sufficient.

* At the forum have a sign up sheet available and provide ADC materials for distribution. Assign volunteers to be ushers, to staff literature tables, to answer audience questions, and to be ready for minute emergencies.

* Send thank you letters to all candidates who participated, as well as volunteers who helped organize the event.

* Immediately issue a letter or flyer to friends and supporters summarizing the candidates' positions.

Volunteering for a candidate's campaign is an important method for involving Arab-Americans in the political process. In most cases, individuals who volunteer to work in a local political campaign obtain first-hand experience at organizing on the grassroots level. In addition to gaining organizing experience, volunteers who are members of an organization such as ADC have the opportunity to make the concerns of their groups known to the candidate and can suggest that the candidate address those issues of concern

Finally, if a candidate is elected, individuals who have volunteered their time to the campaign in the past will be remembered for their efforts. If a volunteer who participated in an elected official's campaign requests a meeting in the future, it is very likely that such a request will be granted.

* Identify major candidates and get information from their offices summarizing their positions.

* Activate the phone network, informing ADC members of opportunities to volunteer for the candidate of their choice.

* Let volunteers know that they can identify themselves as ADC members, but their presence does not represent ADC endorsement of the candidate.

Special events and other ADC activities are organized through the collective efforts of all standing committees. This can be done by combining the efforts of all committees or by establishing a special events committee for a particular activity and utilizing the resources of all committees. Regardless of the formal structure, it is essential for the success of any event that all committees and chapter members are involved.

Call a meeting to decide the best way to ensure that the event serves the following fundamental goals:

Decide whether an appropriate board committee or whether a special events committee should be formed can organize the event.

* Distinguish a chairperson to coordinate the committee's responsibilities and tasks.

* Distribute a checklist of the necessary tasks to be accomplished by specific dates.

* Investigate possible sites for the event, keeping in mind rental fees, accessible location, available parking, sound system, etc. Then decide which site is most appropriate.

* Discuss possible speakers for the event. Consult the ADC Resource Person Guide and the national office organizing staff for further assistance and suggestions.

* Notify the national office well in advance about the kind of event you are planning.

* Request the speaker list or Resource Person Guide from he national office if necessary. The national office has a comprehensive list of speakers willing to make presentations on ADC's behalf at little or no cost.

* Keep the national office informed about when and where the event will be held, and report regularly as the event is being organized. The national office organizing staff is available to assist your chapter with any questions or problems you encounter.

* Gather information from committee members on catering costs, rental costs, printing costs for invitations or flyers, mailing costs, honoraria and expenses for speakers (travel and accommodations), entertainment costs, etc.

* Discuss the ticket price and set the price of the event, and consult with the national office organizing department.

* Please remember that ticket prices must cover all costs. No event should loose money, Stick to the budget. The national office cannot reimburse those expenses that have not been Approved prior to the event.

* Try not to overload the event with too many speakers. A master of ceremonies and two speakers is generally plenty.

* Request biographies of any speakers attending the event. This information will be important in your presswork and also for the master of ceremonies during the introduction of your speaker.

* Allow for about an hour for a cocktail reception, an hour for a meal, 30-45 minutes for each speaker and an hour for music. Also allocate time for a membership pitch and/or fund-raising. If a question and answer period is appropriate, decide how long tha