"A Tool Kit for Advocacy - 2002" is a clear and simple guide to working for social change that can be extremely useful to local leaders and union and community activists.

Members often come into the DC 37 Education Fund Library looking for information on how to make their first speech, prepare for a meeting, lobby elected officials, get media attention for their issues or reach out to other organizations working for social change.

Pieces of this information appear separately in various books and pamphlets. But now a group of seniors in the New York City area have brought their experience and wisdom together in this how-to manual that makes it simple to become an advocate or improve your skills.

The Joint Public Affairs Committee for Older Adults has published the manual in a easy-to-use spiral-bound notebook. JPAC is a multicultural organization that formed the Institute for Senior Action to organize a series of classes to help elder activists develop their skills.

This book puts together the lessons that IFSA teachers and students have learned from their course and from lifetimes of fighting for social justice. Some of the leaders of the DC 37 Retirees Association are graduates of the IFSA program.

One of the authors, IFSA founder Dorothy Epstein, should be familiar to us in DC 37. Back in the 1930s, she helped organize welfare workers into a union that helped start AFSCME and was the predecessor of SSEU Local 371. Judging from this book, she's still going strong today at 89.
I was recently called upon to chair a meeting, and I found the section on this topic very useful.

It had been a while since I had done this and their checklist on preparing for the meeting was very helpful - especially the suggestions about getting members involved, forming committees and listening to each other. As in the other sections, there are also activity sheets and exercises that I may try next time.

The sections on writing for social change, reclaiming government, public speaking and grabbing media attention are laid out in a similar manner. There are step-by-step guidelines, checklists and activities which help prepare for the real thing.

Do you want to issue your own news release? It's not rocket science. Just follow the format and fill in the blanks. Do you have to raise funds? Here are the tools you need.

While some may read this book cover to cover, most will keep it handy to refer to it when needed. I just looked over the checklist on making a speech and got some good pointers.

"The Tool Kit for Advocacy" is a primer on basic skills for activists in any organization. It is not just for "leaders" but for anyone who wants to get more involved from beginners to experienced activists.

—Ken Nash
DC 37 Education Fund
Room 211

"Tool Kit for Advocacy - 2002" is published by the Institute for Senior Action of the Joint Public Affairs Committee for Older Adults.
Copies are $21 for individuals and $40 for organizations from JPAC, 132 West 31st St., 15th floor, NYC, NY 10001. (212) 273-5262 or go to jpac@jasa.org