Organizing a Journey for Justice Public Event

A public event can be large or small, but no one expects a volunteer to expend large amounts of time and money for a small event. Likewise, without at least a well planned effort, a public event will probably be small. Costs can, and should be, minimal either way.

Small is great if the small group has come together for a meaningful purpose. Otherwise, after a large public event closes, most of the audience 'scatters to the winds,' and the organizer is left with the same core group at the end of an exhausting, expensive venture. Plan what your experience says you can do and follow our written suggestions carefully.

If you have any questions, after reviewing all the information presented, you can email: moreinfo@november.org. Include your city and state in all email correspondence with us.

Choose a forum inviting the general public and guest speakers only if,

• You have built a network of at least five people you can count on to assist you with all phases of planning and labor
• Your group has contacts with local experts who agree to appear and speak publicly with the Journey about the issue

If you lack the group size or experience to organize a public forum, your associates or family can still learn about grassroots organizing on a smaller scale.

The 'skills of organizing' develop from first-time activities. If you have a new group, or a small group, the Journey for Justice will attend an informal or small meeting. You only have to promise to expand the skills of your group in planning for this event. Work with the media if you never have -- do something new with us. We're here to help.

The educational emphasis of the Journey for Justice showcases the failure of drug war imprisonment. The organizational strategy is to build a web of successful campaigns and special skills. We all want power, don't we? Within this dual purpose, we travel to a given area and are available to local organizers. There are lots of good reasons to hold public events.

An experienced organizer might consider a series of events, and an extended Journey for Justice visit to your area. As soon as you are ready to announce a major event, subsidiary, or supplemental, events can be planned.

Subsidiary events can be planned around at least one public event:

• Media coverage appearances; schedule a local radio talk show; or make appointments with the newspaper editorial board or its selected representative
• Schedule an appointment or private meeting with government and other professional group representatives -- mayor or mayor staff, association of criminal justice professionals, medical associations, etc.
• Host an informal reception (breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee) for activists in your area to meet with the guests. This can be formal or informal (someone's home, a local meeting place, or at a restaurant).

But first, your group must decide what the purpose for your public event will be.

• A public event must have a purpose and timely agenda
  For instance: The purpose of our scheduled event next week is to educate the public about the destructive increase of the prison population due to the war on drugs. We will highlight the use of the informant system to secure convictions, and the fact that federal prisoners have no hope for early release in order to activate the audience locally. Parole was abolished in the mid 1980's for most federal prisoners; we seek public support that will usher in a return to parole in the federal system. (Your group may have a focus that encompasses ours, and together we can help your audience understand the issue of the drug war imprisonment more fully).
• A public event needs a public meeting place
  Many public meeting places have the equipment you need. But, there are other considerations besides equipment. Where in your community is there a central meeting place? Does it have adequate parking, and easy to find? Is it near public transportation? Most cities have rooms or auditoriums in libraries, community centers, or government buildings that local groups can use free of charge. If it is a demonstration, is it a place where the public can see you?
• A public event needs a date and time
  The Journey for Justice is scheduled firmly before departing. If we are not in your area at a good date and time for a public meeting, you can inquire about the rigidity of a given Journey schedule. Often a quick review of the event schedule will answer your date questions. As a Journey schedule emerges, more adjustments can be made. Emerging schedules will show you areas of the tour where days and times are open.
• Public speakers
  Before inviting local speakers, be sure that you have registered as a Journey Activist and have been in communication with a member of our staff. Before we add additional public speakers to our event schedule, you will want to suggest this date and time to the potential panel member for their consideration. Refer them to this website. They will want to know some history of this campaign. No matter what type of events you choose, or series of events, you will have at least two speakers available. Chuck Armsbury and his wife and colleague, Nora Callahan, are Journey 'regulars.' Adding local speakers, local 'experts,' to this mix offers one more reason the media is likely to become interested in working with you. The combination of 'out of town' speakers, and local 'experts' is a good one for lots of reasons, including the need for local activists and national leaders leaders to know each other.
• Special equipment
  Will you need sound equipment, television or other video presentation equipment for your guests?
• Time to execute a solid plan
  You will need at least eight weeks, and four group meetings, to plan a public event. Take time before starting to review the checklist and timeline with your group and assign tasks to each interested volunteer. (You can download these forms from the menu to the left.) Meet with local organizers early, midway, and then again before the event to keep in close touch with them. Be prepared to address their concerns, and don't assume anything. Ask questions. Facilitate growth in your group by keeping them focused on building maximum results from careful attention to details. Remember to thank people involved, and give them answers to their questions, too. Most of us are nervous doing something new, something public. Being well prepared will help. For planning meeting instructions, read "The First Meeting."
• Publicity
  Letting potentially interested persons know that there is going to be a public event can be accomplished using a combination of at least a few of the following suggestions -- a small poster or flyer placed prominently in public areas and neighborhoods; mailing the flyer to all the contacts in your group; preparing a public service announcement for TV, radio and/or your local newspaper (call the stations in your area, contact the local newspaper editors and ask about their public service announcement policies). We have a special section on Journey for Justice and publicity. You will find sample flyers, artwork and special instructions for compiling news releases. Download the Checklist; it will help a lot in your planning.

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