Making Contact
How Progressives Can (and Must) Lobby for Social Change
by Diane Lefer
Abbe Land, West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tem, doesn’t want activists to think of “lobbying†as a dirty word. “In the purest form, it’s about educating and helping elected officials understand the issue,†she told more than 100 
community members attending the recent workshop, “Your Voice: Learning to Lobby for Social Change,†organized by the Advocacy Committee of the National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles.
“Paid lobbyists can keep knocking on your door till you let them in, keep telling you their side, their side, their side — till it’s possible forget about the other side.†Progressive organizations lobby, too, “to move our agenda forward,†she said in her keynote address, but don’t have the resources to keep up that kind of constant pressure without the help of the individual activist. The role of citizen lobbyist is crucial. (more…)
