Organizing an event in your community: Tips for success

• Draw on your local community to bring together a diverse coordinating committee, including religious leaders, drug policy activists, union locals, environmental groups, anti-corporate globalization organizations, local Latin American immigrant groups, etc.
  
• Decide what action(s) you want to do in your community or on your campus. Make your plan, agree on a timeline, and divide responsibilities. Set the next check-in meeting.
  
• Don't overreach what you think you can do well, but be willing to take some risks, be creative, and stretch the possibilities.
  
• Be sure to include media in your plan: Press releases, Letters to the Editor, Op-ed pieces, meetings with editorial boards, etc. You can dramatically maximize the community impact if you get the story out.
  
• Think about how your activity can send a message to policymakers. Whether you’re holding a vigil outside of the office of your senators or representative, providing letters to Congress for event participants to sign, or sending press pieces that feature your event to your members of Congress, make sure that policymakers hear your call for US policies that promote peace in Colombia.