Following are some suggestions for strategies and actions. Choose strategies that fit your own congressional races, candidates, and issues. And we're sure that you'll have many more creative ideas in addition to those suggested here.

These tips can be used for other issues as well:

1. Form delegations of diverse constituencies-faith communities, labor, supporters of justice, health care professionals, farmers, business leaders, educators and students, women's groups, Latin American refugees and immigrants, etc.-who will make regular contact with your candidates. A serious and successful campaign demands the unity of the broadest spectrum of advocates. We have to work together to be effective.
   
2. Attend town meetings with the candidates, or get appointments for face-to-face meetings with candidates to present your views and ask for their pledge to work for a new US Cuba or Colombia policy. Use the media to get your message out: local media may be interested in covering your meeting, so be sure to let them know with a press release or phone call to the appropriate reporter.  See our Working With the Media section for more information. 
   
3. If your candidate is not willing to commit to working actively for better policies, raise your efforts to new levels: bird-dog the candidate. Bird-dogging (see "Bird-Dogging a Candidate") means making the candidate confront the issue at every turn. It involves:
   • Visibility with placards at parades and other events;
   • Presence at town meetings held by the candidate;
   • Asking the same question at each town meeting so that the candidate has multiple opportunities to make a statement on the issue;
   • Showing up with the same message at all places that the candidate appears.
     
4. Ask labor unions and other groups to add your issue as an item on their endorsement questionnaire.
   
5. If a candidate is good on your issue, support her/his campaign. And let the candidate or his/her campaign staff know about your support and the reason for it.
   
6. Ask educators (Latin America Studies Association, etc.) to assist in the effort. Academics can hold public teach-ins on US policy toward Latin America; invite the media; invite your candidates. Professors can involve their students in visiting candidates, letter-writing to candidates and to the editorial page of local papers, attending teach-ins (you need good attendance to get media attention), bird-dogging, etc.
   
7. Involve your local religious community. Many denominations and congregations have sister synods and sister congregations in Latin America and/or have passed policy statements supporting a peaceful US foreign policy. Seek their involvement in convincing candidates. Consider pray-ins outside candidates' campaign offices; invite the media.
   
8. Encourage your City Council to pass a resolution about US policy toward Latin America (Colombia policy, Cuba policy, border issues, etc). Take this resolution to your candidates, along with the request for their support. See "Organizing Locally" for more information on City Council resolutions.
   
9. Hold a "call your candidate" day; recruit as many people as possible to call your candidate's campaign office on a specified day with the message to support a new Cuba/Colombia policy, for example.
   
10. Hold a rally in front of your candidate's campaign office. Play Latin music, display placards with your message, fax copies of your request for a better Cuba/Colombia policy to the candidate's campaign office to coincide with the rally. Have a good time! Invite the media!
    
11. Write letters to the editors of your local and state newspapers. Get lots of signatures, or send lots of letters. Be on the look-out for free media opportunities.

While not directly connected to the campaigns, the following activity can reinforce your message. Write a letter to the President, copying the candidates and your members of Congress, encouraging the President to contribute to his presidential legacy by taking courageous action in supporting a new Cuba/Colombia policy. Get 100 signatures on this letter. Remember to send a copy to the media, as well as to the candidates and your members of Congress.