There are many ways that you can organize locally to change U.S. policy toward Latin America. Local organizers play a key role in helping to educate members of the community, and community work with members of Congress and other elected officials helps strengthen the democratic process, ensuring that officials' positions reflect the values of their constituents. While letter-writing and meeting with congressional offices are always good techniques, you will find other ideas for local organizing around Latin America policy below. Whether you're already part of an established local group or are looking to start one, these resources will give you ideas for how to communicate with Congress creatively and effectively.

1. Host a speaking tour or teach-in. If you are at a school or university, ask educators to assist you and hold a public teach-in on a Latin American issue. In your community, organize a teach-in at the town hall, a local place of worship, or another community space. While you may have speakers for the teach-in right in your community (if you or someone you know has traveled to Latin America recently, this is a great opportunity for a teach-in), there are also a number of organizations that run speaking tours around the country with visitors from Latin America. Click here for more information on how to host a speaker in your community.
   
2. Set up information tables at local cultural events related to Latin America. If a concert, dance performance, movie, or other special cultural event is coming to town, contact the event promoter and ask if you can set up a table at the door to hand out information and sign up new activists. If it's not possible to get a table inside the event, have people outside the doors of the event to hand out fliers and use sign up sheets on clipboards. If you have a letter to send to a member of Congress, bring copies of the letter so that people can sign and send them right there. If you have a very cooperative promoter, ask if you can make a two-minute presentation before the event begins.
   
3. Set up an information table or have volunteers circulate with fliers and sign-up clipboards at regular community events such as farmers markets, flea markets, and street festivals. Again, if you have a letter to a member of Congress or other urgent action, make sure to bring them so that people can take action on the spot. These are opportunities to engage the local community with your issue.
   
4. Ask local activist groups that don't deal directly with your issue if you can speak briefly at their next meeting. If you have local chapters of Amnesty International, local immigrant organizations, and other groups that could have an interest in your issue, see if you can come and speak to them about a specific action that you are working on. Most groups are more than happy to give other activists a few minutes to discuss a new topic.
   
5. Involve your religious community in advocacy for a more just U.S. policy toward Latin America. Click here to see our "Faith-Based Organizing Tools" section.
   
6. Hold a call-in day or letter-writing day in a local community space. This technique is especially useful leading up to a major vote: members of your community can voice their concerns over a particular Latin America issue and ask their member of Congress to support a bill or amendment to help change the policy. To set up a call-in or letter-writing event, you'll need the phone numbers and addresses of your members of Congress, and talking points on the issue for a phone call or letter. You may also want a sample letter to guide the writers. For these resources, please see our issue pages.
   
7. Organize a town or city council resolution. Across the country, cities and towns are organizing council resolutions calling for foreign policies supporting peace and justice.
   
8. Hold a rally, vigil, or parade in front of your member of Congress' district or state office (you will need a permit, so be sure to go through the proper channels a month or so before you hold the event!). Amnesty International has some great tips on holding vigils and rallies as part of their Activist Toolkit-click here for more information.

For other issue-specific talking points, educational materials, and updated information on legislation in Congress, please see our issue pages.