Advocacy 101 Recap


Apr 02, 2009 | By Kamaile Kekahuna

We had a packed house for Advocacy 101 last night at the YWCA in Downtown Honolulu. More than 60 people showed up to learn about how to influence our lawmakers.


Sen. Hooser opened with insights from a legislator's perspective. One of his key points: with 7,000 members we can influence the outcome of any election we wanted to from the Governor on down, IF we are organized and unified. He also pointed out that Kanu's members – even just a small group of us – can be especially influential at the Legislature because we are diverse, and are not part of the "usual suspects" of lobbyists and special interests that lawmakers often see.


Testimony and letters-to-the-editor make a big difference. Lawmakers often want to do the right thing, but need the support and encouragement provided by a stack of testimonies to persuade their colleagues to vote with them.

The panel was equally impressive. Joel Guy showcased two video clips from his series "The Ledge" – which takes complex issues and boils them down into 2-3 minute vids. One was about GMO Taro and the other about Grey Water regulations. A better way to get educated and inspired about issues than reading through pages of bills written in legalese.


Georgette Deemer was next – a woman who's done more than just about anyone to make the process of lawmaking more transparent to citizens. Georgette uses blogs and Twitter to keep people informed about what's happening at the Legislature, including "tweeting" in real-time from inside of hearing rooms or from the Chamber Floor, sometimes even quoting comments by lawmakers. Normally, we'd have to track bills, watch hearing notices, and wait for hours at the Capitol to follow this stuff, but thanks to Georgette, we can do it from behind our computer screens. Start following Georgette on Twitter, and check out tools for bill tracking and testifying by email at the Legislature's website.

Following Georgette's example, Kanu Board Member Wendi Kamiya "tweeted" about the workshop while it was going on. Check it out on Twitter (#kanuhawaii search).

Nikki Love (of Common Cause) and Josh Stanbro (environmental advocate) followed, with stories and lessons drawn from their own advocacy experience. Nikki revealed how important it is to be vigilant, recounting how lawmakers tried to raise the cap on corporate contributions by inserting a last minute amendment (without revealing the amount of the new cap) late one evening in a hearing after most testifiers/observers had gone home!



Josh offered a similar lesson about vigilance using a different example: the Legacy Lands Act (which Josh helped pass in 2005, after years of effort and advocacy) is now under threat of being rolled back by HB1741. Sustained attention, and organized political will among citizens is so critical to keeping good laws in place, and ensuring that bad laws don't sneak through.

This post doesn't do the content justice, so check out the video clips and links for more of what folks said. The workshop is a first step into group action and advocacy. Help decide which issues Kanu speaks up on by voicing your opinions here. Then, SAVE THE DATE: April 27, 2009 – for an event at the Capitol that will combine acts of service by Kanu members with a statement to our lawmakers.

Comments (1)

Apr 02, 2009

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Patrick Williams said...
Looks like a great event. I wish I could have attended.
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