Fact Sheets for Letter Writing

Here are some fact sheets on a variety of topics/issues that you might consider writing letters on. Of course you can write a letter about any issue that matters to you, but the more facts you have, the stronger your letter will be.

These sheets are organized by topic/issue, and under the title of each fact sheet, the organization the information is from is listed in brackets.


Housing

MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT PUBLIC HOUSING IN NEW ORLEANS
(Defend New Orleans Public Housing)
http://www.defendneworleanspublichousing.org/facts.html

Human Rights

Amnesty International’s page of Urgent Appeals (each one has fact sheet)
http://www.amnesty.org/en/how-you-can-help


Support Immigrant Families—Stop the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Raids (link to UUA's action of immediate witness on this issue)

Stop U.S. Sponsored Torture—A Religious Call to Action (link to UUA's action of immediate witness on this issue)

Women's Rights and Equality

Several actions to put equality back on track in Canada
http://www.womensequality.ca/action.html

Social Support for the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (link to UUA's action of immediate witness on this issue)

Poverty

Sample Letters about living up to Aid Committments - one for each country
(Poverty.com, same people that run Freerice.com)
http://www.poverty.com/printletter.html

More and Better Aid
(Make Poverty History Canada)
http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/aim3.html
more detail:
http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/resources/political-action/general-briefing-note.pdf


End Child Poverty in Canada
(Make Poverty History Canada)
http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/aim4.html
more detail:
http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/resources/political-action/briefing-note-child-poverty.pdf

Cancel the Debt - How rich countries need to cancel the debt owing to them by poor countries(Make Poverty History Canada)
http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/aim2.html

Trade Justice - The importance of fair trade rules between rich and poor countries
http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/aim1.html


Climate Change

General Climate Change Facts (glossary)
(The Great Warming)
http://www.thegreatwarming.com/pdf/ClimateChangeFactSheet.pdf

Climate Change and Poverty
(Make Poverty History Australia)
http://www.childfund.org.au/static/w/X/40498e0830b4d8d41b9724fe899c87a3.pdf


Wildlife/Wilderness

Stop Port Construction; Save Ridley Sea Turtles / India
(Global Response - Environmental Action and Education)
http://www.globalresponse.org/gra.php?i=current

Andy Russell – I’tai sah kòp (Castle) Park - Creating a new park in southwestern Alberta
(Sierra Club of Canada)
http://www.sierraclub.ca/national/programs/biodiversity/wilderness/campaign.shtml?x=309

Boreal Forest Fact Sheet - info on the importance of and threat to the Canadian Boreal Forest
(Sierra Club of Canada)
http://www.sierraclub.ca/img_upload/af38c14d2c65b43c7910bb4fb3317aa7/boreal_fact_sheet.pdf

Democracy

This is Democracy? - Explanation of the need for electoral reform in Canada
(Fair Vote Canada)
http://www.fairvotecanada.org/files/Make%20Every%20Vote%20Count%20-%20Pt%201%20-%20jan%2005.pdf

Sexual Health/GBLTQ issues

-comprehensive sex ed in the States http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/socialjustice/statements/31604.shtml (link to UUA's action of immediate witness on this issue)

-Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (link to UUA's action of immediate witness on this issue)

-Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act with Transgender Inclusion and Protection (link to UUA's action of immediate witness on this issue)


Other topics to write letters on
(I don't have fact sheets for these, use your own knowledge and passion!)

-more and better transit systems in your community (a race, class, poverty and environmental issue)

-more comprehensive recycling and composting programs in your community

-real action on climate change from all levels of government
-clean energy sources (wind, solar, geo-thermal, wave technology, etc)
-emissions caps on industry, vehicles, etc
-more incentives for retrofitting of buildings to meet high energy standards
-stop subsidizing fossil fuel industries

-living wages – a minimum wage that is actually enough to survive on, and be above the poverty line

-racism (choose an instance of institutionalized racism and write about that, or check your town’s papers for particular instances you can refer to or write a letter to the editor about)

-representation of women and visible minorities in government positions (specifically that parties choose to nominate these individuals to run, and to run in ridings/constituencies where they are likely to win)



*Remember, you can also send email about any of these things, but letters count more!*

Also, some letters you can sign and send online - not as effective as hand-written and mailed letters, but still better than nothing! You could have a computer connected to the internet at your event so that people can send these letters too:

Americans - find out how your Senators and Reps voted on Key Energy Ammendments, and send them a note:
http://action.sierraclub.org/site/VoteCenter?page=voteList

Help save the Polar Bear
https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?JServSessionIdr012=ohd0zu5fh2.app20a&cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=221

Tell President Bush: Take Plan B to the UN
(Save Darfur)
http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/planb_petition/ies6uus9a65d7ek?


Help Stop the Genocide in Darfur - Tell President Bush and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to take immediate steps to stop the killing in Darfur.
(Save Darfur)
http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/savedarfurcoalition