10 Tips for Taking Social Action

"Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity." – Oprah Winfrey

You’ve read about the Jackson kids. Anything they can do, you can do, too. Here are ten steps that will lead you to your goal.

1. Choose a problem. Look around your neighborhood. Are there any areas that look neglected or need improvements?Are there places that make you feel unsafe?Places that smell awful? Any problems with drugs, crumbling buildings, homeless people, hungry children, dangerous street crossings, grungy landscapes?

This is one good way to begin. You could also find a problem by thinking about a subject you have studied at school or in a scout troop. For example, if you have just finished a unit on mammals, you might ask yourself,"What kinds of problems do animals have or cause in real life?" If you can’t think of anything, you might call your local humane society, animal shelter, or research clinic.

The hard part won’t be finding a problem. (For some suggestions, see below.) The hard part will be choosing only one problem at a time.

2. Do your research. If you choose a problem from something you have studied at school, you already have valuable information to use. But try some new ways of researching,too.

Survey your school or neighborhood to find out how other people feel about the problem you want to tackle. Telephone officials for information, then interview them over the phone or in person. Write letters.Read magazines and newspapers. Checkout the Internet to find information or allies. If you happen to be a veteran couch potato, flip the TV to a news channel.

3. Brainstorm possible solutions and choose one. Think of what you might do to solve your problem. Brainstorm everything you can think of. Sometimes the zaniest ideas turn out to be the best.

After you have made a long list of potential solutions, look at each one carefully.Choose the solution that seems the most possible and will make the most difference.For example: We will help young people learn to read by volunteering as tutors in the elementary school; we will help reduce crime in our area by organizing a neighborhood watch program.

4. Build coalitions of support. A coalition is a group of people working together for the same goal. Find all the people you can who agree with your solutions.Survey your neighborhood; ask teachers,city officials, newspapers, legislators, other students. Call state agencies that deal with your problem. Send email to connect with businesses and nonprofit organizations interested in your issue.

This is very important to do. Organize all these people. The more people you have on your team, the more power you will have to make a difference.

5. Work with your opposition. For every good solution, there are people, businesses, and organizations that might oppose the plan. That’s why it’s important to ask, "Who or what might make it hard to carry out our plan?" It’s important to identify possible barriers before you run into them. You don’t want to be taken by surprise. Brainstorm with your coalition of support to help you identify who might object to your solution. Teachers and other experts can help as well. Then make plans to overcome others’ objections.

You might be tempted to think of the people who oppose your solution as "bad guys." But it can be more useful to see them as people with different needs and opinions.Get to know your "enemy" you might be surprised how far you can get by working together, and how many ideas you agree on.Not all the time, but in many cases, you and your opposition can both win–or at least accomplish more by compromising.

6. Advertise. Here’s good news:Television, radio, and newspaper reporters love stories of kid action. TV and radio stations usually offer free air time for worthy projects.

Call and ask to speak to a reporter who covers educational issues. Or you might write a letter. Be sure to include a phone number(yours?) the reporter can call for more information. Or send out a news release.

Don’t forget small community newspapers, even church bulletins. They can help you advertise, too. If you let people know what problem you’re trying to solve, and what solution you propose, You’ll suddenly find all sorts of people who want to climb aboard.

7. Raise money. After letting people know about your project, you might try to raise funds to support it. This isn’t essential,and many wonderful projects can be tackled without this step. But sometimes you have more power if you put money where your mouth is.

8. Carry out your solution. You have your lineup of team players, and you’ve advertised to let people know the problem you plan to solve. Now DO IT!

Make a list of all the steps you need to take. Give speeches, write letters and proclamations, pass petitions, improve your neighborhood or school (or you might just try to spiff up your own backyard).

9. Evaluate and reflect. Is your plan working? Are you congratulating yourself on your coolness, or do you feel more like you have a migraine headache? It’s time to evaluate your project and its progress.

Have you tried everything? Should you change your solution? Do you need to talk with more people? It’s up to you. You’re in charge.

Reflect on what you’ve learned. What have you actually accomplished? Write, draw, or dramatize your experiences; express your reactions to the service you have performed in an imaginative way.

10. Don’t give up. Unless you think it’s time to quit, don’t pay too much attention to folks who tell you all the reasons why your solution won’t work. If you believe your cause is really important, keep picking away at it.

Problem solving means weeding out all the things that don’t work until you find something that does. Remember; a mountain looks tallest from the bottom. Don’t give up. Climb!

WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM?

Maybe you already know a problem you want to solve. Or maybe you’re truly stuck on finding an issue to pursue.

Four Rules of Brainstorming:

1. Brainstorm with a friend, your family, a group, or a class. The more brains you have to storm with, the more ideas you’ll have. But you can also brainstorm alone.

2. Everybody tries to come up with as many ideas as possible–from silly to serious, and everything in between.

3. All ideas are acceptable during brainstorming. Write all of them down now,and make your choices later.

4. Nobody criticizes anybody else’s ideas. Period. No exceptions!

You can brainstorm on blank paper, a chalkboard, a flip chart, a computer, or anything you choose. From the link below, you’ll find examples of a filled-in brainstorming form.

BRAINSTORMING I: Come up With Ideas (see example here)

A blank form for you to use is here.

BRAINSTORMING II: Choose Your Main Idea

At this point, you have many ideas, some of them crazy. Now you should choose an idea to work on.

Ask yourself questions.

For example: Which idea might make the biggest difference? Which idea might have the best chance to succeed? Which idea might benefit the most people? Which idea might cost the least to do? Which idea do I like the best?

QUESTIONS

1. Which idea might be the most possible to do?
2. Which idea do I like the best?
3. Which idea might help the most people?
4. Which idea might cost the least for us?
5. Which idea might help us learn the most?

Choose one basic idea to work with:

We will encourage sidewalk repairs in the Euclid area.

Now list the steps to carry out your Plan of Action.

For example: Give speeches at the community council. Write letters to the mayor. Write a news release for TV and radio.

Then write down who will be responsible for each step, and when.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

Unfortunately, problems in need of solutions are easy to find, Reading the newspapers, watching the news on TV or listening to the radio, surfing the Web, reading books or magazines, or talking to people in your school and community can all help you identify problems that need to be tackled.

Here’s a list of topics that might get you jump-started. Ask yourself, "What’s the problem?" for each of these topics, Decide which ones you might want to work with, or brainstorm topics of your own.

Community Concerns
Schools
City growth and development; land use
Vacant lots, abandoned buildings
Beautification projects
Animals and wildlife
Libraries
Literacy
Parks and recreation
Sports and athletics

Social Concerns
Families
Child care
Friends and social relationships
Population
Immigration
Diversity
Clothing
Homelessness
Public health, mental health
Nutrition and hunger
Substance abuse (alcohol and other drugs, smoking)
Volunteerism
Support systems for children, the elderly, etc.
Poverty
Employment, unemployment

Governing Agencies
Transportation
Law enforcement and justice
Education
Business and labor
Lawmaking agencies and governments
Social agencies
Elections and voting
Court advocacy

The Environment
Energy production, energy use
Natural resources
Wildlife
Hunting and fishing
Pollution (air, water, land)
Weather
Garbage and recycling

Technology
Communication
Information access
Satellites and space research
Medical research
Industrial advances
Inventions and projects
The future of technology and space

Value Systems
Money
Economic growth
Human rights
Children’s rights
Ethics (morals and beliefs)
Religion
Censorship
Trade
Working conditions

Public Safety
Peace
Weapons and gun control
Safety and accidents (including industrial)
Terrorism
Disasters (earthquakes, floods, fires, storms, etc.)
Disease
Crime

Passover and Easter are both celebrations which highlight the spring season. How do Unitarian Universalists respond to these deeply significant religious festivals? Some respond by turning with the secular culture to flowers, eggs, lambs and bunnies–all ancient symbols of the renewal of life, which is also a central message of Easter and Passover. The rich layers of human custom and belief come together now, and as we draw our living tradition from many sources, UUs may serve forth a generous slice that includes all those layers.

What follows, inspired by the Jewish Haggadah, or "telling" of the Passover story during the Seder meal, is an attempt to bring all the stories together in a celebration for UU families. The dialogue may take place around the dinner table where symbols of the season have been placed. The menu is of your choosing, with a glass of wine or juice for each person. The first question should be asked by the youngest person present and answered by the oldest person present. After that, you may take turns asking and answering in any order around the table. If you like, make copies of the dialogue available to everyone ahead of time, or simply pass this one copy from person to person for an impromptu reading.

First question: Why is this time of year different from other times?

First answer: This is the time when we remember that death is a natural part of life on earth and that all living things renew themselves over and over, year after year. This is the time when Passover and Easter are celebrated. It is the time of Easter bunnies and decorated eggs.

All: We lift our glasses in celebration of life everlasting!

Second question: What is the story of Passover?

Second answer: Long ago, the Hebrew people were slaves in the land of Egypt. Because the Pharaoh refused to free the slaves, Moses and Aaron and their god, Yahweh, brought one affliction after another to the Egyptians. Finally Yahweh passed through the land by night, bringing death to the firstborn son of every Egyptian family. So that the Hebrews would be spared, Yahweh told them to kill a lamb and mark their doorways with its blood. When Yahweh came to a door marked with the blood of the lamb, he would passover that house. The Hebrews were able to escape from Egypt, and after wandering for many years, finally came to a Promised Land of their own. At the time of Passover, Jewish people all over the world celebrate their freedom with a Seder dinner.

All: We lift our glasses in celebration of freedom from oppression!

Third question: What is the story of Easter?

Third answer: The Easter story happened many, many years after the Hebrews left Egypt. It is the story of a man named Jesus, a Jew who lived during the time of the Roman empire. Jesus brought new inspiration to his people. He talked about love and non-violence and respect for every person. Some of the Roman rulers were afraid he might start a rebellion, and some of the Jewish leaders were afraid he might change their religion. It was just after Jesus and his friends had celebrated a Passover Seder together that he was arrested and put to death on the cross. However, his teaching lived on, and today Christians all over the world celebrate Easter in his memory as a time of love and hope reborn.

All: We lift our glasses in celebration of love and hope reborn!

Fourth question: What is the story of the Easter bunny and colored eggs:

Fourth answer: This is the oldest story of all. Ancient people who lived in northern lands waited anxiously each year for spring to return.They saw the egg as a symbol of new life, and they noticed that rabbits had large and frequent families. They watched eagerly for the first green shoots of spring, which meant fresh food for their own families. Many people in all times and places have decorated eggs for spring celebrations. A roasted egg is one of the symbolic foods of Passover. Baby animals and flowers and green, growing things are also symbols of new life.

All: We lift our glasses in celebration of life everlasting!

Explain that the story is about a girl the children’s age who had a hard decision to make. Then read or tell the following story.

Back in the early days of this century, a young schoolgirl and her family moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to a small town in the same province. Her name was Stefania. Her father had bought a general store in the town and sold groceries and candy, buttons and boots, paint and hammers, and all manner of useful and interesting things. He and Stefania’s mother and her brothers and sisters were considered important people in the town because of the store.

It was summer when the family moved to the town. Stefania found it easy to make new friends in her neighborhood. For one thing, she was a friendly person. For another there was the store with the bins of cookies and the penny candy in the glass case, and she was allowed to treat her friends when they came to the store with her.

When September came and it was time for school to start, Stefania did not feel like a new pupil at all, for she already had friends who would be at school with her, and she looked forward to making new ones. She also looked forward to going to the little Unitarian church on the edge of town. It had been closed all summer. Her family had been members of the Icelandic Unitarian Church in Winnipeg and Stefania had gone to Sunday school.

At recess on the first day of school all the pupils went outside to play. Soon they were busy with their games and Stefania was finding new friends. In a little while, though, she noticed a girl about her age in a dress that looked like a hand-me-down standing apart from all the others, not joining in the games.

"Why doesn’t that girl over there play with us?" she asked. "Oh, we couldn’t play with her," someone said. "She’s a Unitarian." It didn’t take Stefania even a second to decide what to do. "Then you can’t play with me either," she said, "for I’m a Unitarian too." And she walked away from the group and introduced herself to the other girl.

This is a true story. It happened at a time when some people didn’t like Unitarians because Unitarians believe that the search for truth is important in religion and don’t believe that Jesus was a God. Some people didn’t like Universalists because Universalists believe that love toward others is the most important part of religion and don’t believe that anyone will go to hell forever. It was sometimes very hard to be a Unitarian or a Universalist.

Did you ever think something when you were younger and then, when you got to be a little older, find out it wasn’t that way at all?

For example, when I was in first grade, I used to think that children in the third grade were practically grownups! But then when I got to be in the third grade, I didn’t feel grown-up at all. But then I thought the sixth-graders were really old!

For some reason it’s fun to tell other people about your "used-to-thinks." I’ve been collecting "used to thinks" for quite a few years now — some of them are my own, some of them my children told me, and some of them other children told me. Here are some of the "used-to-thinks" I have collected. I wonder whether you used to think any of these things?

I used to think that we lived on the inside of the world ball, not on the outside.

I used to think that when you shut off the TV the program would stop, and then, when you turned it on again, it would begin right where it was when you stopped it.

I used to think you grew bigger on your birthday.

I used to think that when people said that Christmas was just around the corner, the people around the corner were having Christmas.

I used to think that when there were double lines down the middle of the highway, motorcycles were supposed to go in the space between them.

I used to think that ladies who wore high heels had heels on their feet that went down inside their shoes.

I used to think that after you’ve gotten as old as you are going to get, you begin to get younger again. When someone told me how old they were, I wondered whether they were on their way to older or younger.

Children are not the only ones who have "used-to-thinks." Almost every day, now that I have grown up, I find out something that makes something that I thought I knew into a "used-to-think." (Share some grown-up "used-to-thinks" of your own.)

Do any of you have "used-to-thinks?" (Pause while others in the group share their "used-to-thinks.")

But it isn’t just grownups and children who have "used-to-thinks." All the people who are alive together at one time think certain things that people living after them find out aren’t true at all.

The people who lived in Greece several thousand years ago used to think that it was the trees shaking that made the wind blow.

People used to think that tomatoes were poisonous.

The people who lived when my grandmother did used to think that it was positively dangerous to go as fast as fifteen miles an hour. They used to think that there never could be a flying machine — it would fall out of the air.

People used to think that we would never, never get to the moon, or to Mars, or away from our earth at all.

I guess that as long as there are people in the world there will be "used-to-thinks," because there is always going to be more to find out, and there are always going to be new things to find out about what we think we already know. Sometimes, as we get older, we understand things that we couldn’t have understood before — just because we have grown some and have had more experiences. Every time you find yourself with a new "used-to-think," you ought to feel pretty good, because it means you’ve learned something that you didn’t know before.

Using prayer beads can help us ‘talk to god’ or think about how our lives are going.

Some Unitarian Universalist kids believe there’s a God in heaven deciding how we live and when we will die. Other UU kids think God is the force of life and nature. Still others don’t believe in any kind of God at all. With all these different ideas about God, what would prayer (a kind of talking to God) be like for UU kids?

The Reverend Christopher Gist Raible, like all UU ministers, thinks that kids need to decide for themselves what their beliefs are about God, but he also thinks we can all benefit from prayer. Kids can use prayer to think about how their lives are going and to make plans for how to become the best people they can.

Reverend Raible says that when kids pray they might think about what they feel thankfu1 for, what they feel sorry for, and what they are hopeful about.

Virginia Steel, a UU Director of Religious Education added one more thing to the list of things Reverend Raible thinks kids can pray about: She thinks kids can also pray about what they want to improve in their lives. She used the word THIS to remember the four things we could pray about: being Thankful, being Hopeful, wanting to Improve, and being Sorry.

In some religions, people use a string of beads to help them count how many times they have said certain prayers. Catholics call these beads "rosary beads."

When Muslirns use beads to help them pray, they call it "tasbih."