Ten tips on getting politicians to listen to you
By Apathy is Boring

Meet your federal representative:  Your Member of Parliament sets aside time every week to meet in person and listen to the valuable opinion of constituents like you, so feel free to arrange a meeting. To find your MPs contact information, check the blue pages of your phone book, or go to www.parl.qc.ca 

Write to your MP: Your MP may be too busy to meet in person, but you can still get your message across.   Every MP has staff who put together opinions and ideas received from constituents.  Communicate with them anyway you want; by phone, email, fax – you don’t even need a stamp to send a letter to your MP at the House of Commons.   

Join Consultations:  Because your opinion is important, the Canadian Government created the Consulting Canadians website,  a project designed to help them receive feedback from Canadians on a variety of topics. Check out the site at www.consultingcanadians.com

Join a Political Party:  For a small membership fee, you can join whichever political party you choose, which means you can take part directly in local decision making processes, and help promote the ideals you and your party stand for.  To find out more about political parties, check out www.elections.ca 

Contact the Prime Minister:  Just as you can write to your MP, you can also write to the Prime Minister. Whether by postage-free letter, email, or fax, your opinions will be carefully considered, and directed to people who can handle your concern.  

Write a Letter to the Editor of a Newspaper:  Anybody can do it, and it’s a great way to express your opinions in a public venue.  Write about something you care about – whether you are introducing a new idea, or talking about something that already appeared in the paper. Be sure to follow the paper’s submissions guidelines, usually found on the editorial page and/or website.

Start a Petition:  Petitions are a powerful way to express how you and others feel about a particular issue. House of Parliament rules say that the government must answer all petitions it receives within 45 days!  Gather as many signatures as you can, and then submit your petitions to your MP, but be sure to follow the guidelines presented at www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/Procedural_fact_sheets/ fs_petitions-e.htm   

Influence Parliamentary Committees:  MPs and Senators form committees to debate issues and research proposed laws, and you can take part in these committees by offering submissions or making presentations to them.  For a list of committees and detailed information on how to participate, visit www.parl.gc.ca 

Contact Provincial Officials:  Each province and territory has its own legislature.  Your voice can be heard there too, just as it can at the federal level.  You can present petitions, or contact your local Legislature Member and voice your concerns through them.  For contact information, check out the blue pages of your phone book, or find your legislature’s website through www.parl.gc.ca

Vote:  The most basic way to ensure that your democratic voice is heard is by voting, and supporting the party whose platform best represents you and your opinions.  To vote, you must be a Canadian Citizen and be at least 18 years old.  But you also have to be on the voting list!  To find out, call Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868

What is an NGO?
Volunteer-Written for Apathy Is Boring by Kristen Brewer

NGO – three letters you might have seen tossed around that seem to be doing something, but what? NGO stands for Non-Governmental Organisation, which means a non-profit group or association that acts outside of institutionalised political structures. In other words, it is an organisation with a set of goals – usually aiming for change or protection of some social, cultural, legal or environmental issue – that is not intended to make commercial profit, and is not part of a political party or government program (though some NGOs may work closely with political parties or may receive funding from governments). 

Due to the diversity of their goals, NGOs can be found operating at a variety of levels, from community groups looking to preserve a wetland to organisations that operate on a global scale such as Greenpeace, UNICEF, or Red Cross/Red Crescent. International NGOs are important in the world today because there are many problems that can’t be solved within a nation, or are overlooked by international treaties. Local or national scale NGOs are important because they are often able to represent interests of citizens that otherwise might not have a voice in a discussion with government and corporate groups. NGOs are often members of larger umbrella organisations, which give them a stronger voice at international conferences. 

NGOs typically receive their operating budget through a mix of funding from private groups, government grants, corporations, and their own fundraising efforts. NGOs often rely heavily on volunteers and fundraising activities, which makes them happy to accept helping hands. Getting involved with an NGO is a great way to find out more about your political and social beliefs and meet people interested in the same issues, and can be good experience for future work or other projects. 

NGOs can be divided into several categories based on their goals and activities. For larger NGOs, a basic distinction can typically be made between advisory and advocacy groups. Advocacy NGOs are generally the groups you see out protesting certain issues – they work to raise awareness among the public, corporations, and the government. Common tactics include petitions, protests, websites, distribution of information through the media, and large-scale activities (think Greenpeace boats) designed to gain media and public attention for a certain issue. Advisory groups are often more directly involved with advising governments or corporations, and may get involved with research activities, legal representation, hold conferences, or a variety of other activities. 

Many NGOs are not exclusively advisory or advocacy groups, and do not fit into one single category. There are a huge number of operating organisations of various sizes that cover almost every political and philosophical position on a variety of topics – so if you want to get involved with a cause, there is most likely an NGO that would be happy to provide information or accept a volunteer. 
 
So You Want to Get Involved?

Whether you want to be out in the thick of a protest to save trees, raising awareness of human rights infractions, or petitioning your local representative, there is a place for you to make your voice heard.  Youth are increasingly being recognized for their important engagement in the political process – it is OUR world that politicians are making decisions about, and we have a right to influence those decisions. While the official nature of many international meetings can be intimidating, youth are getting out there and making their voices heard in a variety of ways – and more people are always needed. Try getting involved with an NGO in a field you are interested in – NGOs might need long-term volunteers, campaigners, note-takers at a conference, or people to go out and bring their message to a community.If local issues are your thing, check out the local news for stories about different groups taking action in the community. Small groups often have a big need for members or volunteers and a small budget, so you could check community notice boards in cafes, the library, or the community centre as well. To find more established groups or groups operating at a larger scale, the web is always a great place to start – you can learn more about the issues you are interested in and what is happening with them around the world as well as closer to home. Many NGOs offer paid or unpaid internships to students or youth, so keep that in mind while looking for a summer or part time job.