Local Host guide to the No Soy El Army Tour
1. Commitments we ask every local host to make:
- Each ROP-coordinated stop must be hosted by a paid member group of the ROP (get your $50 dues in!)
- Pull together a diverse team of individuals that will bottom-line the details and logistics of the stop.
- Actively have dialogue with and seek committed participation from local Latino groups and Latino leadership in the community early on in the planning. Think less about ‘recruitment’ and more about building relationships.
- Reach out to youth and school programs for participation from faculty and students.
- Do either (or both) a pre-tour cross-cultural event or a post-tour cross-cultural event to build connections between the various communities involved with the tour (for example, a film showing, attend an event in the Latino community or have a dinner party for new friends).
2. The Event Plan:
Local groups are encouraged to develop a plan that best suits your local organizing objectives. ROP staff will be available to help think through and provide feedback on local plans.
Plans should include:
- Outreach (individual & organizational),
- logistics,
- program for the event,
- language access (translation (ROP will help w this)),
- volunteers (day of),
- publicity, and
- how the tour fits into your long term organizing program.
3. Event Agenda
The basic structure of each stop: 3 hour slot of time, one hour should be used for food & fellowship, two hours then reserved for the event itself.
Basic agenda:
- A local person opens up the event with a welcome and a short bit about what your group is, what the tour is, why you all decided to host and who the presenters are.
- The presenter(s) will share their experiences with the military, recruitment, and anti-war organizing in the Latino and peace communities. (Will vary by presenter).
- Questions, answers and discussion with the audience. The presenters can be facilitators of a discussion, one of the local organizers or ROP can play this role. It should probably be someone that speaks Spanish.
- Wrapping up with a positive look at local organizing possibilities, next steps and information about alternatives for youth and opting-out of the military’s database.
- A local person closes the event, asks for donations, sharing their favorite moment, next steps in the local organizing and how folks in the room can get involved, thanking the presenters.
Invite the leads of sponsoring groups (especially the Latino communities and youth groups) to have input on the local agenda. Local groups can definitely play with this model and come up with a plan and agenda that will work well for your community.
4. Costs: We ask that each stop help off-set the costs of this ambitious tour by:
- Providing a meal at the event, simple or home cooked is fine, but real food is preferred.
- Provide housing for the presenters and organizers if there is an overnight stop in your town (probably 2-3 people). Seek out the donation of a local hotel, or provide rooms in community housing, a private room is much preferred over a living room or common space.
- Pass the hat at the event and split the proceeds between your local HDG and the ROP – help us keep doing this important work and help yourselves get some funds too. This is not required, but is a fantastic idea.
5. Materials
Provided electronically from ROP:
- General event description (English/Spanish)
- Tour announcement outreach email – generic (English/Spanish)
- Full Tour press release & presenter bios (English/Spanish)
- Various peace, anti-war, cost of war, counter-recruitment materials for the event (English/Spanish)
- Sign in sheet (English/Spanish)
Local responsibility:
- Local flyer or specific announcement for your community
- Information about local organizing
- Any specific materials that you are interested in having at your event
6. Event site wish list, ideal but not required:
- Microphone
- Tables (at least one reserved for translation equipment needs)
- Separate area for children and child care volunteer
- Projector that connects to a laptop (we provide) and wireless internet