As I understand it, the CEPC has managed to get about 42% of the ridings across Canada covered so far which is great news, but perhaps you live in a riding they don't have covered yet?
The information they will provide you with to go to your meeting is excellent and thorough. We are going to a meeting with a rabid feminist MP tomorrow morning and I'm looking forward to it.
BECOME A RIDING ADVOCATE
The most powerful way to get our message out is through direct face-to-face advocacy with politicians. This was clearly demonstrated last summer when a number of coalition members blitzed constituency offices to secure support for M-383 Private Members Motion supporting Equal Parenting. The feedback was incredible, and there was little doubt that the issue was registered in the minds of visited MPs.
Imagine the advocacy power if we had a coalition advocate in each of the 308 federal Ridings representing CEPC and its member organizations. That idea was strongly endorsed in the CEPC survey held May 2008. This month we are launching the Riding Advocate Registry to go from idea to reality.
Here’s how it works. We want members to sign up in the Registry to represent the coalition in their own Ridings, and adjacent Ridings if possible. The process is simple.
What will these Riding Advocates (RidACs) do? They will be asked to meet with their MPs at their Constituency Offices 1-3 times a year as part of coordinated national advocacy campaigns to:
Provide MPs with CEPC educational material on family law reform;
· Canvass MPs for their personal and party position on equal parenting, and invite questions they may have for research/response by CEPC staff;
· Ask MPs to complete CEPC surveys;
· Canvass MPs for their support of legislative initiatives (e.g. Private Member Bills, Government Legislation)
· Facilitate meetings with the MP, if requested, for any CEPC organization wishing to advocate it’s own message.
In short, you will be the face of CEPC and its organizations in your Riding…you will establish a working relationship to add the all-important human touch to our message.
This is a bold undertaking, but we can do it if we all play a role. It starts by signing up here
http://www.surveymethods.com/EndUser.as ... B6E9A5B4B4
Our thanks to Gene Rogers and Marc Magendie for developing this registry.
Kris Titus & George Piskor
Co-Presidents
Canadian Equal Parenting Council
