This page will eventually contain a list of prewritten letters for download that you can personalise and send yourself. If you have any letters you have composed and would like to share, please feel free to email them to us at info@WhatCanOnePersonDo.com and we will make them availalbe to everyone to use.

Political leaders are greatly influenced by public opinion. In fact, politicians keep close tabs on the issues constituents raise in letters, meetings, phone calls and editorial pages of local papers. Encourage change by contacting your elected representative. Read below for tips on letters, phone calls and meetings.

Tips on contacting your political representatives Taken from the David Suzuki Foundation

LETTERS TO POLITICIANS
One letter is said to represent more than a 1,000 opinions at the federal level. The ratio declines as you move down the levels of government. Generally, the more time and thought involved in communicating to a politician, the greater your opinion is valued.

• Letters are better mailed than faxed.
• Faxes are better than email.
• Writing is generally better than phoning.
• Something is better than nothing!

TIPS
• You do not need a long, detailed letter.
• You do not have to be an "expert".
• Request a specific action as well as expressing a concern.
• If you don't have time to write out your full position, attach an article or short summary of a study that makes your point.
• Point out that the priorities the politician has expressed about job creation, human health, a healthy economy, etcetera are not at odds with protecting the environment.
• Commend politicians for any good work and statements they make.
• Have fun! Get together with friends and food for a letter writing fest.
• Carbon copy (cc) the letter to other relevant people (the Prime Minister, relevant ministers, your MPs, or provincial or municipal politician, journalists, etc). This means you can write only one letter with the same important message and send it to everyone.

If you have any letters that you have sent yourself and would like to make these available to the larger community, please feel free to contact us here at info@WhatCanOnePersonDo.com and we will make the letters available to the www.WhatCanOnePersonDo.com readership.

PHONE CALLS
You don't write to your sister, you call her. You can phone your politician, too. While you may not get through to your elected representative, you can talk to the office staff. Ask that your position and specific request for action is forwarded to the politician. In the successful campaign to ban the growth hormone for dairy cows in Canada (BGH), large numbers of Canadians in several electorates were encouraged to phone their politicians. This not only resulted in MPs speaking out in their caucuses, but convinced them, in this situation, non-profit organizations not government departments had the most credible information about the threat of this drug.

MEETINGS
Face-to-face encounters with your elected officials can move him or her from taking a passive to an active interest.
• Share new information with them.
• Go with another informed person. If possible, a person who is particularly relevant for the discussion or an unexpected ally: a local business person, economist, scientist, doctor, religious or community leader.
• Be specific about what you want that politician to do.
• Make sure your request is within the jurisdiction of whatever level of government the politician is capable of influencing.
• Take accurate notes of what they say and commit to, and if they're really meaningful share them with other people and organizations, that would find them useful.
• Narrow your discussion an stick to your point.
• Leave brief, well-selected back ground material (articles, a report, polling results). • If you can't meet with your elected official, meet with his or her assistant.
• Follow up with a letter restating your position and his/her commitments (or lack thereof).

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
These short submissions are generally in response to a previous item in the newspaper, but can be related to other business, social or political developments. Read the tips below on effective letter writing and send a letter right now.

Tips for writing letters to the editor
• Try to link your letter to the date and title of a story previously appearing in the paper.
• Deal with one topic and have one major message.
• Put the main point at the beginning and progressively less important details towards the end.
• Be brief (350 words max) and specific.
• Use a straightforward, factual approach - not sarcasm.
• Include your name, address and day phone number - staff may call if they're interested.
• Try to submit within 48 hours (for dailies) of the article you're responding to.
• Get your mother (or anyone who cares about your reputation) to check the letter.