Communication Tips for Success

Important Things to Keep in Mind

Being a clear communicator is key to being effective, yet many of us struggle.  We may be misunderstood, or feel ignored. Here are some resources that can help us better communicate about environmental and social issues in general.  Both science and the experiences of many accomplished outreach groups show us that it is possible to get past common hurdles, build mutually beneficial relationships with those who run our countries, communities, businesses, and schools. By working together instead of behaving like oppositional teams, we can help encourage future cooperation based on mutual trust and respect.

To understand the specific challenges that public servants face can also help us help them. As the Stanford Social Innovation Review explains, "It’s easy to forget that a lot of policy decisions aren’t made by the politicians we see in the press every day. Often the real power to implement new ideas lies below the radar—with purpose-driven, career civil servants. These policymakers’ face many political, practical, and psychological constraints, but foundations, nonprofits, and others working in the social sector nevertheless have the opportunity to educate them about new ideas and influence their decision-making."

Before making contact, take some time to research the issue at hand, understand what the local situation is.

• Is there a vote you want them to understand better?

• Is a current law hurting an innocent group or groups?

• Is another place doing things better, and can you share solid stats like how much money they save by making simple changes to the problems your community or country now faces?

Take some time to write down what you have learned, make it as short and factual as you can. The shorter, and more impactful you can make your message, the more likely your recipient will read the whole thing plus actually retain the information. The following resources contain tips and ideas for effective and healthy communication.

Resources

• ACLU Rights for All  "This toolkit will provide you with multiple ways to get the attention of our elected officials, advocate for yourself and your community, and make your voice heard.  Another tool you have is the ability to vote! Visit myvote.wi.gov to register, request a ballot to be mailed to you, or to find out where your ballot is in the process."
  
  Sections include "10 Tips for Becoming an Effective Advocate", "How to Influence Your Elected Officials", "Getting Help From the ACLU", a "Sample Meeting Agenda", "Participating in Public Events" which advises on creating good photos and videos to showcase political action, and a sample letter to an elected official.

• Deadlines May be Effective in Building Support for Climate Change Action Read about a study on this topic where "... the researchers found that participants who read the deadline article significantly supported more political action to mitigate climate change than those in the control condition. 
  
  These participants also perceived the severity of climate change as greater than those in the control group and they also had a greater sense that they, individually and collectively, could do something about it.
  
  Perceived ability to do something about climate change, individually and collectively, was also greater in the no-deadline group than the control group..."
  
  "But only the deadline article group also resulted in greater support for political climate change action than the control condition."

• Eight Tips for Communicating Ideas to Busy Policymakers "How foundations, nonprofits, and others can effectively convey—and convince policymakers to support—their programs and proposals for social change."

• 9 Ways to Change an Elected Official’s Mind "Changing minds isn’t easy, but it’s one of the most powerful things you can do to make your town stronger. As a former small town city councilman and lobbyist who has worked to move my fellow city council members, state legislators and occasionally members of congress, I thought I’d share a few tips I’ve picked up over the last decade."

Phone Calls

Some offices won't even let you leave a message if you are being verbally abusive or swearing. Respect the person taking your call as a human doing their job. Secretaries and assistants do not deserve to be bombarded with toxic calls all day.

Written

Every language has different written rules and customs, so it is a good idea to become acquainted with these before composting a message.

In the Politician Finder section, the United States Senate: Contacting U.S. Senators gives a good example of the standard expected for mailed letters, such as formatting examples for the front of the envelope, and a reminder to include a return name and address so that if your letter gets lost, it can be sent back to you (this is very useful, because then you know you need to pay for more postage, fix the address spelling, or other often simple solutions to resend) and the recipient can reply to you or confirm that you are a member of their district. If you live outside the United states it is important to remember that a different format, zip-code system, or other details may be different.

We will try to include examples and links to as many examples as we can provide. If you have any to add, please let us know! Some examples may be listed on your country or region's page as we gather resources for more places.

Contact Your U.S. Senators and Representatives 

To find and contact your U.S. Senator:

Visit the Senate website (www.senate.gov).

Conduct a search using the Find Your Senators pull-down menu in the upper right corner (select your state and click Go).

On the results page is a link to the Senators’ website, contact information, and links to an online contact form (forms vary by Senator).

To find and contact your U.S. Representative:

Visit the House of Representatives website (www.house.gov).

Conduct a search using the Find Your Representative zip code search box in the upper right corner (enter your zip code and click Go).

On the results page is a photo of your Representative(s), links to the Representative’s personal website and online contact form, and a local map.

In the event your zip code overlaps with multiple congressional districts, the results page will include boxes for you to enter your zip code+4 or mailing address to find the correct Representative.

Would you rather get in touch with members of Congress using social media?

Using the steps above, navigate to the Congress members’ personal website to find links to their social media accounts, usually indicated by the icon of the social media platform and often located in the upper or lower left or right corners of the website homepage.

CSPAN also maintains a list of members of Congress here: https://twitter.com/cspan/lists/members-of-congress/members?lang=en.

Representative Finders & Related Tools

Africa 

The Gambia

• Government Directory for Gambia "will find each institutions' background information, contact addresses, telephone numbers, some emails, websites, faxes & main locations in the Greater Banjul area of the western coast region of The Gambia, West Africa."

• Ministries of The Gambia Government "find each departments' background information, contact addresses, telephone numbers, emails, some websites, faxes & main locations in the Greater Banjul area of the western coast region of The Gambia, West Africa."

• Public Bodies in Gambia  Embassies, Gov/Agencies, Local Councils, and Organizations.

Ghana

• Ghana.Gov: Agency Search Directory  Learn about the Assemblies and other organizations supporting Ghana. Click to learn more about each including office, mailing addresses, digital address, and websites. You can also leave a message or call call/visit/email the National Information Technology Agency Call Center, via the same link.

• The Presidency Republic of Ghana: Initiatives Learn more about Ghana's current initiatives, subscribe for news letters, and contact the government via various methods.

Liberia

• 53rd Legislature Republic of Liberia: Know Your Representatives House of Representatives Directory (accurate as of 2012)

Nigeria 

• Nigerian Senators  Search for senators contacts by name or state. Includes photos.

Sierra Leone 

• Cabinet Manual: Republic Sierra Leone 2015 "Evidence-based decisions for Sierra Leoneans' prosperity"

• Presidential Cabinet   To send your general questions or comments, please use contact form or other contact information on this page.

• The Sierra Leone Web: President Bio's Fourth Cabinet Names of cabinet members, their positions, and their deputy staff.

South Africa

• The Presidency Republic of South Africa: Contact Us Type in your message and submit it, or find phone numbers, fax numbers, or emails.

• South African Government: Government Leaders  Government officials with photos and their positions. Click for further info including contact detail. You can also explore the website to find their Documents for public comment, Bills, Annual Reports and Acts, all of which you can search by keyword, document type, subjects, start and end dates.

South Sudan 

• Government of the Republic of South Sudan: Contact Us  "If you need any information or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact any of the officers listed..."

• Sudan Government Contact List Includes names, departments, city/town, email, phone, and web address info.

Sudan

• Republic of The Sudan Council of Ministries: Contact Us Also available in Arabic.

Asia

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

• Andaman & Nicobar Administration  Find information including contact info for the Lieutenant Governor, Member of Parliament, and Chief Secretary

China 中国 

China is the world's greatest producer of CO2 with more than 10,065 million tons of CO2 released as of 2018. That is around 30% of humanity's emissions.  - https://climatetrade.com/which-countries-are-the-worlds-biggest-carbon-polluters/

• 联系我们 (Contact Us)  联系方式: 通讯地址 + 地图 (Physical address and map. Not in English)

• Laws and Regulations 

• 当前位置：政策 (Current position: Policies)

• 中华人民共和国国务院 (National Assembly of the People's Republic of China) "即中央人民政府，是最高国家权力机关的执行机关，是最高国家行政机关，由总理、副总理、国务委员、各部部长、各委员会主任、审计长、秘书长组成。国务院实行总理负责制。 国务院秘书长在总理的领导下，负责处理国务院的日常工作。国务院设立办公厅，由秘书长领导"

• 政府信息公开 (Open Government Information)

• 正在征集 (Soliciting)

Hong Kong 香港

• Executive Council: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region  Includes name, photos, position, and you can click for biographies. Contact info here. Site pages also available in some form of Chinese and simple version/font. [try to verify this!]

• Government, Law & Order Website offers resources including the gazette, contacts, government publications, etc.

• Government Structure  "This page covers the scope of governance in Hong Kong, from implementation of the Basic Law to the branches of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government."

• Government Telephone Directory  "This is a website where you can search for most of the telephone numbers of officers and hotlines in respect of government bureau / departments and related organizations." Multiple ways to search and multilingual.

• Name List of Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Government Departments Search by departments, positions, titles, and names. Click the Bureau names to go to the associated site or page.

• Organizational Chart of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region  Shows the branches of government.

• Principal Officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region  Secretaries of Departments, Directors of Bureau, and more. Click for biographies.

• Voter Registration Information, about who can vote, online registration, plus support for people with visual impairment, and ethnic minorities. Links for English, Japanese, Korean, Bahasa Indonesia, Nepali, Thai, Hindi, Tagalog, Urdu, Punjabi, and Vietnamese offer a notice and hotline numbers for each language.

India 

India is the world's 3rd worst polluter, with 2,654 million tons of CO2 - https://climatetrade.com/which-countries-are-the-worlds-biggest-carbon-polluters/

• Local Government Directory  "complete directory of land regions/revenue, rural and urban local governments"

Indonesia 

Indonesia is the world's 10th worst polluter at 615 million tons of CO2 - https://climatetrade.com/which-countries-are-the-worlds-biggest-carbon-polluters/

• Decision Making  Page explains how decisions are made in government.

• Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republic Indonesia: Kontak  The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia: Contact information, also available in English. Includes phone numbers, emails, and websites.

• Law-Making  "The Indonesian House of Representatives has the power to make laws. Every bill is deliberated by the House, together with the President, for a joint approval. The bills may come from the House, the President, or the Regional Representative Council (DPD)." Page explains more including Deliberation of Bills Proposed by the Government at the Indonesian House and Deliberation of Bills Proposed by Regional Representative Council (DPD) at the Indonesian House

• Members of Parliament  Names, photos, factions, and constituencies.

• The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia: Leadership Overview of leadership, includes names, positions, and photos. Also in Indonesian.

Iran 

Is the world's 7th worst polluter of CO2, at 720 million tons. - https://climatetrade.com/which-countries-are-the-worlds-biggest-carbon-polluters/

• Constitutional Executive Authority  Also in Arabic

• Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Cabinet  Search by department.

• Official website of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Scroll to bottom of page for approximate address and phone number. Also in Arabic

Japan

Japan is the world's 5th greatest producer of CO2 at 1,162 million tons. - https://climatetrade.com/which-countries-are-the-worlds-biggest-carbon-polluters/

Myanmar 

• National Unity Government Scroll to the bottom for emails to the Government Office, President Office, and Prime Minister Office. မြန်မာ

• National Unity Government of the Republic of Myanmar: Heads of Government and Ministries Learn about the members of government, with photos, and government bodies.

Pakistan 

• Senate of Pakistan  Explains role of senators. Browse or search for your senator to see their photo, name, party, and province. Here you can Write to Us.

The Philippines 

• Emergency Hotlines  Includes transportation including the Metro Manila Development Authority, public works, Department of Interior and Local Government, atmospheric, violence against women & children, and other public service or emergency hotlines.

• GOV.PH: Directory of Department and Agencies  Includes search filters including legislative and constitutional, regional, and city/municipality. Results includes department names, physical addresses, phone numbers, with some fax numbers and emails.

• The Official Gazette of the Republic of Philippines  Search acts, proclamations, executive orders, administrative orders, IRRs, etc.

• Philippine Government  Learn about the government's structure. Basahin sa Filipino

Russia

Russia is the world's 4th largest emitter of CO2, at 1,711 million tons. - https://climatetrade.com/which-countries-are-the-worlds-biggest-carbon-polluters/

Saudi Arabia 

The world's 9th worst emitter of CO2, at 621 million tons. - https://climatetrade.com/which-countries-are-the-worlds-biggest-carbon-polluters/

Oceana

Australia

• How to Engage our MPs on Climate  "Our Australian Government may seem a long way away in Canberra but it makes decisions that impact your life on a daily basis. The role of our politicians is to represent us. By electing them, we give them the power to make decisions and laws on our behalf. Therefore, it’s important for them to know what we think and what we want them to do - and they don’t know unless we tell them!
  
  So make your MP work for you! Your MP is your connection to Canberra and represents you there, so get them working on the issues you care about. You don’t have to be an expert. The simple fact that you care is a good enough reason to contact a politician."

• MP Contact Details  "Finding an MP’s email and phone contact details on parliamentary websites can be a pain, so we’ve collated some of them here in spreadsheets to make it easier (Federal, State and Local)"

• Writing to MPs  "The word from insiders in MPs’ offices is that emails and letters are taken very seriously – and counted! For everyone who takes the time to raise an issue with them, they know there are many more people who feel the same way. If they receive lots of correspondence on a particular issue, it will be discussed in policy meetings and can have an effect on decision-making.
  
  MPs are supposed to respond to all communications from their constituents, but they are much more likely to sit up and take notice of a personal email or letter as it shows their constituent cares enough to take the time. And it doesn’t matter if it’s an email or handwritten letter - they all count.
  
  You don’t have to be an expert. Keep it short (a page or less) and personal. Write what you feel. Explain why the issue matters to you and, most importantly, what you want your MP to do about it."
  
  Page includes examples of problems to write about, with details specific to Australian regulations, economy, etc. Also includes submissions and briefs, sustainable economic recovery, a support group, email template, writing tips, writing to an editor, following up, and how to deal with no response.

Tasmania

• About Tasmanian Councils  What councils do, and useful links.

• Council Meetings and Decisions  Learn about what councils do, including sections on council meeting types, meeting agendas and minutes, voting and council decisions. Email and phone number for more info.

• Localities Council and Postcodes  PDF

• Tasmanian Council Directory  Click the map to go to your local council's website. You can also search by local council or local government bodies, or explore other useful links.

• Tasmanian Government Directory  Has multiple search options.

• Tasmanian Government: Your Gateway to Tasmania  Includes links, a phone number, email, and options for deaf, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired customers who can contact via the National Relay Service:

  • TTY users phone 133 677, then ask for 1300 13 55 13

  • Speak and Listen users phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 1300 13 55 13

  • Internet relay users connect to the NRS www.relayservice.com.au then ask for 1300 13 55 13

• Tasmania Local Government Areas

Fiji 

• Acts  Search acts by year, name and number.

• Bills  Search bills by year, name and number.

• Consolidated Laws  Acts are arranged alphabetically, and subsidiary legislation are arranged under their respective Acts.

• Constitution of the Republic of Fiji  Click the links to read the document in English, iTaukei, or Hindi.

• Figi's System of Govornment  "The Constitution of the Republic of Fiji establishes Fiji’s system of government. It provides for three separate arms of the State – the Legislature (or Parliament), the Executive, and Judiciary." Learn more about these branches.

• The Laws of Fiji  Learn about laws, bills, and more.

• Members of Parliament  Includes names, photos, position, and their departments.

• Parliament of the Republic of Fiji: Contact Us  Fill in the message and contact info, or find contact info including P.O Box address, phone, fax, emails, etc.

New Zealand

• Contacting a Labor Minister or Member of Parliament  Multiple options for contact.

• New Zealand Parliament: Contact an MP Talks about ways to contact a member of Parliament, Electorate/Community offices and email lists, including info on physical mail. Use the maps on the Elections New Zealand website to find out which electorate you live in. It also has some examples of the correct form of address for members of Parliament.

• New Zealand Parliament: Members of Parliament  "There are five parliamentary parties represented in the 53rd Parliament by 120 MPs. These MPs represent 65 general electorate seats and seven Māori electorates. The other 48 MPs are selected from the party lists."

• New Zealand Parliament: Parliamentary Business  Bills, laws, petitions, parliamentary rules, etc.

Papau New Guinea

• National Parliament of Papau New Guinea: Bills and Legislation  Listed by year. Learn which are certified or pending, date passed, who proposed it, and more.

• National Parliament of Papau New Guinea: Parliamentary Counsel  "The main functions and responsibilities of this office include:-

  • Advising members of Parliament, other than Minister’s on Legal questions connected with the work of members in Parliament,

  • Preparing private members bills from instructions of the members,

  • Advising the Speaker, Clerk and committees on legal matters arising from their work,

  • Conducting legal research for the Speaker, Clerk, and Committees on legal aspects of matters they are dealing with,

  • Advising and assisting other officers on legal questions relating to the work of the Service, and

  • Advising and assisting committees and staff of Parliament in the preparation of reports and other investigations relevant to Parliament.

• Prime Minister of Papau New Guinea: Contact Us

Vanuatu

• Acts of Parliament  Legislation enacted by the Parliament of Vanuatu. Download files in English or French to learn more about Acts passed by the Parliament of the Republic of Vanuatu, the Vanuatu consolidated Legislation, and Vanuatu Subsidiary Legislation.

• Court Activity: Daily List  Search by date/time, location/room, jurisdiction, case type, judicial officer, case code, case name, and listing type or View as Calendar. Scroll to bottom for address and phone number info in English and French.

• Bills Before Parliament  See pending, passed, withdrawn, and archived bills.

• How Government Works  Click the tabs to learn about the Vanuatu System of Government, Function of Parliament, and How Laws are Made.

• Legislation  Learn about legislation including a brief history, and download the constitution in English, French, or Bislama.

• Members of the 12th Legislation  Here is a list of the 52 members of Parliament of the 12th legislature with each member's biography. You can click the member's name to learn more, as well as find their contact address, and phone number.

• Parliament of Vanuatu  See graphs of how the parliament members number by constituency, and members by province. scroll down for contact information. See upcoming events, or click the tab to access the Parliament Sessions Live Stream via Facebook.

Europe

UK

• Citizens Advice  This charity provides advice for citizens and immigrants including policy research and campaigns.  Click here for more ways to contact including a Wales phone number and Relay UK for anyone who can't hear or speak, and would prefer to type.

• Contacting Your MP  "This is a resource for Quakers and other people campaigning for positive change. It will help you to decide on an approach, contact your MP if appropriate, and engage with them further when they respond." Includes a visual decision diagram, and links to further resources.

• Toolkit for Action: Planning Effective Action for Change  "There is so much in our world that needs healing and putting right, and we each respond differently to different issues. Some of us feel our strongest response when we realize the tragedy of environmental destruction or animal cruelty. Some feel their deepest hurt about an economic system that impoverishes millions, while others have a knot of fear for future generations under the threat of nuclear weapons and the business of war. Some of us are forced into action when we are directly affected by an injustice.
  
  As Quakers, we are led by our faith in our concern for suffering, violence and injustice – by a spiritual truth that stirs deep within us. If we take heed of this leading, we are surely urged to act to change things. The next obvious question is: how do we bring about change?"

• UK Parliament: Contact your MP  "You can contact your MP when you, or people living in your area, are affected by decisions made by the UK Parliament or by the Government. MPs represent all the people in their local area, whether they vote for them or not."

• Contacting your MP: Contacting your MP  Information about which forms of contact are appropriate and includes details including switchboard phone numbers.

• Her Majesty's Government: The Cabinet  "This list details those MPs and Members of the House of Lords that hold a government post, their position and department."

• MPs and Lords: Find MPs  Search by name, postcode, location, gender, or party. Includes photos.

• MPs and Lords: Find your MP  Search by name, postcode, or location. Additional options for new members, recently deceased, recently retired, currently not eligible, and not attending. Links to other resources too.

• Parliamentary Bills: Find a Bill  "Bills are proposals for new laws. If they pass every stage of scrutiny in the House of Commons and House of Lords, and receive Royal Assent they become Acts of Parliament, and Law. These pages show all Bills from 2006/07 onwards; older Bills are available at Bills in previous sessions.

• Shelter: Writing to your MP  "Writing to politicians is a great way to raise awareness of homelessness and poor housing in your local area. It’s quick and easy, plus helps your MP to represent you in Parliament." Includes tips and a letter template.

• They Work For You  "takes open data from the UK Parliament, and presents it in a way that’s easy to follow – for everyone. So now you can check, with just a few clicks: are They Working For You?"

Wales

• Adnoddau Cymraeg "Darganfyddwch y gwahanol wasanaethau, cyfleoedd ac adnoddau rydym yn eu darparu i siaradwyr Cymraeg i'ch helpu i ymddiddori yn Senedd y DU. O'n gweithdai cymunedol a gynhelir yn Gymraeg, ein gwasanaethau ymholi, os oes gennych gwestiwn ynglŷn â'r hyn sy'n digwydd yn Senedd y DU neu adnoddau ar gyfer ysgolion."

• Citizens Advice  This charity provides advice for citizens and immigrants including policy research and campaigns.  Click here for more ways to contact including a Wales phone number and Relay UK for anyone who can't hear or speak, and would prefer to type.

North America

The Bahamas

• Bills, Laws and Acts Useful links.

• Cabinet Ministries Search by name, title, or agency, click the person's name to find more information including contact details.

• Overview & Structure of the Government

Belize

• National Assembly of Belize: Senate  Learn about the senate including names and position with photos. See the Contact Us page to write a message, phone, fax, or e-mail. See the National Assembly page to learn more about how laws are made, and the people working in Parliament.

Canada

• Government of Canada contacts  Most frequent contacts, Contacts by department or agency, and More Contacts including foreign representatives in Canada.

• Parliament of Canada: Contact Us  Includes List of Member of Parliament, Addresses of member, and members by constituencies, etc. En Français Mail may be sent postage-free to any Member of Parliament at the following address listed

• Parliament of Canada: Parliamentary Business  Search by name, constituency, or postal code. Scroll down for map to search for your representatives by territory.

• Party Standings in the House of Commons  "Parliament is dissolved. The party standings in the House of Commons shown on this page are displaying the membership at the time of dissolution."

• Parliament of Canada: Parliamentary Business  Includes votes, bills, petitions and status of house business. En Français

• Senate of Canada: Senators  Photos, bios, contact info. Search by lists and filter by party affiliation, territory, etc.

• Senate of Canada: Votes  "a list of standing votes that have taken place in the Senate during the session. Such votes occur when a decision is not unanimous and at least two senators rise to request that senators’ names be recorded. For information on the voting process in the Senate, please refer to Chapter 6 of Senate Procedure in Practice."

• SENgage  "you can invite a senator to speak to your class, school, group or youth event, in person or via videoconference, so young people can learn about the Senate of Canada."

• Represent Civic Information API  "Find your representatives: Enter an address or postal code"

Cayman Islands

• Cayman Islands Government: Contact Us  Physical address, and phone number on left. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. on the top right and bottom of the page.

• Cayman Islands Judicial Administration: Contact Us  Comments or questions are welcome, just fill in the required fields.

• Governors and Predecessors  Chief Magistrates or Custodies, Commissioners, Administrators, and Governors by date of service.

• Legislative Assembly Cayman Islands Government: Contact Us  Includes physical address, mailing address, phone number, fax, hours of service, and work days.

• Legislative Assembly Cayman Islands Government: Elected Members  Speaker of the House, Ministers of the Cabinet, and Government Back-Benchers. Includes names, photos, positions, and party affiliations.

• Legislative Assembly Cayman Islands Government: Speakers & Members  Names, photos, positions and what area they were elected for.

Jamaica

• Jamaica Information Service: Ministers  Minsters listed with photos. Click images of Read More buttons to learn more and find contact information.

• Local Government Councilors  "Local Authorities are those entities at the local level through which the Department of Local Government carries out its functions within communities.
  
  These entities are the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), the Portmore Municipality and the 12 Municipal Corporations.
  
  Your Local Authority has two arms, the political and the administrative. The political arm is made up of Councilors, headed by the Mayor who chairs the Council and is responsible for determining policies. The administrative arm headed by a manager who advises and implements the policies of, the council. The head of the administrative arm of Council is also secretary to the Council and is therefore called the Secretary/Manager except in the case of the Kingston & St Andrew Corporation where this person is called the Town Clerk and Portmore Municipal Council where this person is called the Chief Administrative Officer."

• Ministry of Justice: Meet the Administration

• Members of Parliament of Jamaica  Search senators by name or constituency

• The Supreme Court Jamaica: Legal System  Learn the basics and find links to more, including protocol for how to address judicial officers and presiding personnel, and contact information.

Trinidad and Tobago

• Court Operations during the COVID-19 Pandemic  Chart helps you work out how to do things, and where. Information includes phone numbers + extensions, hotlines, and emails.

• Contacts and Directories  find directories by division type and services.

• Government Bodies  Links to further resources.

• Government Initiatives and Documents  Links will take you to more information about acts, budgets, amendments, programs, and plans.

• Government Ministries  Click the ministry name for a physical address, phone number, fax number, and website address.

• Judiciary Trinidad and Tobago: Staff Directory  Search by last or first name, title, department, phone, or extension.

• Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago: Contact Us  Mailing address, phone number, and social media links.

• Tobago House of Assembly Contacts  Department addresses and phone numbers. "All Tobago House of Assembly (THA) offices are open 8:00 am to 4:15 pm, Monday to Thursday, and 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on Friday, except public holidays."

• Trinidad and Tobago : Constitution and politics  "The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 independent and equal countries.
  
  It is home to 2.4 billion people, and includes both advanced economies and developing countries. 32 of our members are small states, including many island nations.
  
  Our member governments have agreed to shared goals like development, democracy and peace. Our values and principles are expressed in the Commonwealth Charter."

Turks and Ciacos Islands

• Elections Department Turks and Caicos Islands: Contact Us  Fill in the message box and include your contact info.

• The Government of the Turks & Caicos Islands  The structure of government with their coat of arms and associated links.

• Polling Station Locations  Polling locations, and contact info.

• Voting Procedure  Video, and other resources.

• Who are the Judiciary?  Click the links under "Our Courts" to learn about each group, or scroll to the bottom of the page for contact info: physical addresses, phone numbers, and emails.

South America

Falkland Islands

• Falkland Islands Government: Constitution & Contact Info Contact info includes phone numbers and twitter address.

• Falkland Islands Government: Self Governance Learn about the Legislative Assembly, Executive Council, and The Judiciary.

• Falkland Islands Government: Self Sufficiency  Learn about the economic challenges and plans to address them.

• Falkland Islands Statute Law Database "The Statute Law Database contains:

  • • ·        Ordinances in force in the Falkland Islands

    • ·        Secondary legislation in force in the Falkland Islands

    • ·        United Kingdom laws in force in the Falkland Islands

    • ·        European Union laws in force in the Falkland Islands"

• Government Services and Contact Info Scroll to bottom for Falkland Island or UK mailing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.

• Law and Regulation Directorate Visual guide to government structure and information about services provided by government.

Guyana

• Government Portal of Guyana: Directory of Officials "is intended to be your single point of access for finding and using government services in a manner that is both comprehensive and user-friendly. This initiative, which is still in development, will be implemented in three phases. Government.gy will integrate websites of all government ministries via this portal in order to provide a more interactive citizen experience." Homepage here.

• Guyana: Government Key figures, government branches, country risk rating, international organization participation, environmental agreements.

• Parliament of the Co-Operative Republic of Guyana: Chamber Business Includes resolutions, bill status, and petitions.

• Parliament of the Co-Operative Republic of Guyana: Current Parliamentarians Click the photo of your representative, for more info.

• Parliament of the Co-Operative Republic of Guyana: Publications  Includes acts of parliament, reports, agendas, procedures, etc.

• Parliament of the Co-Operative Republic of Guyana: Roles of Members of Parliament (MP) "In Guyana, a person elected to the National Assembly under the provisions of the Guyana Constitution and the Laws of Guyana is referred to as a Member of Parliament. In a broader context, a Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a Parliament."

Advocacy Groups

Australia

• Brisbane Climateers!  "The Brisbane Climateers brings together folks in Brisbane who want to work towards more government-led action on climate change. Individual action is great, but we believe we won't meet the ambitious targets and timeframes we need for a safe climate unless we get appropriate government legislation in place.
  
  We're positive, action-oriented and share events and things to get involved in, to take action together."

• Join or start a local MPEG (MP Engagement Group) "Sitting around a table with friends in your own local area is even more enjoyable - or a local online group if restrictions require it. We have MPEGS and affiliated groups taking climate action in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, NSW and the Northern Territory. To connect with a group near you..."

• Melbourne Climateers "Welcome to Melbourne Climateers, a non-partisan group of people from across Melbourne who want to see more urgent government-led action on climate crisis.
  
  In the Climateers, we focus on citizen action - things we can do to put pressure on governments at all levels to adopt better climate action policies.
  
  Individual action is great, but we believe we won't meet the ambitious targets and timeframes we need for a safe climate unless we get appropriate government legislation in place to take actions that are big enough to make a real difference.
  
  You don’t need to be an expert to do this! All you need to do is join in activities that will help show our leaders and the community that you care and want change.
  
  We're positive, action-oriented and share events and things to get involved in, to take action together. By our powers combined!!!"

• Toowoomba for Climate Action  "Join our closed group for more discussion. We are a grassroots non-partisan group of Toowoomba region locals concerned about climate change."

North America

Canada

• On Canada Project  "disrupts social conversations by ensuring all Canadians are fully informed with credible facts to engage in debate, discussion, and activism with their friends and family.
  
  We expanded our scope to encompass discussions about the colonial, patriarchal, white supremacist cultures, systems, and structures within which we live and work.
  
  The On Canada Project is made up of a group of active citizens, change agents, and friendly neighborhood nerds who are here to dismantle the status quo and champion change in our local communities.
  
  We’ve grown into a community of over 120K+ engaged followers on Instagram and over 150 millennials and Gen Z volunteers who want to see a better Canada. We’re a diverse, volunteer-run, intersectional, feminist, social enterprise - and we’re just getting started."

USA

• Common Cause  "Common Cause wins concrete, pro-democracy reforms that break down barriers to participation, ensure each of us has an equal voice and vote, and rebuild trust in our government.
  
  By empowering people like you to make change, we have an impact in every congressional district and state legislature."

  • • Eliminate the Undemocratic Senate Filibuster

    • Take the End Gerrymandering Pledge

    • Write Your Lawmakers: For The People Act (H.R. 1 / S. 1)

• Everyday Advocacy  "a grassroots effort that starts with you and the incredible things you’re already doing for the youth and families you serve. Here you’ll find a dynamic collection of resources empowering you to take action."

Maps

International

• More People Care About Climate Change than You Think "The majority of people in every country support action on climate, but the public consistently underestimates this share."

Funding & Grants

Europe

UK

• QPSW Sustainability & New Economy Grant  "If you’ve got an idea for a project that will build sustainability or a more just kind of economics, you can apply for a QPSW Sustainability & New Economy Grant to help you get started"