October 1998 |
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November-December 1998 | January-February 1999 |
Annual General Membership Program Planning Meeting President's Message (Grace Furukawa) Revision of Land Use Ordinance Proposed (Astrid Monson) Con Con / POC (Jean Aoki) LWVUS Response to 60 Minutes (Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins) HECO: 138-kv Project (Ruth Brantley) Violence Prevention Committee Report (Suzanne Meisenzahl) Education Committee (Mary Anne Raywid) Hawaii Clean Elections (Grace Furukawa) Program Planning Sets the Course Special Thanks to League Volunteers Membership |
Program Planning Sets the Course(Borrowwed liberally from the Washington State Voter, Fall 1998) The League of Women Voters believes that informed active citizens, joining together to explore common problems and identify shared goals, can resolve the tough issues that confront our communities, our nations and the world. We work to build informed citizenry through League program. We study and educate our members and our communities about public policy concerns, we encourage public discussion of these problems and citizen participation in solving them, and we take action to achieve solutions that contribute to the benefit of all. Our program - our education and advocacy work - focuses on public policy issues. The League's work on public policy issues is directed toward government action. That action could include passage of laws, promulgation of regulations and policies, provision of adequate budgets and staffing, enforcement of laws and regulations, planning and citizen involvement opportunities.
THE LEAGUE MUST HAVE A POSITION BEFORE IT TAKES ACTION. Advocacy, or action, begins when Leagues select an issue for concerted study, followed by member agreement through consensus or concurrence. Local League program focuses on issues that can be addressed by local government. PROGRAM PLANNING: THE WAY THE LEAGUE CHOOSES ITS ISSUES. League members choose issues for work, and consider what role the local League should play in an issue, during the local program planning process. They also decide which items to recommend as state and national program priorities. The process culminates when the program is adopted at the local annual meeting. Honolulu's annual meeting will be held in April. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER IN SELECTING AN ISSUE:
Sometimes Leaguers get in the habit of thinking only of new studies when they think of adopting program. But League program is much broader. Once members have decided that an issue of public concern requires League attention, we must determine what role the League should play in addressing that issue, including:
QUESTIONS TO ASK: Does the League already have a position? |
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