WFM-C Youth Network - Start a Group

GET INVOLVED!

Start a Group

Decided to set up a group at your High School, College or University? Congratulations! Setting up a group is easy. Just follow these basic steps:

Spread the word!

Spread the word that you want to start a WFM-C Youth group. Talk to friends, associates, teachers, student leaders and members of like-minded organizations at your school to find out who will help get the group started. Four people would be a solid base.

Register your group

If you are in College/University, talk to a Student Union representative to see if there is a required procedure for registering a group. If you are in high school, check with your school secretariat to see if you must find a staff member to supervise the group. If so, ask a teacher!

Contact the National Office

Contact the National Office for information on establishing a group. In addition to registering your group, we will provide you with advice and resources to ensure a successful start-up.

Arrange a meeting place and time

Arrange for a meeting location and time. Try to keep the same location for most meetings to avoid confusion and make sure it is an accessible place for all members.

Set your objectives

Whether it is to organize an event in promotion of the International Criminal Court, get political support for a peace initiative or to sign-up 50 members, setting your objectives is always a good step to a successful group.

Set agenda for first meeting

Plan the agenda for the opening meeting. Explain the aims of the organization. If no one feels comfortable to do this then contact the national office and a staff person will try to arrange for a speaker to give a presentation. Plan to discuss the group objectives and its structure. You may want to propose the selection of an Executive Committee, and allocate people to different areas of work such as events, fund-raising or publicity.

Plan some action

Plan a project for new members to undertake during or shortly after the first meeting. This could include petition-signing, community fund-raising or the planning of a conference on an issue the group feels passionate about.

Advertise!

Once you have a group of people to plan and accomplish the opening meeting, its time to reach out to more. Many educational establishments will hold special ‘Clubs and Societies Days’ that allow students to advertise their groups and others to join them. Design a sign-up sheet and contact you student union for dates. Complementing this, you may advertise your meeting over an announcements system, by contacting like-minded organizations, through posters and flyers or by other creative methods.

Set-up a listserv

Set-up a group e-mail account. This can be done for free via Yahoo or Hotmail. Add the contact information of those who signed up to be group members to this list. And keep members up-to-date on all group meetings, activities, etc. Listervs are very helpful for spreading the word about your group.

Hold a meeting

Congratulations! You’ve successfully established a WFM-C group.

After your first meeting:

Organize your group

Many may sign-up to be members of your group, though you don’t know if they will be heavily involved in group developments and actions. This is why you must organize your group and plan its structure to ensure its effectiveness.

Executive Positions

The Executive will consist of committed members who will ensure the effectiveness of each area of action. In addition to having a chair look over general areas of activities and communication with the national office, your group may select people to manage finances, communications with the student union / council, community activism, publicity, etc. Decide what areas are most important for your group.

Main Group

The core group is comprised of dedicated organizers and activists who will devote their time, energy, creativity and intelligence to be the “movers and shakers” of the group. They may not always hold executive positions or come up with all the activism ideas but they want to help fulfill the group’s mandate and will appreciate responsibilities.

General Members

General members support the group’s activities, may show up to meetings but cannot always devote their time to group activities. They will probably sign group petitions and attend major events. Make sure they are signed onto the group listerv.

Things to do for everyone

Make sure everyone in the group has things to do. They joined the group because they want to hold responsibility for the actions of the group and so they should hold such responsibility.

Interact with the local World Federalist branch

The World Federalist Movement – Canada has groups in cities and towns across Canada. If you make contact, you’ll have the opportunity to meet like-minded conscientious people, help organize activities and overall, be part of a cool network. Indeed you’ll be part of the network that was at the forefront of the formation of the International Criminal Court. Phillipe Kirsch, President of the ICC, acknowledged this fact in a speech earlier this year.

Its easy to meet other activists in your area. Simply send an e-mail to [email protected] stating where you live and that you would like to meet other WFM activists. We’ll respond ASAP.

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