Download the Action Toolkit: Full (15 pages) | Mini (2 pages)
Can you commit to taking one or more actions?
We hope the New Immigrant and Refugee Visions (NIRV) Films motivate you to want to learn more about and get engaged in immigration issues. If you attended a Screen & Discuss event you received a short version of this toolkit, which provides details about actions you can take and sources you can consult.
Each section includes Possible Actions, Resources, and Additional Suggestions. Many of the resources and suggestions involve searching the web. If you don’t have access to the internet or don’t know how to search the web, visit your local library. Libraries have lots of computers with internet access and they LOVE to teach people these skills – FOR FREE!
All social change starts with changes in ourselves and our own thoughts and behaviors. There are lots of little things we can do to be an example to our children and our neighbors of the kind of citizens and society we want to be.
It’s easy to fall into believing things that aren’t true. It is also easy to be misled by information that is incomplete or taken out of context. To be well informed we need to check our facts, understand how and why people may believe differently, and be aware that even with all the facts people weigh risks and consequences differently. Once we educate ourselves, we can educate others and take effective actions.
Choose your news sources carefully. Read, watch and listen critically. Who is behind the media you consume? Do the media-makers have a bias or ulterior motive? What connection and depth does the reporter have to the issues or place they are communicating about?
A successful democracy depends on an engaged citizenry. If you believe that laws or policies need to change or be enforced differently then please engage directly with your policymakers.