nettime: NetAction Notes

[Geert Lovink <geert@xs4all.nl>]

From: Audrie Krause <akrause@igc.apc.org>
Subject: NetAction Notes No. 11

NetAction Notes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Published by NetAction          Issue No. 11                 January 6,
1997
Repost where appropriate. Copyright and subscription info at end of message.
* * * * * * *
IN THIS ISSUE:
More Resources for Virtual Activists
How to Help NetAction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More Resources for Virtual Activists

In NetAction Notes No. 9, I pointed out a few of the many useful online
resources available to Virtual Activists.  This issue of NetAction Notes
contains another "sampler" of Web and E-mail resources, with an emphasis on
research tools that grassroots activists and organizations may find useful
for policy advocacy.  I've also included some examples of the types of
resources that activists are developing at the local level, and more
pointers to useful books.  As always, I welcome feedback from readers about
other online resources for political activism, and will continue to pass
along this information in future issues of this newsletter.

For those who missed NetAction Notes No. 9, all past issues of the
newsletter are archived on the NetAction Web site, which also features an
extensive listing of activist resources: <http://www.netaction.org>.

Online Research Tools ==========

Most activists know that thoroughly-researched facts are important to
effective public interest advocacy, regardless of the issue.  The following
is a sampler of research-oriented Web sites that Virtual Activists can use
to get the facts on a variety of issues.

CLEAR ^ ^ ^
The Clearinghouse on Environmental Research and Advocacy (CLEAR) is a
Washington
DC-based non-profit that monitors and reports on the anti-environmental
"wise use" movement <http://www.ewg.org>.  CLEAR is a project of the
Environmental Working Group, a policy and research organization that uses
the Internet to share information with  activists.  CLEAR provides
environmental activists with the facts they need to counter misinformation
about environmental policy and science, and about the impacts of
environmental law on the economy and private property.

CLEAR recently added new information on the anti-environmental "wise use"
movement to its Web page. The site includes a searchable databases of "wise
use" groups by state, including funding sources and the names of staff and
board members.  The CLEAR site also has an archive of past issues of A CLEAR
View, CLEAR's semi-monthly bulletin on the "wise use" movement.

CLEAR can be contacted at clear@ewg.org, or by phone at 202-667-6982.
CLEAR's electronic bulletin on the "wise use" movement is distributed twice
a month.  To subscribe, send a message to <clear-view@ewg3.ewg.org> with the
word
"subscribe" in the _subject_ line.

EBIC ^ ^ ^
The Environmental Background Information Center (EBIC) helps non-profit
organizations with corporate research, in most cases without charge to the
organization <http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/ebic/index.html>.  Staffed by
grassroots activists and professional investigators, EBIC was founded to
give environmental activists access to background information on
corporations involved in environmentally dangerous projects.  EBIC's staff
also helps link activists in different communities who are monitoring the
same corporation.  EBIC is located in Pennsylvania and can be reached by
phone at 814-867-7341, or by E-mail at ebic@envirolink.org.

Securities Fraud ^ ^ ^
The Stanford University Law School has a Web site with extensive information
on businesses and corporations involved in securities fraud.  The site,
<http://securities.stanford.edu>, lists companies named in class-action
securities fraud lawsuits, and includes the allegations, the company
responses, and contact information for the attorneys on both sides of the
dispute.

Immigration ^ ^ ^
For activists working with immigrant communities, there are several web
sites that provide information on the naturalization process and services
available to immigrants.  The sites are not intended to provide legal advice.

Sites with general information include:

* Immigration and Naturalization Service <http://www.usdoj.gov/ins/index.html>
* American Immigration Center <http://www.us-immigration.com>
* Immigration Lawyers on the Web <http://www.aan.net>
* US State Department <http://travel.state.gov/visa_services.html>

Sites with information for specific populations include:

* Latino Net <http://members.aol.com/lnet03/latinonet/ln.welcome.html>
* Council of Jewish Federations <http://www.jewishfedna.org>
* Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles <http://www.jewishla.org>
* Asian American Resources
  <http://www.mit.edu:8001/afs/athena.mit.edu/user/i/r/irie/www/aar.html>

Policy Analysis ^ ^ ^
Policy.com and Intellectualcapital.com are free commercial Web sites that
offer background information on a wide range of public policy issues.  Both
sites are updated weekly.

Although Policy.com is specifically directed at writers and analysts,
activists may find the site useful as a starting point for research on a
variety of issues.  Policy.com <http://www.policy.com> contains current
policy papers from leading think tanks, advocacy groups and government
officials.  The companion site, Intellectualcapital.com
<http://www.intellectualcapital.com> is a
bi-partisan electronic magazine featuring opinion pieces by policy experts
from think tanks, government, and media.

Volunteer Opportunities ^ ^ ^
Impact Online <http://www.impactonline.org> is a Web site that links people
interested in volunteering with organizations in need of volunteers.
Activists looking for a volunteer opportunity can search the Web site by
name of the organization, area of interest, and geographic area.

Impact Online also makes it possible for grassroots groups that don't have
the resources to set up their own Web site to establish a presence on the
Web.
Non-profit organizations can set up a free Web page that includes contact
information, a mission statement or description of the organization's
purpose, and information on volunteer needs.

Thinking Globally, Acting Locally ==========

Thanks to the global nature of the Internet, Virtual Activists can reach far
beyond their own communities to form networks around common concerns,
develop strategies for coordinated action, and share information.  But the
Internet is an equally powerful tool for grassroots activism within a
community.
Here are some examples of how activists are using the Internet to empower
their own communities:

Fayetteville, Arkansas ^ ^ ^
Jeff Erf <jerf@mail.cei.net> modified OMB Watch's RTK.Net database on
environmental pollution to make this excellent resource more accessible to
activists in Northwest Arkansas who were not experienced Web users. The
modifications include options specifically for Northwest Arkansas.  The
Fayetteville, Arkansas Community Bulletin Board is at
<http://www.cei.net/~jerf/> and the modifications to RTK.Net are found by
following the link to "Search Various Databases for Information About
Northwest Arkansas."

San Francisco, California ^ ^ ^
Richard Petersen, <zpub@sirius.com> has created a "San Francisco Activism"
section on his z San Francisco Web site at
<http://www.zpub.com/sf/sf-act.html>.
The site includes links to community resources and information on issues of
local concern, as well as links to several Bay Area organizations.

Also linked to this site is Ken Cheetham's San Francisco Bay Area
Progressive Directory <http://www.emf.net/~cheetham/index.html> which
features a remarkable listing of approximately 1,000 local progressive
groups and a calendar of events and activities.  The site is indexed so that
information can be located by key word, alphabetically, or by calendar date.

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania ^ ^ ^
Members of Visually Impaired Pittsburgh Area Computer Enthusiasts! used an
E-mail distribution list <vipace@trfn.clpgh.org> to organize a coalition of
local blind consumer groups in support of library access for the visually
impaired.  The disability rights advocates were concerned because the
Electronic Information Network, a cooperative effort among about 50
Pittsburg-area libraries, failed to provide library access to computers for
the visually impaired.  The group also used the BLIND-L discussion list
<BLIND-L@UAFSYSB.UARK.EDU> to organize around the issue.

A Few More Good Books ==========

Readers have provided information on more books that may be of interest to
Virtual Activists:

Internet Activism ^ ^ ^
"Electronic Democracy," by Graeme Browning of the National Journal, was
recommended by Shabbir Safdar of Voters Telecommunications Watch
<http://www.vtw.org/>.  You will find information about the book online at
<http://www.onlineinc.com/pempress/>.  "Electronic Democracy" can be ordered
online by contacting <booksales@onlineinc.comat> or by telephone by calling
Pemberton Press at 203-761-1466.

Internet Fundraising ^ ^ ^
"Direct Connection's Guide to Fundraising on the Internet," by Howard Lake,
is written from the UK perspective.  Lake has been a fundraiser for
organizations such as Oxfam and Amnesty International, and the book is based
on research he has conducted on Internet fundraising since 1992. The book is
published by Aurelian Information, Ltd., and more information is available
online at <http://www.dircon.co.uk/books>.

Lake also created UK Fundraising, <http://www.fundraising.co.uk> an online
resource primarily for UK fundraisers, but with information relevant to
fundraisers in other countries.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Help NetAction

Membership in NetAction supports continued publication of NetAction Notes,
as well as a wide range of organizing and training activities.  NetAction
projects include helping grassroots organizations harness the power of the
Internet as a tool for outreach and advocacy; helping activists who are
already using the Internet do a more effective job of building a base of
grassroots support for technology-based social and political issues; and
promoting more widespread access to information technology by organizing
hands-on demonstrations of the Internet.

Please join NetAction today by sending a check payable to NetAction/Tides
to: NetAction, 601 Van Ness Ave. #631, San Francisco, CA 94102.

Regular membership is $50 per year; student/senior/low-income membership is
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NetAction brochures are available for distribution at conferences and other
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would like the brochures sent.

Thanks for your support!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 1997 by NetAction/The Tides Center.  All rights reserved.
Material may be reposted or reproduced for non-commercial use provided
NetAction is cited as the source.

NetAction is a project of The Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization. NetAction is dedicated to promoting effective grassroots
citizen action campaigns by creating coalitions that link online activists
with grassroots organizations, providing training to online activists in
effective organizing strategies, and educating the public, policymakers and
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E-mail: akrause@igc.org * Phone: (415) 775-8674 * Web: http://www.netaction.org
Or write to: NetAction  601 Van Ness Ave., No. 631   San Francisco, CA 94102






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