How to communicate with government officials

      In dialogue, we Jews, Palestinians, and supportive "others" are doing what governments cannot -- changing human relationships, as quickly, inclusively, and widely as we can.
      As we discover a new social intelligence, it is our responsiblity in a democratic culture to educate and inform those who make laws and policies.

The Process of Change

Principle --> National Dialogue --> National Consensus --> Law

      The Process of Change is said to begin with a (1) Principle. What follows is a (2) National Dialogue about the Principle. When people come to a (3) National Consensus, legislators write (4) Laws based on the Principles adopted by the citizens.
      Citizens who wish to inform their legislators and other government policy-makers about their preferences are often not sure how to do that, or if it makes a difference.
      It makes a difference. You make a difference!

Contacting U.S. policy makers

      You can easily find how to contact for your own U.S. Senators and Congresspeople at http://government.aol.com.
      Here are four other important people to address:

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvanian Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
      Phone: (202) 456-1414 -- Fax: (202) 456-2461 -- E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov

Vice President Dick Cheney
(The White House, as above)

Condoleezza Rice
National Security Advisor
(The White House, as above)

Secretary of State Colin Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
      Phone: (202) 647-4000 -- Fax: (202) 261-8577 -- E-mail: secretary@state.gov

Choosing your way to communicate

      Not all contacts get the same attention. Opinions vary about what kind of communication makes the biggest difference.       The following scale of effectiveness, although not true science, is said to generally apply:

E-mail or petition:   Least effective (and sometimes disregarded, due to government mailboxes filled with "spam.")
Faxed message:   10 times more effective
Personal phone call:   100 times more effective
Personal letter:   1000 times more effective
Personal visit:   Most effective

      There are some special considerations. At times, the urgency of a situation may demand fast action by electronic means. And, while a petition is not ranked high here, it can have great value to educate and to bring people together in dialogue in the process of its writing and its circulation.
      Every thought, every creative idea, every action, every individual . . . adds up, matters!

Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group, 1448 Cedarwood Drive, San Mateo, CA 94403
Voice: 650-574-8303 — Fax: 650-573-1217 — E-mail: LTRAUBMAN@igc.org
Return to Family Homepage
Return to Main Homepage