How to Get a Resolution Passed Supporting an NHRI

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Passing a local resolution in your town, county or state is a powerful way to build the national movement to establish an NHRI and to let the Administration know that people around the country  care about human rights and want to have a National Human Rights Institution. 

A draft resolution is attached here ---------->

Getting a resolution adopted is easier than you think!  Try the following steps:

1. Prepare a draft resolution (you can download and adapt the one on this page).  

2. Find out everything you can about how the local body adopts a resolution (their website should have most of the information. If you need more, call the Clerk's office).

2. Map out the members of the council/board/commission and try to identify who might be a good sponsor or ally (look at their interests, their background, their voting record).

3. Call or email their office and set up a meeting.

4. Identify community members who may be good allies and supporters of this effort. They might join you to meet with Council members and will also be important to send emails or postcards to members to create awareness. They will be very important when it comes time to pack the meeting room when the resolution comes up for a vote! Your local human rights commission may be a great starting point. Religious groups, community groups, students, unions and others who represent larger constituencies are ideal. Getting young people involved is a great way to expose them to advocacy! All groups will be helped by an NHRI so if folks understand the issue, they should be supportive.

4. Prepare your speaking points (see the suggestions below). Remember, your job is to educate the official about how/why an NHRI is important (they probably don't know much about it) and to ask for their support (and possible sponsorship) for a resolution.

5. Print out the draft resolution and the campaign one pager to give to the official with whom you're meeting.

6. At each meeting, explain how an NHRI is a local issue that can impact the residents of your community. Show the elected official the resolution you have prepared, and ask for their support. If they are supportive, ask whether they are willing to introduce the resolution, and also ask for their advice about the rest of the Council (they may be able to help you find other supporters and provide you with other valuable insights).

7. Meet with more members of the council or board to ask for their support.  Bring allies with you to the meetings. Try to meet with every member of the council or board to explain the issues to them and to answer any questions. 

8. Find ways to have local residents show their support for the resolution: ask folks to send postcards, letters and emails to their elected officials. Even a few dozen messages will be noticed and will likely help!

9. When the resolution is being considered, recruit your family, friends, allies, supporters and pack the meeting room!  Make sure that you have supporters ready to speak on behalf of the resolution.  Plan in advance the points you want to emphasize and the counterarguments you want to address.  Think about who the best people are to speak before the council. Make sure your speakers know the rules for the hearing. There will likely be a limit on how long testimony can run, often just 1-2 minutes per speaker. Coach your speakers to practice and stay within that limit and on message.

10. If the members of your council or board are unresponsive, don’t give up! Develop a strategy to sway them. Identify constituents or organizations that have influence over these officials, approach them and ask them to join your effort. If you feel that another nearby community might be easier to start with, consider teaming up with residents of that community to pass a resolution there first. Sometimes elected officials are scared to jump out in front of an issue, and it makes it easier if they’re not the only ones.

11.   When your resolution passes, take a moment to celebrate and then privately and publicly thank the sponsor(s) and everyone who voted for it! Encourage your supporters to do the same. 

12. Make sure to send a copy of the resolution and the results to the Campaign for a NHRI in the USA and let us know about any lessons learned in the process so that we can help others get resolutions adopted!

With each local and state resolution, we're one step closer to forming an NHRI in the USA!