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Start a Chapter
Congratulations! You’ve already taken the first step in starting a new chapter by taking the initiative to find out what you need to do. Here are a few pointers on getting started. To get in touch with the CEDP’s national office, call (773) 955-4841 or e-mail cedp@nodeathpenalty.org.
The first thing you need to do is figure out how you are going to reach out people who are interested in this issue to join your new chapter! Think about people you already know who may be interested in helping you start a new chapter. You can also send out e-mail announcements to other list serves asking others who are interested in fighting the death penalty to get in touch with you.
HOLD A START-UP MEETING
Once you’ve got a group of interested people (you can start with just a few people) hold a meeting so that everyone can meet and talk about the issue. If you’re a student, it makes sense to hold this meeting on a campus. Otherwise, this meeting could be at your apartment/house or you can meet with others over coffee to brainstorm ideas on getting started.
Structure this meeting so that everyone can talk about why they want to fight around this issue and what activities they would like to help plan and be a part of. Make sure to facilitate this first meeting and all subsequent meetings so that everyone can participate in the discussion and volunteer to help out with upcoming plans.
The chapter should come up with a regular time and place to meet. Most chapters meet every two weeks, but some meet weekly. Meetings should always have a goal of being very participatory with all those in attendance giving their input and helping to make plans. Subsequent meetings should be a place where members can talk about the issues, assess the progress of the chapter, and discuss new ideas.
ORGANIZE A PUBLIC EVENT
Decide what kind of event you want to hold to introduce your group to the community, raise awareness and attract new members. Here are a few ideas:
- Show a movie about the death penalty. The Exonerated, Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story, and Dead Man Walking are just a few ideas.
- Invite a former death row prisoner to speak at your school or in your community. The personal stories of men and women who have survived the horrors of death row are incredibly powerful and moving. Their storied put a human face on the death penalty. Get in touch with the national office to help you find a speaker.
- Host a CEDP “Open House” or “Potluck” and invite interested folks to meet you and others who are starting up a new chapter. The open house can take place at your home, at a church (you can work with the church’s pastor or social justice committee), or a neighborhood bar or restaurant.
GET THE NEW ABOLITIONIST
Make sure to place an order with the national office for a bundle of the CEDP’s newsletter, The New Abolitionist, which includes updates about the struggle, letters from death row prisoners (“Voices from the Inside”) and information about national and local initiatives. All members should read The New Abolitionist and find ways to share it with others!
SET UP AN INFORMATIONAL TABLE
One of the best ways to publicize events and meet new people is to set up an informational table or a petitioning. Choose a place where lots of people pass by like your neighborhood grocery store, a busy street corner, or at a church or synagogue during coffee hour.
At the table have copies of The New Abolitionist; a petition or a sign-up sheet for people to request more information; and flyers for your upcoming public event. You can also sell anti-death penalty buttons and pass out fact sheets. Display a splashy poster displaying a slogan like “Stop all Executions” or “Join the Fight to End the Death Penalty.”
ORGANIZING IDEAS FOR YOUR CHAPTER
- Make a connection to death row prisoners and family members. Write and/or visit a death row prisoner in your area. Invite their family members to attend meetings.
- Organize a campaign around a specific death row case. Your chapter can help build support for a death row prisoner in your state or in another state (e.g. the case of Mumia Abu Jamal).
- Start a petition drive for a moratorium in your state or assist with circulating an existing petition. The national office can provide assistance with these efforts.
BE CREATIVE
Come up with your own ideas to raise awareness and build the movement to end the death penalty! Remember, big things start small. Be patient. Step by step, you can build a healthy, active chapter. On to abolition!
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