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Like thousands of your fellow citizens, you want the environment to figure more prominently in the campaign priorities of our political parties, and rightly so! People often forget that environmental issues are human issues, affecting our health, our quality of life, the well-being of our communities, our local economies and our families.
That’s precisely why Vire au vert* exists!
Summertime, with its street parties, neighbourhood potlucks, picnics and family events (pool party, anyone?), affords a myriad of opportunities to host events aimed at mobilizing the public around environmental issues in a relaxed but conscientious atmosphere.
SOME IDEAS AND TIPS FOR HOSTING YOUR VIRE AU VERT EVENT THIS SUMMER
The Vire au vert team has thought of everything to make it easy on you:
- A how-to guide* for organizing a summer event that focuses on environment and politics;
- A mobilization kit* filled with ideas and tools for engaging your candidates.
Here are a few simple tips for organizing your event this summer with your neighbours, friends and family:
- Organize a barbeque, picnic or meet-and-greet in a park, on your street or in your backyard, where you can meet your fellow citizens and discuss the environmental issues that concern you most or that you want to see improved in your district;
- Arrange for your candidates to meet a small group of community members who share the same environmental concerns;
- Invite your candidates to a kitchen party;
- Put up a Vire au vert booth at a local event;
- Ask questions on your candidates’ or their parties’ Facebook pages or via Twitter.
HOW TO GET STARTED: ESTABLISH YOUR OBJECTIVES
It is important to lay out the objectives you want to achieve. Here are some ideas:
- Get together with other environmentally-conscious members of the community who share your values;
- Identify one or two local environmental issues that concern you and that you want to rally the community around (e.g. improvements to public transit, more bike paths, protecting a natural ecosystem, a better supply of local organic produce, regulations on pesticides, etc.);
- Together, determine how to reach out to others in your district for support and then get in touch with your candidates.
VIRE AU VERT… WHAT EXACTLY IS IT, ANYWAY?
Vire au vert is an innovative coalition of citizens and environmental groups who have set out their environmental demands in a 23-proposal manifesto*. It is also an unprecedented citizen mobilization campaign aimed at putting the environment front and centre in Quebec’s upcoming election. Climate, transportation and development, pesticides and agriculture, biodiversity and forests: are these priorities for you?
Join the citizens who are taking action for a greener Quebec!
www.vireauvert.org*
*In French only
