Instituto para el Voto Calibrado

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Enough talk about the problems with our world, our vision for how our world could be with vote sizing, and how vote sizing is possible. It’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty details; it’s time to talk about action.

Life Cycle of the DEP

The Democratic Empowerment Party (DEP) is both a spiritually self-empowering and politically proactive movement. It promotes vote sizing; a way for individuals to discover their own authentic voice, while being able to come together, take the fight up to the press boxes and into the ivory towers. Because vote sizing combines the natural opposites of wealth and power in a harmonic way, the DEP should be able to awake even the most apolitical person, and has the potential for rapid growth - from word-of-mouth to media event to fringe political party to a serious international reform movement... without ever having to make or hide compromises; and without ever needing to have all the answers. Whether through wealth or power; decisions about how we need to live together is always deferred back to the people.

(This ability to channel and re-direct energy will not only catapult vote sizing to the forefront of political discussion; but it is the same tactic which can be used to engage the enemy, corruption - as we'll see in the next page.)

This growth, however rapid, will come in certain stages. Let’s take a closer look at vote sizing’s evolution through the DEP:

Stage 1: Planting Seeds - Word-of-Mouth Discussion

[no-glossary]Vote Sizing Ice Breakers[/no-glossary]

To help vote sizing take its first step - begin a vote sizing conversation - here are two simple yet profound questions you can use with friends, family and strangers to start a dialogue about vote sizing and the DEP:

Once you’ve responded to these questions, check out our polls page to see how others feel about them.

The first stage of the DEP’s lifecycle is planting seeds in - and spreading the vote sizing message through ...the general population. The vehicle for accomplishing this is simply word-of-mouth conversation. This conversation can happen around water coolers, over dinner tables, in cafes, and on internet chat rooms and website discussion boards (like ours!). No matter what language you speak, whether you communicate over the telephone, through typing, or out-loud on street corners; the vote sizing message easily sparks up revealing debate because it is fundamentally simple to understand, questions personal value systems, stirs up debate, allows people to face themselves and each other, and shows a way for us to turn the same small sacrifices into all of our long-term gain.

Stage 2: Seedlings Sprout - In-Depth Ways to Discuss Vote Sizing

[no-glossary]Vote Sizing Talking Points[/no-glossary]

Here are some talking points that you can use to delve deeper into the significance of vote sizing and the DEP:

In its second stage, the vote sizing seedling sprouts some basic roots, branches, and leaves. The movement at this stage is still very grassroots, but finds nourishment by extending out into university classrooms, talk radio shows, editorial pages, and board rooms. Even though vote sizing’s appeal here is in both its inherent adaptability and accessibility; vote sizing continues to ground the discussion in matter-of-fact terms that everybody, from capitalist to proletariat to bourgeoisie to impoverished, can understand: how to reconcile dollars with votes.

Stage 3: Roots Take Hold – A Fringe Political Party is Born

[no-glossary]Media Kit[/no-glossary]

Every growing movement needs nourishment to survive. As the vote sizing buzz intensifies, media interest should intensify too. Although if we want to we can wait for the media to come to us, it’s also a good strategy to proactively involve them in getting the vote sizing / DEP word out, and try to make sure that their story accurately reflects our message.

Holding an event can be a lot of fun. Hearing/watching/reading about it can be a lot of fun for others. The DEP wants to help you get as many people as possible sharing in the vote sizing buzz, and the media has certain protocols and avenues that they like to follow; so here are some documents that should help you in corresponding with your local media and enable you to organize and involve them in any events you’d like to sponsor. They are only templates, but should be enough for you to adapt for your own use and grasp how to manage this part of your vote sizing campaign:

Media Advisory

A media advisory is used to invite members of the media to attend one of your upcoming events. It should include a brief (1-2 paragraphs) but specific description of the date, time, and location of the event; the names of the people who will be featured, and information about media accommodations (line feed availability, whether flash photography will be allowed, etc). Ask the media to register for the event so you can later use their contact information to follow up on their reaction or send them updates. Here is a sample of a vote sizing event’s media advisory:

Press Release

A press release is used to offer members of the TV, radio, internet, newspaper or magazine media your version of a vote sizing story. Since a press release will hopefully be used to base a story idea, it must be eventful and newsworthy – not a simple recitation of the DEP’s goals or principles. A good press release might give an overview of a newly released party launch, or review a recent debate or discussion. It usually includes quotes from relevant sources (the book author, debate participants or audience members, for example). Be sure to include your contact information at the bottom of the press release so that any interested media members can contact you for more information. Here’s a sample of a vote sizing press release:

Public Service Announcement

A public service announcement (PSA) - in contrast to a media advisory or press release - is given to the media for them to read directly to the public. In order to be broadcast or published by the media, it must be considered beneficial for the public good and tied to a specific event. Here’s a sample of a vote sizing PSA:

Fact Sheet

A clear and concise fact sheet is an important part of your media kit, as it provides media members with – surprise! – clear and accurate facts regarding your event. A fact sheet is used to provide an overview of the event details, such as the date, time, venue, participant and emcee names and positions, itinerary, and information about any supplemental materials that will be discussed (such as books). A fact sheet must be sent along with any media advisory or public service announcement. Also have some on hand during the event to hand out to media members who don’t have any copies, as they will be much more likely to run your story if you help them prepare for it. Always make sure to include your contact information at the bottom of the fact sheet. Here is a sample of a vote sizing fact sheet:

Pitch Letter

A pitch letter is similar to a press release, but more direct, targeted, and often less “newsy.” A pitch letter is a letter to the editor or producer of a magazine, newspaper, website, radio or TV program. Instead of offering highly specific information about an event (as a press release does), a pitch letter suggests an idea or topic for an article or broadcast. Often the pitch letter begins by broadly outlining the proposed idea and goes on to include an interesting angle for the story as well as potential sources. Because you’re targeting editors and producers with a pitch letter, be prepared to produce the story yourself (in contrast to a press release, in which case you’re asking a news reporter to produce your story idea). Here is a sample of a vote sizing pitch letter:

In its third stage, the vote sizing movement stakes its place in the political tapestry. Because it’s now got grassroots stability, the vote sizing movement can face - and triumph over - the competition. Vote sizing is manifested into action through its political arm, the Democratic Empowerment Party. The DEP is how vote sizing can move out of classrooms, dining rooms, financial arrangements and chat rooms and into and legislative halls.

First, the DEP will begin to spread its newfound roots by launching local branches. DEP supporters will run for local offices as electoral reformers. Vote sizing now enters a larger, regional landscape, populated by fringe political parties. The DEP has a large advantage in that the other fringe parties are often based on single, sector-specific agendas (religious – Christian Heritage Party; ideological – Socialist, Libertarian, and Communist Parties; parody – Rhino Party; environmental – Green Party; lifestyle – Marijuana and Natural Law Parties). Although the DEP has a single narrowly-focused agenda, vote sizing, in contrast to the other fringe parties, truly belongs in politics and resonates with many people as a legitimate way to voice their concerns and change politics.

Because it is so deeply political, not ideological, vote sizing can also extend out in many areas and bring other ‘fringe’ movements under its umbrella. What sets it apart and allows it to excel (especially among the disenfranchised) is that there’s no predefined roadmap necessary to accomplish the goals of vote sizing. Instead of preaching a solution, the DEP by nature can transform itself to accommodate as much input as possible from as many people as possible.

Stage 4: Room to Grow - Taking on the Corrupt System

[no-glossary]Involvement Opportunities[/no-glossary]

The fact that the DEP revolution is a movement with incredible capacity for grassroots support does not mean that it won’t need a good infrastructure to succeed. As the battle begins in earnest, in order to avoid being cut down and toppled, many people will have to contribute to the organization at many different levels. In other words, the DEP needs you!

If you are interested in any of the above positions, please send an email to Opportunities@VoteSizing.org.

The DEP can represent many political movements and viewpoints at the local, regional, and national levels – uniting the politically active with the previously disenfranchised and the spiritually inquisitive. This combined attractiveness gives the DEP the inertia to snowball its connective communities around the globe, in turn further strengthening the DEP and its vote sizing message. Would an impoverished community in Eastern Russia be interested in learning how an impoverished community in the Philippians managed to wrestle back their power and turn their situation around? You bet! The same goes for poor Central and South American people, Indian, and inner city Americans, Canadians and Europeans. Still, the DEP is in its growth stages - we’ve not yet reached maturity. Our opponents are adept at spin and have lots of money to throw at the media will continue to use over-simplified labels and other divisive tactics to keep the majority of people skeptical, distracted and divided.

That’s why it’s so important for the DEP to register on the media’s radar as a legitimate, leading fringe political party. For although the fact that the DEP is so new will have already pricked up the media’s ears a wee bit; it’ll take this accomplishment to get them to amplify the low din vote sizing buzz into an unavoidable call-to-arms siren! How? Because always eager to sensationalize a story, the media will do more than just latch on, they’ll take the story up to the highest officials for their opinions. This will be the DEP’s pinnacle of action. Unlike the other fringe parties – which may be able to acquire fifteen minutes of fame – the DEP has the staying power to truly threaten the existing power structure. From this watershed moment on it’s no longer just action - it’ll also be reaction and open engagement with our opponent - corruption - and a struggle for survival ...so we had better be ready! Now the gloves come off and the fight to keep the vote sizing message intact gets real nasty. So, in addition to digging deep and harnessing all those tools we outlined above; we’ll also need to properly organize ourselves for the long contest ahead.

As we’ll see on the next page, even though the DEP can dig some serious roots and the media can do a lot of bidding for us, the going can still get pretty rough. The strongholds of corruption will recognize vote sizing as having the potential to truly reform our lives, and the DEP as a genuine threat on their continued domination - so they’ll react. To find out how, and how we can ‘turn the tables’ to triumph over them, read on...