Bird-Dog the Big Dogs 101
September 25, 2006
Turning Up the Heat in the Darfur Escalation Campaign
“Bird-dogging” is a tactic where, like a bird-dog, you follow your subject in order to get your message across. In the case of our work, we are developing a network of individuals across the country that are willing to go to public events with the key decision-makers in order to ask a question or take some type of action. Ideally we would be able to raise the issue often enough at these events that the target gets the impression that he/she cannot go anywhere without confronting the issue of Darfur. We hope that this document will give you the basics to “bird-dog the big dogs” but if you have questions, feel free to contact us at outreach[at]africaaction.org.
1. Get on the Bird-Dog List: Join our Bird-Dog the Big Dogs list so that we can alert you when we find out a Big Dog is coming to town. You can join our aa bird dog group on yahoo groups to stay up to date with strategies and our targets.
2. Identify the Big Dogs: The “Big Dogs” that we are targeting are: President Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer, U.S. Special Envoy to Darfur Andrew Natsios, and U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton. In this election season, the major political parties are figuring out what Americans care about by monitoring what questions are asked in candidate forums, so at this point, feel free to bird-dog at ANY political forum.
3. Finding the Big Dogs: Look in your local newspaper, blogs and websites for foreign affairs issues and any other local publications for announcements that one of the “Big Dogs” is coming to town. Sign up to be on the e-mail or mailing lists for local foreign policy or international affairs clubs and for community events at any local college or university. Often the “Big Dogs” will give speeches at such institutions and you want to be alerted to their visit.
4. Big Dogs in Town: If you find an event in your community with one of our top “Big Dogs” please let us know so that we can keep track of events and try to connect you with others in your area who can join you in this venture.
5. Getting Invited: If it is an invitation-only event, call up the organizers and find out how to get invited. If they have a closed list, volunteer. Tell them that you really want to hear the speaker, but don’t have the funds to pay, and offer to help out in some way – perhaps leading people to their seats or taking registration. If you can, claim to be press. You can offer to submit an article on the event to any local paper, newspaper, church bulletin or any other publication (no matter how small).
6. Meet Up: While any individual can do a fantastic job as a “Bird Dog” it always helps to have a partner or a small group. Feel free to invite others to join you. Meet with your group in advance to make plans and make sure everyone is comfortable with the plan.
7. Early Bird Dogs Catch the Big Dog: If it is a public event or you have gotten an invitation, be sure to get there really early to get good seats. If there is a question and answer time, spread out. They are not likely to take multiple questions from people sitting together. You should try to stay towards the front or near the microphones if there are multiple mics in the aisles. It is also good to sit near the sides of the stage in case the speaker steps off the stage on the way out and shakes hands with the audience.
8. Get Noticed: Smile a lot and look friendly at all the organizers, the speaker and the staff of the event. Applaud wildly at every opportunity.
9. Hands Up: Most importantly, get your hands up FIRST, FAST and HIGH. Do not hesitate or wait for a later round of questions. You don’t even have to wait for the speaker to ask for questions – get those hands up as soon as the speaker is done talking. It is a good idea to write your question or statement down in advance since it is very easy to stumble, ramble or forget your question otherwise. Short questions that make the point are the best. Questions like, “What is the Bush Administration doing to stop the genocide in Darfur, Sudan? Will the US work with the international community for a multinational intervention to protect the people of Darfur?” or “A multinational intervention is the only way to stop the genocide in Darfur, Sudan where 400,000 people have already been killed. When does the Bush Administration plan to take the action necessary to stop the violence and protect the people, with or without Sudan’s consent?” or “The U.S. is the only country to have acknowledged that genocide is occurring in Darfur, Sudan. When will the Bush Administration take the necessary steps in the UN to break the deadlock on Darfur?” For a full list of questions for candidates on Africa's top priorities click here. If it is not a member of the Bush Administration that you are targeting, substitute “you” or the name of the politician.
10. Speak Out: If there is no question time, or it looks like you won’t be called on, feel free to blurt out the question. If you know from the outset that there will not be a question time, you can plan in advance to engage in an alternative tactic. For example, you can stand up and reveal your Darfur T-shirt or if you are able to fold a sign up and get it into the event, feel free to unfurl it for the speaker to see. Either of these tactics could get you in trouble or have you expelled from the event, so consider the risk when you consider the tactic.
11. The Shake Down: If the speaker looks ready to leave try to position yourself for a handshake. When the speaker comes to shake your hand, try to hold onto the hand (gently, not threateningly) so that you can get a short question or statement out. If possible, don’t let go until you get an answer.
12. Celebrate: When it is over, be sure to let the Africa Action office know how it went so that we can celebrate your success.
DON’T FORGET! Join our Bird-Dog the Big Dogs list so that we can alert you when we find out a Big Dog is coming to town. You can join our aa bird dog group on yahoo groups to stay up to date with strategies and our targets.
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Campaign to Stop Genocide in Darfur
