Motivated by passion and armed with new and sometimes old technology, people can make a difference, even if the cause is a world away. Here are some tips and ideas to get you started.

* Contact a human rights organization such as Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch for advice on everything from starting email drives to sending letters to a different country’s authorities.

Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch
Witness

* Circulate your own petition, highlighting your concerns and the action desired. Leave lines underneath for signers to put their name and address. Once you have gathered signatures, send the petition to the targeted authority. Search “petition maker” to find free online petition-creating tools.

* Urge your elected representatives, senators, or government officials to write a letter of concern to the relevant authorities. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or find contact information in the following links:

House of Representatives Senators State Department

* Contact your target country’s U.S. Ambassador, contact that country’s Ambassador here in the U.S., or contact the country directly.

Find your target country’s Ambassador
Find the U.S. Ambassador to that country
Find foreign government contact details

* Contact the U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and urge him to ask the Security Council to consider a specific action.

UN Secretary-General

* Contact newspapers, magazines, news radio stations, and other media in your area. Tell them what you’re doing, and ask them to cover this issue. You can find your local media by searching “media lists”.

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