How to advocate

Speak for children who need your voice. You can do your part now by calling on world leaders, decision makers and opinion shapers to help save children’s lives.

Write to your Member of Parliament

Your opinion matters. Politicians listen to the constituents from their riding who take the time to contact them. Speak up on behalf of the most vulnerable children, those who desperately need basic health care solutions that will save their lives.

Here are some tips to help you get your voice heard:

Handwritten letters are most effective
Make your letter personal and as relevant to the recipient as possible
A one page letter is preferable, two pages maximum
Fax and mail you letter if possible – emails don’t seem to have the same impact
Be sure to include your contact info so that your Member of Parliament (MP) can respond to you
When you receive a response, please write back, we want to engage your MP and encourage them to better understand the issues faced by the poorest children around the world
Mail or fax your letter to the constituency office in your riding – you don’t need a stamp, it is free to mail your MP (you can find your MP's address and fax number here). If you don’t know the name of your MP or your riding, search for your MP here (current Parliamentarians)
Keep us in the loop, fax or mail us a copy of the response you get from your MP

Download sample letters that you can personalize and send to your MP and/or the Prime Minister:

Sample letter #1 (for your MP)
Sample letter #2 (for the Prime Minister)

Shape Public Opinion

Send a letter to the media and help shape the discussion concerning the importance of Canada’s role in ending the needless deaths of millions of children and hundreds of thousands of mothers.

Here are a few tips on how to get your letter published:

Look for the hook.

Comment on an article that directly discusses international development, child health issues, vaccines, or health worker shortages (in Canada or globally). Make or find the connection to the calls of the campaign.

The shorter the better.

Newspapers will ignore or edit long letters. If you want to be sure that your letter is published in its entirety be brief. Maybe not 140 characters a la Twitter but not more than 300 words.

More light than heat.

Be respectful. There is no doubt that children dying of hunger or preventable illness is absolutely maddening. While angry letters may succeed in raising people’s blood pressure they don’t tend to be as successful at conveying information or inspiring action.

Send one, send many.

Letters to the editor all accept email submissions. If you are responding to a Canadian Press story or if you have written a letter about a major announcement or event that has likely been covered by most newspapers, send your letter to several (be sure to send separate emails).

Don’t limit yourself.

Community newspapers are better read than many people think. Sending your letter to smaller publications increases the likelihood it will be published. There are also online publications and magazines that cover development issues don’t forget them.