Throughout this site, we have heard from many voices from Puerto Ricans across the island. We have heard from business owners and artists, government officials and grassroots volunteers, city dwellers and mountain residents, farmers and artists. Now, we ask you to reflect on how you can help the people of Puerto Rico as they continue the long recovery from Hurricane María.
In this Call to Action, we present you with a number of ways to meaningfully support the recovery effort in Puerto Rico, from policy advocacy to direct contributions. We hope you will commit to a plan of action that includes one or more of the following.
1. Support Local Organizations Making a Difference in Puerto Rico
We encourage you to learn more about proven and successful grassroots organizations in Puerto Rico, which as we have seen, play a critical role in rebuilding and transforming their communities. Learn more about how to help here.
2. Be an advocate for Puerto Rico
We have covered many aspects of the complex relationship between the federal government, the local Puerto Rican government, and the private sector. We encourage you to focus on an aspect of policy that you’d like to influence, and consider the most effective approach to making an impact.
If you’ve participated in previous Teach-Outs, you may recognize our “Five Elements of Effective Advocacy”. This is a concise approach to identifying your message and making impact.
Five Elements of Effective Advocacy
- What is your goal? The most important step in any advocacy strategy is clarifying your goal.
- Who are the key decision makers? If you’re participating from the U.S., click here to identify your Senators, and click here to identify your Representatives.
- Can you identify a champion? This is a person who is inside the process, and who will advance your goal internally. You might consider connecting with an expert or someone who is already working on poverty solutions or economic issues.
- Can you build out a coalition? Who are the other people or organizations that are interested in basic income share your goal? You may find them by sharing your opinion or looking for local organizations.
What is your message? How can you and your coalition share this message? Who should you share it with?
3. Subscribe. Learn more about Puerto Rico.
You have heard from a range of voices and perspectives coming from Puerto Rico. We encourage you to keep searching for authentic stories directly from the Puerto Rican people about the ongoing challenges that the island is facing. In order to do this, we encourage you to explore our “further readings” section to learn more about where updated stories are coming from. If you find an article or a media organization that you like, why not subscribe to receive updates as things develop?
4. Travel to Puerto Rico
Tourism plays a vital role in rebuilding Puerto Rico’s economy. If you have the means, we encourage you to consider a trip to Puerto Rico to engage with the island’s history, culture, and people first hand. Here are a few places to start your search:
- http://welcome.topuertorico.org/tinfo.shtml
- https://www.prtourism.com/dnn/Default.aspx
- https://www.prtourism.com/dnn/Doing-Business/Planning-and-Development/Sustainable-Tourism
- http://www.discoverpuertorico.com/en/experiences/sustainability/
If you are interested in volunteering with one of the organizations featured in the videos on this site, we encourage you to reach out to them directly.