Petition Action Guide [Canada]
Petitions can be used to mobilize public support for a change and send a powerful statement to decision makers. Follow this action guide to make your own and keep reading for tips on how to create, amplify, and share your petition with those who can make a difference. Once you have completed your petition action guide, post it in the associated cause and ask others to sign it!
Instructions:
- Identify the right stakeholder(s): Who has the authority to make a significant impact on the issue you are presenting? Is it the Federal Government? Province? City? Local law enforcement? A corporation?
- Keep it short and impactful: Use the template below as a guide for what to include in your petition
- Add imagery: Bring your petition to life with an engaging image
- Dot your i’s and cross your t’s: Proof-read your petition before publishing
Sharing:
- When you’ve received your desired number of signatures - reach out to the relevant stakeholders. Consider the jurisdiction of your stakeholders by looking at the distribution of powers in Canada.
- Identify the full name and email address of your stakeholder.
- Click "export signatures" in your Révolutionnaire petition to download a file with the signatures that your petition has received and share it with the necessary stakeholder.
Canadian government guidelines for petition submissions:
- Additional information available here
Petition Template:
- Headline: Keep it tight, compelling, and under 10 words
- Example: Demand Justice for Elijah McClain
- Image: Choose an engaging image that tells the story of the petition and can be widely shared
- Intro: Capture the summary of the issue and demands for stakeholders (50-100 words)
- Example: Elijah McClain was killed by Aurora Police officers over a year ago and a State investigation has been underway for 5 months. Amendments to the Executive Order threaten the Attorney General’s commitment to serving just charges. I demand that Attorney General Phil Weiser commit to providing just charges to the McClain family.
- Description: Offer additional context for your petition including an overview of the issue, desired solution, and why people should care
- Example: August 24th, 2019, 23-year-old Elijah McClain was walking home after buying some tea at a local convenience store. According to Elijah's family, Elijah, who was anemic, preferred to wear a ski mask to keep his face warm while he was walking. The Aurora Police Department received a call of a "suspicious man". This call resulted in Elijah's death. After the McClain family requested the bodycam footage from the officers on scene it was reported that in the footage,
- "He is laying on the ground vomiting, he is begging, he is saying, 'I can't breathe.' One of the officers says, 'Don't move again. If you move again, I'm calling in a dog to bite you,'" -Mari Newman (the McClain's lawyer)
- When the paramedics arrived they administered a dose of Ketamine to the already unconscious Elijah to "sedate" him. He was pronounced dead August 27th, 2019, at only 23 years old of a heart attack. Denver 7 News stated, "...they couldn’t determine whether McClain's death was an accident, was due to natural causes, or is a homicide related to the police department's use of a carotid hold". The officers on the scene were placed on temporary leave, however, they are back in the field with no charges.
- Example: Sign this petition to demand that Aurora, CO provides justice for the McClain family.
