HOW TO CHOOSE AN ISSUE

FOR A BASE COUNCIL ACTION

AND HOW TO CARRY IT OUT

SOME USEFUL GUIDELINES

1. The issue and its solution - if any exists immediately or is sought - should not go beyond the scope of action and possibilities of the base council concerned.

2. The issue should fail within the broad framework of the HP's Five Basic Points, and no solution should contradict them.

3. Use the points mentioned in "Ways of Working (activities) – b) Mobilization" as a reference for choosing issues, and conducting campaigns.

4. The issue chosen and the implementation of the action should always foresee and yield structural gains in terms of : a) diffusion of the HP ideas, stands, etc, b) integration of new affiliates; c) mobilization of each and everyone of our activists in different capacities d) sympathy and collaboration from the public; e) encouragement and strengthening of our activists.

5. The above mentioned results should be in proportion to the time, effort and resources employed. This makes a crucial difference in opting for and discarding possible issues.

6. The issue to be taken up should be in proportion to our actual capacity of facing resistances or opposition. If too great forces are to be opposed, better to take up the issue later on, when conditions are built up. The base councils should not be exposed to unnecessary or untimely risks, confrontations, etc.

7. Though some issues or stands we may adopt are right, truthful, etc., they may not sometimes be perceived as such by people at large. Therefore, instead of looking at our stands as positive and beneficial, they may consider them with indifference, incomprehension or hostility. We should keep in mind that what may be right or good for us may prove not to be seen as such by others.
In this sense, we always keep leading people's aspirations with proposals which are not too advanced for their perception, background, etc. In the measure that conditions change, or that we change the conditions, we move one step more forward in our proposals.

8. The action taken regarding the issue may be directed towards just creating public awareness or towards both awareness and solution. The means of achieving them vary according to the inventive, resources, possibilities, etc, of the base council. However, let us consider an incomplete list of suggestions.
Leafleting - poster sticking - wall writing - signature gathering - press releases - press conferences - debates - public speeches - rallies - morchas - joint actions with concerned groups or individuals - advertisements paid with donations - house-to-house visits - opinion polls (with pre-set questions or open) - informative meetings - demonstrations in crowded places - letters to the editors of newspapers and magazines - petition/complaining letters to officers, personalities, etc. - law suits - denunciation to authorities concerned - joint peaceful resistance - non-cooperation - strikes - etc.

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