Community Assembly Guide
ORGANIZER GUIDE
ORGANIZER GUIDE
Hosting a Community Assembly
A Community Assembly is a public event that invites members of the community to come together to discuss a certain topic, shared interest, or connect in a way designated by the host.
Community Assembly Goals:
Bring community members together to discuss their concerns of AI
Inform attendees of the current dangers & harms that AI integration has on our community
Share opportunities for community members to take action
The Week of Action is from September 15-21, when choosing a time & date think about what works best for you AND your community members.
Reach out to your local elected officials to invite them to be a part of this. Whether it's attending to listen, or partnering with you to host this community assembly your elected official could be supportive in this topic and want to be a part of the process to hear the concerns and demands of their constituents.
Template to Invite your Elected Official to Attend:
Hello [elected official name] and your staff,
I am concerned about the dangers Artificial Intelligence is having on our community. In three years, according to this report, AI will disrupt 25% of all jobs and occupations. Data centers are being built across the country to support the capacity of AI and in return are taking the resources people need to survive, being paid for by our taxpayer dollars, harming the environment, and worsening climate change. As a concerned constituent and community member I am hosting a community assembly as part of the 7th Annual Basic Income Week of Action to raise awareness, engage in important conversations within our community, and hear from my elected officials how they are prioritizing people over technology.
I would like to invite [elected official name] to attend to listen to what your constituents are concerned about and share what you are doing to protect your constituents and their future.
I look forward to hearing from you and your staff.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
Template to Ask your Elected Official to Support or Host an Event:
Hello [elected official name] and your staff,
I am concerned about the dangers that Artificial Intelligence is having on our community. In three years, according to this report, AI will disrupt 25% of all jobs and occupations. Data centers are being built across the country to support the capacity of AI needs and in return are taking the resources people need to survive, being paid for by our taxpayer dollars, harming the environment, and worsening climate change.
As a concerned constituent and community member, will you host a community assembly or provide a venue for me to host this community assembly to engage with my fellow community members in this important topic?
This is a very important topic for our community to have and support from our [kind of elected official] demonstrates that this issue is a priority to you.
I look forward to hearing from you and your staff.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
Your community gathering should be a place that can hold 10-30 people and comfortably accommodate the noise of your conversations.
Our Recommendations:
Library
Libraries are a great place to host community gatherings in. Libraries often have rooms with tables and chairs, and are well known public spaces that are accessible. Sometimes they also can provide technology like TV monitors if you have any media you want to show during the gathering. While other venues may charge to reserve the space, libraries are free.
Local Businesses, Community Event Spaces
Do you have a local business you frequent that would be perfect for your Community Assembly? Some local businesses integrate events being hosted as a way to support the community, and bring new customers in.
Outdoor Spaces (Park, Public Squares)
Given nice weather, public outdoor spaces can be a great place to gather. Make it a picnic!
Government Buildings
Use the template from above to reach out to your city council members, county commissioners, to ask if they have spaces to host your community assembly. Often times government buildings have conference rooms, or smaller huddle rooms that they could make available for your event.
Event Overview Page
Why is a 1-page overview useful?
This is a useful exercise for any organizer that’s excited to host an event or activity for this year’s Basic Income Week. Having a place where the details of your event and the messaging you’ll use is helpful. This can also serve as a place to write down your ideas, your plan, and some tasks you might need to do to keep things streamlined and easy to share with anyone else who is involved!
Key Things To Include:
A sentence or two about what your event or action will be:
Ex) In [City Name], as part of the 7th Annual Basic Income Week of Action, our community is coming together to talk about basic income and the progress being made at [local coffee shop]. Join us!
Details
Date
Time
Location
Link to your Pin on the Basic Income Day of Action Map
Names of any people helping you
Links to any resources you frequently revisit
Sandbox for your ideas
Now that you have an event, spread the word in your community. You can post on social media, text your friends, and post flyers up!
Templates Details coming soon
Conversation Kit Details coming soon