Lulia Habte and Marcia Smellie of Run4OfficeWR talk to Bob Jonkman about getting people to run for office by getting them out to vote, and fostering civic engagement. They’re talking to people, young people especially, about the functions of government and the role of politicians. They host a “Guest Speaker Series”, local people who have run for office who speak about the experience and answer questions.
Marcia talks about the skill of listening, and Lulia tells us the importance of just one vote. Marcia gives some information on voting, and Lulia tells us of the upcoming events.
Introducing Lulia and Marcia, and Run4OfficeWR. The goal is to have people voting, voter turnout was about 25% in the previous municipal election. There is a Project3000 to get 3000 people to register to vote. Run4OfficeWR is out at the summer festival to encourage people to vote. Civic engagement starts at the local level, but since Covid volunteering has decreased, and with it involvement in the voting process. The goal is to get people to understand the roles of the various levels of government; for this election that’s Mayors, Councillors, Regional Councillors. Marcia explains what Civic Engagement is, the issues that affect people. People come to Waterloo Region because it’s safe, there are good schools, it’s a place where people can own a house. It’s important that people get voter information in an un-threatening way.
9m23s
It’s an obligation of citizenship to be politically engaged. People are engaged in sports, but there are other roles in the community. People may not know their neighbours. The demographic that is engaged is the gray-haired crowd, but not so much younger people. People who are in municipal government now will be retiring, so we need young people to take those roles. But Lulia is not part of the gray-haired crowd, she says there are many youth who are interested in what Run4OfficeWR is doing. But they don’t know what the responsibilities of different tiers of government do. People need to be comfortable enough to receive ideas and criticism, make sure the doors (and their ears) are open. Encouraging people to write letters, contact their representatives, engaging in protests, writing petitions, and meeting with politicians. Attending council meetings can be done online now, on social media.
16m15m
Marcia is really concerned about getting the young vote out, the reason for having a young person doing outreach (Lulia). Encouraging young people to volunteer with Run4OfficeWR by feeding them at meeting, give them a T-Shirt, and sometime even give them an honorarium. Even in the summer there are students who are still here, attending summer festivals, an opportunity to interact with them.
The “Guest Speaker Series” is held on the first Friday of every month, until October. Last month the speaker was Marjorie Knight. The goal is to let people know that politics is not so distant, people are approachable. Run4OfficeWR is focusing on people from African or Black communities, and people from underrepresented groups; these people have a more “niche” experiene. Marcia says people think politics is boring, and people are more interested in what is far away. But these sessions, where people meet people from their own communities, it’s right there and you can’t ignore it. People linger after the sessions with many questions, “What did you need to start a campaign?”, “Why did you run?” Providing advice and answering questions is done after the speaker sessions, best done one-on-one. It’s a bit like campaign school, Run4OfficeWR can direct people where to get more information.
28m49s
Marcia says that one of the most important skills is listening. Sometimes it is necessary to listen to things that don’t jive with your values. But you need to listen to them as well, respectfully, and sometimes say that this is not something you can support. That lets people know you’re open to listening, even if you don’t agree. It’s hard, but rewarding work. Most important, you have to know your “why”. The stereotype of politicians is that they use words without saying anything. Marcia says the plain-speaking politician still exists, and Marcia intends to vote for some.
32m25s
Talking about tight races, a single vote can make a difference. It just happened in Quebec, settled by the courts, and it happened in Kitchener where a single vote decided the Victoria Park riding. Lulia says every vote counts. Bob is distressed by the number of vacancies that are still not filled — in Wellesley, Woolwich, North Dumfries; and the number of incumbent candidates who have not yet said if they’re running or not. Marcia says that it’s too bad we only vote every four years, because people forget about it. In Toronto the libraries have a centre for democracy so that people can learn about democracy on a continuing basis. And we need to make it fun to learn about democracy. Councillors get invited to lots of events: block parties, barbecues. Marcia explains how candidates can prepare for a campaign even without the backing of a political party. And it’s important to know how to ask for money, but it’s not a huge amount of money at the municipal level. Social media is a big help. Candidates may have to pay for services, but sometimes people donate their skills to help a campaign. Lulia says that it’s important that candidates remain visible. Bob and Marcia find it bizarre that some candidates have no visibility at all.
Bob is surprised that Run4OfficeWR is not a provincial or national organization he’s seen Run4OfficeWR everywhere! Lulia says there are the three founders (Marcia is a founder!), and five or six people. Marcia says that being physically present at festivals and other locations makes a big difference. Online voter registration ends on 12 August, but you can still register at the polling offices on the day that you vote. But you’ll need ID, be at least 18 years old, and a Canadian citizen. Marcia says this is the most exciting organization she’s ever volunteered with. This is her way of contributing to the political process. Marcia points out that local issues are important. Bob says the pothole in front of your driveway is more important than the pipeline across the country. Marcia tells us about the local issue of data centres.
49m35s
Lulia and Marcia go over the different ways of contacting Run4OfficeWR, their website, and social media. Come to their events! Volunteer at their events! There will be food! Lulia tells us about the upcoming events, the Speaker Series, and a “I Voted” celebration.
51m59s
Marcia and Lulia thank Bob; Bob thanks Marcia and Lulia and gives the end credits.
CKMS Community Connections airs on CKMS-FM 102.7 from 3:00pm to 4:00pm on Mondays.
https://run4officewr.ca/
Subscribe to the CKMS Community Connections podcast!
See all CKMS Community Connections shows!
Creative Commons Attribution Only license. Copy, re-use, and derivative works are allowed with attribution to Radio Waterloo and a link to this page. Music selections are copyright by the respective rights holders. The theme music is written and performed by Steven Todd.