ADC and Social Networking

I'm a member of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee on Facebook. They are an issue advocacy group and grassroots civil rights group devoted to empowering and protecting Arab-Americans. They defend civil rights, promote civic participation, defends the interest of Arab-Americans and tries to promote balanced U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Facebook seems to be like a focal point of ADC's activities. With over 2,100 members of it's group, I continually receive messages from the group asking to support or denounce particular legislation in Congress, or messages designed to raise awareness about a particular case or a person. The messages are often short and succint and include a link to direct the group member to a place of action. ADC uses a tool that I find particularly useful is called Capitol Advantage which allows ADC to send out action alerts to its members. When I receive these action alerts, I can read a short summary of the issue at hand (ie: guantanamo, hate crimes, human rights) and who I need to contact (Obama, a Congressional leader, etc), and I don't have to go out of my way to do it. ADC's Action Alert provides a form right there for me to sign my name on and hit send, and they take the responsibility for forwarding it to the appropriate people. It has a pre-drafted letter that is actually editable if you wanted to make some changes ready to go. It even gives you the option of whether you'd like ADC to send it for you through e-mail or as a printed letter.

I can send a concerned letter to my President or my Congressman all through just simply becoming a member of a Facebook group. This was all only one click away from the group's page. The page also provides me links to articles, op-eds, and information about gatherings and demonstrations all from the group's wall.

By being a member of this group on facebook, I feel automatically connected to the 2,100 and I feel as though I'm an active participant by simply taking out a minute of my day to post an interesting link to an article or by clicking send on a letter advocating for crucial change.