Inspired by California practitioners, some practitioners in Texas conducted Falun Dafa workshops in towns and cities. We would like to share with you some of our experiences in arranging the workshops and the way we publicized the events.
1. Setting up the workshop schedule: We started with one workshop in each area. Later, we felt this might not be a good idea, since one time is not adequate to build a practice/Fa-study site, which is very important for the local practitioners well as the newcomers. We recently scheduled 3~6 workshops for each place depending on the situation.
Usually the workshop was scheduled at the public library. To locate the library you are interested in, simply call 411 or go to the search engine at Yahoo. Searching the Internet is useful because it is easily to find out information on the city, including newspapers, TV and radio stations, etc. which can be used for publicizing the events. These numbers can also be obtained by asking the library personnel.
Call the library. Try to find the person responsible for coordinating events or programs in the library and offer to provide a free Falun Gong program. You may be asked what it is about, what the program includes, why we offer this program, etc. Sometimes they request written information. We are happy to give them (fax or mail) any information they want. In such cases, what we usually gave them were: (1). A letter addressing there questions based on our own experience in cultivating Dafa as well as our HongFa activities in the local area. (2). One page of the brief introduction to Falun Dafa from the English Minghui information package (first page). (3) A recognition letter from the Mayor of our local city. Some librarians might have heard about Dafa, but the information may not have been accurate. Therefore, this issue would be addressed in the letter, plus some additional material, such as "The Real Story" tape or booklet, etc.
The first priority is to ask the library to sponsor the program. By doing this, during the process of approval, the main library staffs will discuss it. Some even went to City Hall. It will be HongFa to all of them, indirectly. Also they will do the publicity for a sponsored program, so any extra effort we make will be additional publicity. The disadvantage is that it might take a longer time.
In most cases, the library won't sponsor it, but could provide the room either a conference room or an auditorium. An auditorium is better in the event many people show up. If not, we will have to do the publicity on our own. Still, in rare cases, they will not even provide the room (for example, they have a policy of granting the use of library rooms only for library cardholder.) We ask them to suggest a good alternate place to us Usually, in each town/city there should be some places for public events (for example, City Council of the Arts, Chamber of Commerce, etc.)
2. Publicity: Sending flyers to the person who arranges the workshop if he/she agrees to help post the flyers in the library is the easiest way, but, by itself is not enough. We might also personally go to the town to distribute some flyers (we were not quite successful in this, better ask Lisa (practitioner from Northern California) to see what she did). Contacting local media is also an efficient way to get publicity.
a). Call the local newspapers and talk to the News editor and then fax her/him information. We usually used the following: (1). A letter requesting publicity, which is basically similar to the one used for the library, but with the emphasis on the publicity request (Occasionally incorporate the current situation depending on the need). (2) Workshop schedule with contact information. (3) Introduction to Falun Dafa (same as above). (4). Recognition letter from the Mayor (same as above). (5). Sometimes an excerpt from the local newspaper. (6). E-mail one or two group exercises pictures (from Ms. Liu Mingming) for their reference. The peaceful and attractive scene might give them an immediate impression that Dafa is good.
The result may be: (a). A telephone interview before the event. This is good for a one-time workshop or series. (b). On-site interview which can incorporate schedules after this event. Such an interview produces less biased or incorrect content in the report. Particularly, if a photographer also comes to the workshop, the report will be a complete and balanced one that will lead people to more truly know Dafa. (c). Some editors might be reluctant to do the above, but regardless, will put the event on the calendar. This is not the best, but is better than nothing. Highly predestined people will see it.
b). Call the local radio and television stations to air the schedule. Usually, each town/city should have stations to air the events, particularly public services, at no cost. So, we talk to them and fax them the information. They are very happy to accept. We just tried this recently, so whether it is as efficient or not is unknown.
c). Inform local TV Station such as NBC, ABC, and CBS to do a story. These TV stations usually do not post our workshop schedules, but could increase the general awareness of the local people, producing invisible HongFa effects.
The above is a good HongFa activity, but also a good for the cultivation process. A lot of attachments were exposed. Sometimes, I became so involved in doing things, that I forgot cultivation. I hope you will do better. One thing I still have not enlightened to is that: many times I had to call the libraries and newspapers repeatedly to ask whether they would do something or whether they already received the information faxed to them. I don't know whether it is because we need to put more effort into it or because I had too strong of a, desire to make it happen with my own attachments of "doing things" or "seeking virtue".
Because it is not easy to recall and write every detail, if anything is not clear or you would like to look at the sample letters we used, please let me know.
(Texas)