Social media campaign to support the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act #2011TVPRA: A How-To Guide

Through the creation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the U.S. positioned itself as a leader in the global fight against human trafficking. This significant piece of legislation made human trafficking a federal crime, formed agencies and task forces to address human trafficking domestically and internationally, defined the strict penalties human traffickers face, created the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, and initiated various measures to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute traffickers. Since its original passage, the bill has been reauthorized three times, each time reaffirming our nation’s commitment to eliminating modern-day slavery and strengthening our ability to fight it.

The 2011 TVPRA has been introduced in the Senate by a bi-partisan coalition made up of Senators Leahy (VT), Boxer (CA), Brown (MA), Cardin (MD), Cochran (MS), Feinstein (CA), Gillibrand (NY), Kerry (MA), Rubio (FL), and Wyden (OR). However, we need to build momentum to ensure the bill gets passed.

We need help on Facebook and Twitter to promote the bill and ask legislators to support the TVPRA!

What YOU can do

1. Contact your Senators via Facebook and Twitter.
   • Check out this Twitter directory to easily find your Senator’s twitter handle
   • Check out this Facebook app to find your Senator’s page
   • We’ve provided you with a list of Senators that need an extra push to support the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.
2. When contacting your representatives through social media outlets, here are a few things to remember:
   • Keep your messages short
   • Always remain respectful and professional.
3. Raise awareness for the TVPRA by encouraging your friends to also contact their Senators.
4. Visit our action alert.

THE LIST
Here’s a short list of a few Senators that may need an extra bit of convincing to support the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act:

Senator Lindsey Graham: Facebook | Twitter
Senator Chuck Grassley: Facebook | Twitter
Senator Orrin Hatch: Facebook | Twitter
Senator Ron Johnson: Facebook | Twitter
Senator Jon Kyl: Facebook | Twitter
Senator Jeff Sessions: Facebook | Twitter
Senator Patrick Toomey: Facebook | Twitter

Facebook guidelines:
When you tag Senators Graham, Johnson, and Kyl, the post will not be displayed to the public.  However, please tag anyway as this post will be received by the Senators and published to your news feed. For Senator Hatch, tag him in a post on his own wall; this is accessible to the public. Feel free to tag Senators Grassley, Sessions, and Toomey directly from your own profile, as tagged posts are displayed on public portions of their walls.

TWITTER
Using Twitter to contact your Senators is an easy and effective way to encourage them to support the TVPRA. After you’ve found your Senator’s twitter handle, write a tweet with this message:

[[@Tagged Senator]], please reauthorize the bipartisan #humantrafficking #2011TVPRA! http://ow.ly/5TgZg

This message can easily be re-tweeted by your friends for greater impact. Don’t forget to use the #2011TVPRA tag and the link to the TVPRA Senate bill text (http://ow.ly/5TgZg).

FACEBOOK
The best way to draw attention to this bill and ask for support is for you to tag your Senators on Facebook. Here’s how you can get started:

1. Become a fan of their page
2. Set up a post with this message:
   • [[@Tagged Senator]], will you help end modern-day slavery? Please reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. Can I count on you to cosponsor?
   • Make sure you press “@” and then wait to see the Senator’s Page pop up in the dialog box. Click on that link. Otherwise the tag won’t link to his or her page.
3. Attach this link in your post: http://ow.ly/5TgZg. This redirects to the Library of Congress site which hosts all the information tracking the progress of the TVPRA.
4. Before you post, make sure to change the privacy setting (a dropdown menu beneath the lock on the right-hand side of the post) so that the post will show up to everyone, not just your friends.
5. Post!
6. Once you’ve done that, check out our note to support the TVPRA. Scroll down to the bottom and click share, then post it to your profile or add it to your Facebook fan page! Spread the word. Share this Facebook note with others by posting it to your friends’ walls.
7. If you’re feeling ambitious, make one of our TVPRA logos your profile picture and link to this blog as a caption to the photo. You can find the images in our new Facebook album here.

RECAP
We know that was a lot of information. Here are the essential points you’ll need to participate in this social media campaign:

• Tweet at our focus Senators on Twitter and tag them on Facebook.
• Tweet at your Senators on Twitter using the #2011TVPRA tag.
• Tag your Senators on Facebook (Don’t know who your Senators are? Look them up here.)
• Share the Facebook note on your wall and with your friends.
• Change your profile picture and link to the blog.
• Tell your friends about this blog!

If you have any questions, feel free to send us an email at info@polarisproject.org.

Photo Credit: Mashable