Painted Ferns, Lois Barber
Policymakers:
“20/20 Vision produces exactly the kind of citizen input that Congress both needs and responds to.” - Hon. Bob Edgar, former Six-Term Congressman, Pennsylvania
“I have been impressed by the work of 20/20 Vision; you do make a difference. Keep up the good work.” - Hon. Tom Harkin, U.S. Senator, Iowa
“20/20 Vision’s activists campaigned tirelessly and assisted my efforts in the past to stop the B-2 Bomber and tocut unneeded spending from the military budget. Their members nationwide have been a key force for change, helping to sustain our endeavors over the years.” - former Congressman Ronald V. Dellums (D-CA)
“The more effort that goes into the communication to elected officials from voters the more impact it will have.” Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA)
“If I get 20 emails that areall the same I don’t pay any attention to them. It’s personal communication that counts.” Anonymous member of Congress
Thought Leaders:
“Once in a while we come across a kind of involvement that people find both sustainable and fulfilling. For me, the 20/20 Vision Project is one such rare find.”
- Randy Kehler, First Director, Nuclear Freeze Campaign
“20/20’s grassroots activities are realistic, relevant and effective. By identifying concerned citizens and giving them a limited, but highly relevant, and effective legislative task, 20/20 Vision maximizes citizen impact on members of congress.”
- Edward F Snyder, Executive Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation
“Thank you for the critical role that [you] played in generating grassroots action in support of the EPA’s proposal to tighten the national ozone and particulate air standards. Your efforts made a critical difference at a time when increasing public support was greatly needed” - Felice Stadler, Policy Outreach Coordinator, Clean Air Network
“20/20 Vision proved to be the most effective grassroots organization working to secure Senate approval of the Chemical Weapons Convention. They accomplished things only others talked about... 20/20 Vision made a difference.” - John Parachini, Senior Associate with the Henry L. Stimpson Center
“20/20 Vision focuses the time and energy of busy citizens where it counts-influencing legislators and policy makers, when it counts—right before critical votes.” - Ralph Nader
“What they’re doing is tapping into a huge segment of our population that has been by-passed because the normal ticket of admission to other civic groups has been way too much a demand on time and energy. One of the real contributions here is that this is a very creative recruiting technique because it reaches out to people without burdening them.” - Ralph Nader
“20/20 Vision’s program is the most cost-effective and time-efficient means of influencing our government” - Ben Cohen, Co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and President of Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities
“If there were a 20/20 Vision project in every Congressional District in this country, we could turn around this nuclear madness and move toward real national and global security” - Andrea Ayvazian, Director of Training, Peace Development Fund.
“I am impressed with the leadership of 20/20 Vision and the high quality of information and action suggestions that 20/20 Vision projects disseminate” - Richard Mark, Executive Director, Professionals’ Coalition for Nuclear Arms Control
“Here’s this big rock you need to move. Don’t look at the rock. Look at the fulcrum. It’s not how big the rock is. It’s accuracy, timing, and people working together that will move it. -Paul Hawken, entrepreneur and author, talking about 20/20
“I’m impressed with the 20/20 Vision Guidebook. It’s one of the best organized, most practical, and most useful tools for local activists I’ve ever seen. Clearly it was compiled by people who have actually ‘been there’, doing the nitty gritty of local organizing. The material reflects grassroots reality, and makes the work manageable for busy people.”
- Alison D. Oldham, Legislative Coordinator, Friends Committee on National Legislation
“20/20 Vision has long played an important grassroots role on disarmament issues, from the test ban treaty to opposing new nuclear weapons” - David Culp, Friends Committee on National Legislation
“20/20 Vision makes the crucial link between environmental and military policy—a link I encourage you to make.” - Denis Hayes, Founder and Chair, Earth Day 1990
“20/20 Vision is the most effective grassroots lobbying organization I have ever seen. And I have seen a lot.” - Brent Blackwelder, Vice President, Friends of the Earth
“2020 is making our democracy work the way it’s supposed to. We don’t need to change people’s minds about nuclear war, we need to remove the obstacles that keep them from acting - Lois Barber, Founder and President, 20/20 Vision
“Participation, that’s what’s going to save the human race.” — Pete Seeger (in the film about his life)
2020 Members:
“With 20/20 Vision I’m a constantly active participant in our democratic process”
“20/20 is a great opportunity for me to do something instead of just talk about it”
“20/20 Vision simplifies the process of being an activist”
“20/20 vision is an inch wide and a mile deep--it only does one thing, but it does it well.”
“Keeps me informed, feeling connected and enables me to take action every month. After taking an action the news takes on a different significance.”
“It gives something concrete to do rather than feeling overwhelmed.”
“Provides for relatively small individual efforts to have a real cumulative impact. Directly affects public policy when Congress is contacted."
“20/20’s grassroots activities are realistic and effective. By identifying concerned citizens and giving them a limited, but highly relevant legislative task, 20/20 Vision maximizes citizen impact on members of Congress.”
“20/20 Vision is instant activism, an information service that allows busy citizens to interact regularly with legislators to have a positive impact”
“20/20 makes it possible for me to focus on a particular issue and act, knowing that my efforts along with those of many others will have an impact.”
“You select urgent issues which are important to the country—and to me. You do the research so I can quickly let my voice be heard, knowing it will add to a wonderful chorus.”
“20/20 Vision delivers what it promises—concise, well-researched information which spurs me to decisive political action. I run the environmental club at my school and we use 20/20 each month!”
“I like how simple 20/20 makes it for us to make a difference, plus the solidarity among us as we speak with a common voice.”
“Instead of complaining and feeling hopeless, I feel I’ve done something and am empowered.”
“Your 20/20 postcards explain both the background and the action most likely to be effective in short, but clear terms. They give statistics and other facts we can use to back up our gut feelings, yet we’re left free to respond in our own voices. Bravo!”
“It’s simple. It’s specific. It works!”
“I feel that I am contributing as part of a group without having to schedule meetings.”
“20/20 asks me to do something I want to do—and can do—and can feel good about when I have done it."
“It really gives people a chance to take action that did not take action before.”
“2020 Alerts people to timely action.”
“Really like the feeling that I can do something to have my body count taken. I like the clear format, phone number, etc. Keeps me up-to-date. Like the new pictures. Well done!”
“I like the quality of the information: informative, succinct, and the fact it arrives every month. The postcards themselves are beautiful.”
“I am so glad to have the original format of 2020 Vision back. I appreciate the simplicity of doing an action. I also greatly appreciate the measured tone offered. I believe it is far more effective than an angry, strident, outraged one. The facts speak for themselves.”
“Very imformative! Even though we have busy lives, we can’t just turn our backs and disregard the major issues—nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons, federal spending, the environment . . . all important. The postcards are wonderful. Love the photography.”
Read More:
Press Release: 2020 Action Celebrates 25 Years of Effective Activism
2020—25 Years of Achievement: From Nuclear Arms Reduction to Protecting the EPA
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