MoveOn.org Civic Action: Democracy in Action

Problems? Questions? Email vigil@moveon.org

March 16 Vigil F.A.Q.
(frequently asked questions)
or
"Everything you wanted to know about the candlelight vigils
...and were about to ask."

For participants...
(see below for coordinators' questions)

Q. Is there a vigil near me?

Go here http://moveon.org/vigil and our system will give you a list of all the vigils in your area.

Q. What if there are no vigils near me?

If you're willing to take on the responsibilities of scheduling a candlelight vigil then you can create one here:
http://moveon.org/vigil/newmeeting.html
Read the instructions there and fill out the information required to schedule your own vigil. You'll recieve an email with more info and detailed instructions immediately.

Q: There isn't a vigil in my area and I don't want to lead one myself -- what should I do?

Keep checking the listings because new vigils are being added by the hour.

Q. Is there any flyer artwork about the vigil that can be copied for distribution?

Yes! It's finally up -- here: http://moveon.org/vigil/materials/leaflets.html

Q. How can I contact the coordinator of the vigil I signed up for?

For privacy reasons, you will have to wait for your coordinator to contact you. Some events have so many people attending that it would not be good to share coordinators email addresses. Unfortunately, we can't look up an individual coordinator for you. There are just too many people involved. However, if you sign up for the event, the coordinator will be able to contact you.

Q. Do my friends have to sign up to come?

Signing up is not required, but it's extremely useful. Having people sign up on the web site provides concrete numbers for media coverage of this worldwide effort. It helps the press and the public realize how broad support for peace is.

So, signing up on the web site is not required, but is helpful. Certainly everyone who wants to come should show up, regardless of whether they're signed up or not."

Q. The "tell your friends" link doesn't work.

This is a problem with certain configurations of email programs. If our link on the thank you page doesn't work for you, you'll have to do the email to your friends manually.

Q. Can I bring friends who have not signed up on the MoveOn.org Civic Action site?

Absolutely! Bring as many friends as you can. But please explain the ground rules to them.

Q. If I schedule my own candlelight vigil, what will I have to do?

There are instructions on the page where you schedule your vigil: http://moveon.org/vigil/newmeeting.html
Also, after you create a vigil, you'll receive an email with more information and detailed instructions about what you have to.

But here's a quick list of the things you'll have to do as a coordinator:

Bring extra candles. Everyone who signs up will be asked to bring their own. But you should bring plenty of extras.
Bring paper cups. Paper cups are used to shield hands from dripping wax and candle flames from the wind. Make a hole in the bottom of the cups and put the candles through.
Bring lighters. Matches won't work in the wind.
Be a good, friendly, courteous leader. Show leadership in the unlikely event of a conflict. Of course, you can rely on others in your group for help with that. They will be told to follow your lead in the event of a problem, so you should ask for help from your group if you need it.
File a report on the MoveOn.org Civic Action site, letting us know how it went and how we can do a better job of facilitiating this next time

For coordinators...

Q. What is a good location for a vigil?

In most towns there will be an obvious place to hold a vigil: in front of town hall or the public library, the town center, a major intersection, a central and visible park. If there is no obvious location for a vigil, then you may have to get more creative.

Q. Do I need to get a permit to have a vigil?

Depending on the location, you may need some kind of permit from local authorities. Call your local police department or town hall to find out. However, if one person without authority tells you that you can't hold a vigil where you want to, do not take "No" for an answer easily. Talk to someone higher up and find out what the law really is. Please DO respect the local laws and regulations. If the location you've already picked is not OK, you can change the location to one that is OK.

Q. Can I change the location or description of my vigil?

Yes. Your "leader page" has a link to change the location of your vigil. That will also let you change the description. You get to your "leader page" from the confirmation email we sent when you created your vigil.

IMPORTANT: This feature is not working yet for non-US countries. Sorry for the mistake! We'll fix it very soon.

Q. Can I merge my vigil into a bigger one near by?

The way to do this is to change the name and location of your vigil to match the one you want to merge it into. You can do that in your "leader page." Change the description to indicate that you're merging in with another vigil. And change the address and name of the vigil to be the same as the one you're merging into. Please write in the description that you merged into a larger one.

On your "leader page," you can change the location info by clicking on the link "change location" on the left hand side of the screen. IMPORTANT: Make sure to email your group to tell them of the change. And write in the description that you merged into a larger one.

Q. Where is it NOT OK to hold a vigil?

In some rural and suburban areas in United States, a local mall, Wal-Mart or other big store is often the most desirable place to reach a lot of people. However, public gatherings are usually not permitted at those privately-owned places. If you want to hold your vigil at such a location, make sure to call the management in advance and get permission.

Q. I can't get into my "leader page". How do I get in?

A link to your leader page was contained in the confirmation email you received after creating your vigil. To get into you leader page, find that email and click on the link. If the link doesn't work, it may be because it's broken into two lines. You'll have to cut the link and paste it into your browser's address bar in two parts. Make sure there's no space between the two parts. Once you're in your leader page, book mark the page (add it to your "favorites") -- and then you won't have any trouble getting back to it in the future.

If you can't find that email, you can have it resent by entering your email address here:
http://moveon.org/vigil/fix.html

Q. Can I have a vigil at a different time or a different date rather than March 16, 7 PM?

This event will be most powerfull if it takes place on the same evening, at the same time (local time) around the world. In the interest of simplicity, our sign-up tool does not have a way to schedule a different time or date.

Q. How long should the vigil last?

A half hour seems like the minimum. You could discuss this with your group members and decide together on an amount of time -- or just play it by ear when you get there.

Q. What should we do at the vigil--sing, pray?

In general, the power of the vigil is its silence. People can certainly pray in their hearts, but the message is the light in the darkness. However, go ahead and hold whatever kind of vigil you want to.

Less frequently asked questions:

Q. The "Click here to invite friends by email" link doesn't work. I get an error message saying " Could not perform this operation because the default mail client is not installed.

This is a problem with your local computer setup. You'll have to create your email manually.

Q. Is there a press release for the global vigil?

A press release is coming soon. Check back at www.GlobalVigil.com Thursday.

Q. Are there any resources available to help me get press coverage for my vigil?

We have not had time to prepare an extensive "how-to" PR guide for local coordinators. However, you may want to simply call up local newspapers, reporters, radio stations and TV stations. They'll be getting calls from other coordinators in your area too. Plus they'll be getting calls and press releases from the Win Without War coalition and other national groups. The press will hear about this event. Calling them yourself will help, and will give them a chance to show up at your event.