The FOIA is being used as a powerful tool to uncover governmental wrongdoing and help fuel social change campaigns. The presenters and co-facilitators of this workshop have used the FOIA to:
* reveal environmental impact and mobilize environmentalists (National Resoruces Defense Council);
* to reveal violations of the constitution and galvanize civil liberties activists (Electronic Frontier Foundation), and
* to uncover military recruiting data to enable counter-military recruitment activists to focus our efforts on the schools and zip codes targeted most heavily by military recruiters (Peacework Magazine).

After introductions and brief presentations by the co-presenters describing these case-studies, we will focus the workshop on discussion of:
1) How to use the federal FOIA – the basics
2) How to get around common roadblocks
3) The FOIA appeal process
4) How to use data to obtain media coverage and
5) How to use data to galvanize activists

If the room has wifi computer access and if we have a presentation screen to use, we will, as a group, brainstorm, develop, write, and file a FOIA at the workshop itself.

The workshop will be in English. We will have handouts and will provide web links online for attendees.