ASPCS
 
Back to Volume
Paper: Proclamations as Unexpected Grassroots Policy Products for Dark Skies Preservation
Volume: 537, ASP 2022: A Virtual Conference
Page: 131
Authors: Foott, B.; Oliver, A. C.
Abstract: In 2022, International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) partnered with outdoor lighting policy expert Amy C. Oliver, FRAS to broaden its use of proclamations and ceremonial documents during International Dark-Sky Week (DSW). This early effort sought to empower IDA's advocate network to seek grassroots policy support in their own communities by writing and requesting proclamations and other appropriate ceremonial documents to mark the occasion. The inaugural effort resulted in the issuance of 23 proclamations from multiple states and local governments throughout the United States. It also resulted in increased media coverage for IDA and DSW. In 2023, the team expanded this effort to include IDA advocates outside of the United States, spurring conversations about government support for community awareness events that had to date never before occurred in places like Aruba, Italy, and New Zealand. This paper offers additional and updated support and background for remarks made during the 2022 annual conference of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and is not meant to be an exhaustive discussion on the use or usefulness of proclamations as grassroots policy products.
Back to Volume