Hi Jackson,
Thank you for your question. Typically for an issue to become a priority, several things have to happen. We recommend looking at Malcolm Gladwell's "Tipping Point" to gain an understanding of what those issues are here
In the community toolbox, there is also a chapter devoted to getting issues on the public agenda . This chapter may be helpful to you in determining how to engage your community.
Keep in mind, sometimes it takes a powerful advocate to get communities to take note of an important problem or issue because communities deal with or have a multitude of concerns at any given time. Frequently it takes the powerful person (county or city commissioner, organizations, etc) to get the issue on the agenda for a community. Coalitions concerned with similar issues can also be formed and help bring an issue to the forefront.
We hope this has been helpful to you. Please let us know if you have any further questions. Thank you.
