Be selfish; get involved! It's easy to complain about what's wrong in Seattle and around the world, but it's a lot more rewarding to do something about it. Everyone's efforts count. Sure, many of the following groups are tiny, underfunded, and not taken very seriously by the powers that be. They also tend to attract flakes, have endless meetings, and/or talk to themselves a lot. But they also have a lot of cool, committed, intelligent people who you'd like to know; they make a difference in the lives of the people involved, in our community, and (on a good day) they just might change the world.

Besides, somebody has gotta be out there stopping the madness and creating better alternatives. It might as well be you.

What follows is a necessarily brief and incomplete list of activist groups in the Seattle area working for a better world for all. We've tried to give priority to smaller organizations (i.e., the kind that don't send out four- color fundraising brochures to hundreds of thousands of people). We also left out unions, church groups, neighborhood councils, school groups, political parties, and buncha other things there just ain't room for here. A listing doesn't imply recommendation, only that these are groups working on these issues; check them out and make up your own mind. Additions and corrections, of course, are welcome! All addresses are Seattle & all area codes 206 unless otherwise noted.

Affirmative Action: Anti-Initiative 200 coalition, 523-1412.

AIDS: Chicken Soup Brigade, 1002 E. Seneca, 98122, 328-8979. Gay City Health Project, 201 Harvard Ave. E., 98102, 860-6969. NW AIDS Foundation, 127 Broadway E. #200, 98102, 860-6293. POCAAN, 1200 S. Jackson #25, 98122, 322-7061.

Alternative Media: Seattle Independent Media Coalition has a great guide to Seattle area print, radio, TV, cable, and Internet alternative projects: c/o Vagrom Video, 2129 2nd Ave., 98121, 340-2681

Animal Rights: NW Animal Rights Network, 1704 E. Galer, 98112, 323-7301.

Civil Rights: Amer. Civil Liberties Union, 705 2nd Ave. #300, 98104, 624-2180. Nat'l Lawyers Guild, 2005 Smith Tower, 98104, 622-5144. NW Coalition Against Malicious Harassment, Box 16776, 98116, 233-9136.

Community Centers: Central Area Motivation Program, 722 18th Ave., 98122, 329-4111. Daybreak Star Art & Cultural Center, Discovery Park, 98199, 285-4425. El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave. S., 98144, 329-9442.

Electoral Reform: Citizens for Proportional Representation, Box 20534, 98102, 233-8509. WashPIRG, 5200 Univ. Way NE #201, 98105, 523-8985.

Environment: Center for Urban Ecology, 5519 Univ. Way NE, 98105. Friends of the Earth, 4512 Univ. Way NE, 98105, 633-1661. Heart of America NW, 1305 4th Ave. #208, 98101, 382-1014. NW Forest Action Group, Earth First!, both Box 85541, 98145, 632-1656. Pacific Crest Biodiversity Project, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. #321, 98103, 545-3734. Rainforest Action Group, 4508 Bagley Ave. N., 98103, 540-9402. 1,000 Friends of Wash., 1305 4th Ave. #303, 98101, 343-0681. Wash. Toxics Coalition, 4516 Univ. Way NE, 98105, 632-1545. Zero Population Growth, 4426 Burke Ave. N., 98103, 633-4750.

Health Care: Citizen Action, 100 S. King St. #240, 98104, 389-0050. Gray Panthers, 4649 Sunnyside Ave., 98103, 781-5494. Wash. Single Payer Action Network), Box 30506, 98103, 782-4290.

Hemp: Wash. Citizens for Hemp Reform, 916 NE 65th St. #269, 98115, 781-5734.

Homeless, Housing: Food Not Bombs, 860-3922. Low Income Housing Institute, 2326 6th, 98121, 727-0355. Operation Homestead, 324-6822. Seattle Displacement Coalition, 4759 15th Ave. NE, 98105, 523-2569. SHARE/WHEEL, Box 2548, 98111, 448-7889. Tenants Union, 3902 S. Ferdinand, 98118, 722-6848.

Immigration: NW Immigrant Rights Project, Wash. Alliance for Immigrant Rights & Justice, both 909 8th Ave., 98104, 587-4000.

Labor: Industrial Workers of the World, Box 48714, 98104, 935-9012. Jobs With Justice, 150 Denny Way, 98109, 448-8348x309.

Peace, Social Justice: Amer. Friends Service Committee, 814 NE 40th St., 98105, 632-0500. Church Council of Greater Seattle, 4759 15th Ave. NE, 98105, 545-1213. Citizens for Overt Action, Box 95482, 98145, 547-7735. Fellowship of Reconciliation, 225 N. 70th St., 98103, 789-5565. Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center, 150 12th Ave. #3, 98122, 223-1138. Nonviolent Action Community of Cascadia, 4554 12th Ave. NE, 98105, 547-0952. Peace Action, 5828 Roosevelt Way NE, 98105, 527-8050. Physicians for Social Responsibility, 4554 12th Ave. NE, 98105, 547-2630. Women's Int'l League for Peace & Freedom, Seattle Women Act for Peace, both 2524 16th Ave. S., 98144, 329-3666.

Police Accountability: CopWatch 206, 323 Broadway Ave. E. #914, 98102. Mothers Against Police Harassment, Box 22886, 98122, 329-2033.

Prison/Prisoner/Criminal Justice: Books to Prisoners, 92 Pike St., 98101, 3224-6889. Leonard Peltier Support Group, 2500 E. Denny Way #404, 98122, 325-2952. Peace Between People, 1710 11th Ave., 98122, 323-3082. Seattle Mumia Defense Committee, Box 85541, 98145, 781-6725. Wash. Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, 705 2nd Ave. #300, 98104, 622-8952.

Queer: Hands Off Wash., 1202 E. Pike St., 98122, 323-5191. Lesbian Resource Center, 1808 Bellevue Ave. #204, 98122, 322-3965.

Reproductive Rights: Nat'l Abortion Rights Action League, 811 1st Ave., 98104, 624-1990. Nat'l Organization for Women, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., 98103, 632-8547.

Solidarity: Citizens Concerned for the People of Iraq, 225 N. 70th, 98103, 789-5565. Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, Box 20091, 98102, 325-5494. East Timor Action Network, Box 95284, 98145, 322-1645. Guatemala Solidarity Organization, Box 31903, 98103, 781-9653. Irish Northern Aid, Box 4827, 98104, 527-2940. Palestine Solidarity Committee, Box 45073, 98145, 633-0518. Seattle Burma Roundtable, 784-5742. Support for Native Sovereignty, Box 2104, 98111, 525-5086.

Welfare, Poverty: ACORN, 464 12th Ave., 98122, 328-8270. Fair Budget Action Committee, Box 31151, 98103, 727-0369. Fremont Public Ass'n, Box 31151, 98103, 548-8364. Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition, 2212 S. Jackson, 98144, 324-3063. Worthy Wages Task Force, 420 27th Ave. E., 98112, 325-2952.

Women's Empowerment & Anti-Violence: Alternatives to Fear, 2811 E. Madison #208, 98112; 328-5347. Domestic Abuse Women's Network, Box 1521, Kent 98035, 656-4305. Home Alive!, 1202 E. Pike #1127, 98122; 233-8671. MONSTER, 5303 Bowen Pl. S., 98118, 233-1197. Seattle Rape Relief, 1905 S. Jackson, 98144, 325-5531.

Youth Issues: Peace For the Streets By Kids From The Streets, 15 W. Galer #9, 98109, 217-9068. Seattle Young Peoples' Project, 1265 S. Main St. #210, 98144, 860-9096.