Point-Blank

Yes they do. And here’s how.

(A collection of my tweets on how online petitions work!) 

1) When u guys sign a petition, that is just the 1st step of ur engagement. Every time someone signs, an email goes to the decision maker. 1/n

2) Depending on decision makers response to the petition, offline components like call ins, media outreach are added to the campaign. 2/n

3) Various tactics are thought of that focus on getting the decision maker to cooperate. Often there is a petition delivery. 3/n

4) Thousands of campaigns have succeeded following this organising model. The offline & the online come together to force action on issues. 4/n 

5) Victories: Govt teachers get paid after 4 yrs ( https://www.change.org/en-IN/petitions/govt-teachers-paid-after-4-years … ) IITian forces RTO to stop corruption https://www.change.org/en-IN/petitions/sh-m-k-s-sundaram-ias-rto-in-uttar-pradesh-goes-corruption-free … 5/n

6) The online organising model works on the principle of group forming. The net makes distances irrelevant & taking action on issues easy. 6/n

7) Here’s a chat hosted by http://Ibnlive.com . Avijit of http://Change.org  took Q’s on whether petitions work http://goo.gl/4Kl0X  7/n

8) Some other examples of where the online organising model followed by http://change.org  have worked: https://www.change.org/en-IN/victories  8/n

9) Link to a Nick Kristof piece on how effective http://Change.org  petitions are - After Recess: Change the World: http://nyti.ms/wqMjcY  9/n

10) We r trying to enable an attitudinal change so that lack of interest in issues turns to engagement & then to action. Hence petitions. 10/10

11) The internet enables you to hold truth to power, to question ur lawmakers, to make ur opinion heard. Why not harness it? 11/n

12 Any other questions on how online petitions work, please feel free to ask. Thanks. 12/n 

Thanks.