Technology continues to change the way we communicate with others. The Internet enables users to reach beyond individual communities and connect with people around the world. With the development of social media websites, connecting to others on a global level has never been easier than it is at this moment. Most of us know Facebook’s history and that it was created as a way for college students to connect to one another. That Facebook is very different from what it is used for today. College students still use Facebook, but many are turning to “cooler” forms of social media to connect with their friends. So, who is using it?
Many organizations have implemented social media marketing strategies. Why? That’s simple; Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn are easy tools used to reach people who want to share, connect, sell, influence, ask for support, and promote one’s cause. It was on Facebook when I first became familiar with Change.org. A family member asked me to sign a petition for a cause she felt very strongly about. My first reaction was thinking she was yet another activist in the making. After trying to ignore the first few petition requests posted on my Facebook page, I decided to see what this organization was about.
According to their website (2013), Change.org was founded in 2007 and has followers in 196 countries around the world. So, they reach all corners of our world with a presence in every country. That is impressive. Furthermore, Change states that in 2010 they had 1 million followers, in 2011 6 million, and in 2012 they reached 25 million (Change.org, 2013). According to New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristoff, Change.org is growing by more than one million members a month (2012). Additionally, Kristoff reports that Change founder Ben Rattray states that 10,000 petitions are started each month on the website (2012). 
Change.org is a platform for people to voice their opinions and ask for support for issues they deem are unjust. No issue is too big or too small. Change.org gives anyone with computer access a voice if they want one. People have gone up against large organizations, local government, Hollywood studios (Kristof, 2012), and social issues affecting human rights in countries like Nigeria and Ecuador (Change.org, 2013). What’s more, issues involving victims of abuse can be given a voice on this website even though they did not have one on this planet. These victims include our four-legged friends and beautiful mammals that roam our earth and live in our ocean waters. 
It is easy to start a petition and ask followers to support a cause. There are three simple questions that Change.org requires to begin the process; 1. Who do you want to petition?, 2. What do you want them to do?, 3. Why is this important? It is as simple as filling in the blanks to move from a position of lacking power to one that demands change. Standing up and speaking out has never been easier. There are few language barriers and no geographic boundaries. Petitions gain support locally or around the world. If you doubt that change really happens from these petitions, go the their website and read about the victories that have come to fruition from this process.
The next time your receive a Facebook post with a Change.org petition take a closer look, and if you agree with the petition, take a few moments to sign and share the petition. Better yet, why not partner with Change.org and social media websites like Facebook or Twitter, and demand change for a cause or an organization that stirs the passion within your heart. You may just get the change you are looking for! ~ Jacqueline Cavalier Nelson
References:
Change.org: The world’s petition platform. . (2013). Retrieved from https://www.change.org/start-a-petition
Kristof, N. (2012, February 04). The New York Times: After recess-change the world. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/opinion/sunday/kristof-after-recess-change-the-world.html?_r=0
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