Have you discovered GetUp!?
This has not been a good decade for Australia's progressives - those of us who share a commitment to the values of social justice, cultural diversity, ecological sustainability and economic fairness.
GetUp! is a web-based protest organisation which provides tools to take innovative and effective action on important issues facing our country. It aims to build a ground-up movement of people who are putting the participation back into our democracy.
By signing up for updates, GetUp members receive emails alerting them to new campaigns and providing ways of creating positive change. Whether it is sending an email to a member of parliament, engaging with the media, signing a petition, attending an event or helping to get a television ad on the air, GetUp members are always only ever asked to take targeted, coordinated and strategic action.
GetUp is led by Executive Director Brett Solomon, who has worked on social justice and development issues for more than ten years, including for Oxfam and Amnesty International Australia. GetUp’s board includes company director Don Mercer, community organiser Amanda Tattersall and environmental leader Cate Faehrmann.
GetUp identifies campaigns based on the interests and input of its members. All campaigns are focused around shared progressive values such as social justice, economic fairness and environmental sustainability. Because there are many important issues facing our country at any given time, GetUp looks for opportunities to focus national attention and action where our contribution will be most effective.
GetUp welcomes the ideas and suggestions of members to help shape actions on important national issues.
GetUp campaigns have contributed to increased ABC funding, dropping of proposed expansion of the refugee detention under the ‘Pacific Solution’, and a parliamentary conscience vote on the abortion drug RU486. Current campaigns focus on climate change, indigenous health, same-sex marriage, Iraq war, terrorism laws, saying sorry to indigenous people and Gunns’ pulp mill.
The internet has great potential as a revolutionary tool, linking people, mobilising, sharing information and bypassing corporate and state-owned media. To subscribe to GetUp! just go to getup.org.au and follow the directions. It’s free.
--------------------------------------------------
MATE!
Do you ever wonder why?
The website democracy4sale might give you some clues. It’s a list of donors to political parties. Not suggesting anything at all, mate. You know, mate. Eh?