Two things have happened over at the online group Avaaz this past month. First, they passed the 17 million member mark (now 17.5 million, which gives you an idea of their growth rate.) And secondly, they're currently having an online open discussion/poll to establish what issues to focus on in 2013.
If you're an Avaaz member I urge you to join in, and if you're not, I urge you to join! More below the Orange Cloud of Change.
From the Avaaz.org website:
Avaaz—meaning "voice" in several European, Middle Eastern and Asian languages—launched in 2007 with a simple democratic mission: organize citizens of all nations to close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want.
IMHO, all Kossacks should be part of this awesome online community. As mentioned above, it's now at 17.5 million members: that's about one member for every 400 people on the planet. Not too shabby.
With this large membership, Avaaz is able to focus on global "tipping point" issues, routinely racking up 1 million+ signature totals for petitions. It has also used other strategies (such as taking out ads in newspapers/on subways, large demonstrations at international conferences, etc) both to spread awareness of an issue and influence the political process.
Recent campaigns include the recognition of Palestine at the UN; preventing deforestation in the Amazon; blocking ACTA, SOPA, and other legislation that would have eroded a free and open Internet; supporting activists in the various countries of the Arab Spring; and so on.
If you're not yet a member, I strongly recommend you join. It is quick and easy to sign up and you will not receive more than a couple e-mails a month, on average. Part of the brilliance of Avaaz's organizational model is that they are so effectively able to target the issues where a large international outcry can make an immense difference -- at the critical moment.
Once you are a member (or if you are already) please do comment on their open thread and, if you have time, take the poll as well! This is a perfect opportunity to tell Avaaz what issues you'd like them to tackle in the coming year. (There is also an open comment thread on their Facebook page -- scroll down to January 6).
That's it -- see you all over at Avaaz! :)
8:04 AM PT: Coincidentally, an article came out this morning in the Guardian re Avaaz.org and its member poll/discussion: http://www.guardian.co.uk/...