Jul
23

Why Let's Adopt! doesn't sign petitions

We are receiving daily requests from members who ask us to support petitions on behalf one or another animal cause.

We can’t do that for them but I thought I’d tell you why.

I think petitions are great. Tens of thousands of animal welfare activists around the world sign not one but many of them on a daily basis. Not for us though.

First, if we supported one petition we would have to support all of them. Second, it takes too much of our time to even think about them, never mind sign them. Finally, and most importantly, I am convinced they don’t work most of the time.

Petitions have a long and illustrious history. One of our favorites was presented to the British Parliament in 1783 by William Wilbeforce. In it, Wilbeforce and the undersigned requested the abolition of slave trade. This abhorrent trade was finally abolished on 25th March 1807.

Today, in the 21st century technology has changed everything and it has granted us more effective ways to create change in civil society.

Blogs and citizen journalism are great tools but if you combine them with a good understanding of social media, their effect increases exponentially.

The world is changing, fast, so are the tools of activism.

Petitions belong to the past.

July 23, 2009 // Uncategorized // 6 Comments // Tags: on-line petitions

6 Comments to “Why Let's Adopt! doesn't sign petitions”

July 23, 2009 at 3:01 pm
sabine nowack says:

Wunderbare Nachrichten, wieder ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung !!!!!!!!!!!!

Gratulation Tolga !!!!!!!!!!
July 27, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Jessi says:

I think it’s fair & well-thought out reason why. Thanks for sharing with us.
January 17, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Ümit Peşteli Özdemir says:

Sevgili Viktor,
Geçekten büyük başarılara imza atıldı bu günlerde. Habertürk’ün ormanlara atılan köpeklerle ilgili haberi, üniversite kampusü içinde hayvan beslenebilmesine hoşgörü ve Tolga Akyıldız’ın çabaları…Kutluyorum sizi…
Sevgiler…
May 15, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Suha Sleibi says:

I don’t think that ALL petitions will work, but I believe it in my heart that a lot of law makers did some changes BECAUSE of the number of people signing a specific petition.
One just happened recently were a woman took all the signed petition and went to the senator’s office and after several debates, that woman got what she wanted. I’m not saying this happen all the time, but there is a slim chance that it will work and I would rather take that slim chance than do nothing. Especially that the majority of the time my name and all my info already populated so all i have to do is click Send.
Take care
June 18, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Vuslat Camkerten says:

absolutely you’re right!
June 19, 2010 at 12:58 am
DERYCK Myriam says:

c’est vrai que les pétitions ne fonctionnent pas toujours mais nous ne pouvons pas rester les bras croisés pendant que nos amis se font massacrer, il faut trouver un moyen de réagir et comment faire entendre notre colère et notre indignation face à la cruauté humaine autrement