Election funding update: half way there!
We launched our campaign to fund our election work on the 10th January with the goal of 300 new supporters
We’re excited to announce we are now 50% of the way towards our goal!
It’s working! We’ve got some real momentum going, and together we can achieve this huge goal.
Our recent launch of ORG Scotland shows the impact becoming a member has: we’ve just ran our first campaign that focuses on Scotland’s laws and government and we’re about to hire a Scotland Officer. This means that we are able to speak to MSPs about privacy, free speech and more. Our members made it happen!
This is why joining matters. Every person who joins works together to build a UK movement for digital rights.
Thank you for sharing the campaign with your friends and getting involved, but there is still a long way to go. Please join if you haven’t already.
What can we do now?
With 150 new members we can really put the pressure on to make the next Government protect our rights online:
- We’re now teaming up with Global Justice Now and other NGOs to run hustings for your MP candidates. These events make sure you can ask your candidates tough questions on civil liberties. They’re a great opportunity to get involved directly in ORG’s work and learn more about which candidates will defend your rights. Date announcements are coming soon and we hope you’ll come along.
- We’re creating guides and question cards to the current laws on surveillance so that when a politician rings your doorbell you’re empowered to talk comfortably and confidently about these issues.
But with another 150 supporters we can do even more.
- Build an online tool which tells you where your local candidates stand on privacy and surveillance.
- Hold briefing meetings with candidates to put digital rights in the minds of new MPs. If we can meet with lots of new politicians it will give us better contact with parliament and help raise digital rights concerns at the very start of their terms.
In this critical election year we need you more than ever, so that all our rights are defended here in the UK.
Can you donate £5/month to support our election campaigning?
https://www.openrightsgroup.org/join
We are offering a free copy of Becky Hogge’s A Guide to the Internet for Human Rights Defenders to all who join this month.
Why does our work matter?
Last month there was a sneaky attempt to legalise more powers for the police and security services to track our behaviour. Abusing our democratic process, a group of 4 Lords tried to put the text of the Communications Data Bill into another law, by calling it an ‘amendment’. Only this was 18 pages of clauses containing a Bill that had been dropped after widespread criticism and a damning report.
This kind of behaviour shows how important it is for ORG to monitor parliament, raise awareness and mobilise our supporters to work together to defend our rights.
Unfortunately we don’t always have the capacity to run the campaigns we want to. The Internet is where everything takes place, dating, shopping, social interactions – and we all have a stake in making it a safe space. This is why we are asking for you to take this opportunity to join ORG.
What else can you do?
Please do share, encourage others to join and even sign-up yourself if you haven’t already:
- Persuade a friend to join ORG and we will give you a free gift.
- Already a supporter? Tell us why! If you have any blogs or videos about why you support us on these issues we’d love to share them.
- Get involved with our work.