The Petition Revolution

“For too long we’ve made politics and activism this elite sport that only a few privileged people are allowed to engage in. It’s our democracy, we need to take it back."

Activism has entered a new age with social media and online petition platforms powering the biggest global protests of our time. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated engagement in activism and the murder of George Floyd sparked the largest racial justice movement in UK history, with more than 5 million Britons signing petitions and attending protests in support of Black Lives Matter. Never before have we been more connected to the causes we care about and motivated to demand new solutions to the issues that impact our lives.

In this episode of AKQA Insight we welcome Kajal Odedra, Executive Director UK at Change.org, the world’s largest petition platform with over 300 million users. Shaped by a childhood steeped in racism and injustice, Kajal was determined to help elevate the disadvantaged in society and amplify their voices. Her message is clear; our individual difference is our super-power, finding solidarity with fellow non-conformists is what forges change, disrupting the status quo is necessary to reclaim our democracy. Kajal puts this case forward in her TedX talk and subsequent book Do Something: Activism for Everyone. She’s the founder of the People of Colour in Campaigns network which aims to increase diversity in the UK’s campaign sector, is an Ada's List advisor for women in STEM and a trustee for Save The Children.