Escape to Chengdu

The folks who started MoveOn.org were pioneers in the art of online organizing. Avaaz, which was envisioned as the global arm of the MoveOn brand, deploys many of the same techniques as the older MoveOn. It’s my sense that these techniques are obsolete, relics of the web1.0 era.

The online petition. The letter to the editor. The message to your member of congress. These tools were instrumental in sparking national movements around such causes as saving PBS, stopping artic drilling and ending the war in Iraq, but as e-advocacy experts are now discovering, these tactics did not cultivate future leaders in the movement. Instead, these tools helps ordinary citizens take part in change, but failed to connect them with a self-sustaining, longterm community (some exceptions outstanding, including MeetUps, DailyKos and other community blogs, etc).

Today, Avaaz.org asked me to to sign a petition that’s allegedly being sent to Chinese President Hu Jintao, demanding he start a “meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama.” That’s all well and good, but what’s not meaningful here is the ask itself, and the assumptions it makes about Avaaz supporters. Assumption #1 is that we’d believe that this petition could even reach Hu Jintao, and that if it did, that Mr. Jintao would actually care. Assumption #2 is that we’d feel satisfied simply signing our name to a meaningless petition and forwarding that same meaningless petition to our friends and colleagues, so that they can help grow Avaaz’s email list.

(If, in fact, Avaaz has connections to the inner CCP sanctum that I’m not aware of, and that, in fact, this petition to his majesty can actually reach the President, than I still maintain that Avaaz must convince me of that possibility.)

Do you see where I’m going with this? Avaaz, you’ve got the right politics, but you don’t respect me. I have no doubt that you’re able to affect real change in the world, but you also want to grow your email list and, subsequently, grow your donor base. I understand the need for GROWTH, but don’t waste my time with cynical, growth-based campaigns. Connect with me other people who care about Tibet, maybe people like me who’ve lived in China and understand the enormous complexities of the Chinese government. I would love to dialogue with others who share my perspective, and perhaps work with them on a way to affect change.

Folks, it’s time for online organizing to enter the era of web 2.0, and your sad little Facebook group is not cutting it.