Reasons for change.org to grow so quickly

Change.org is a “social change” platform that makes its voice heard increasingly throughout the world.

You can start a campaign over the Internet with change.org on any issue you oppose or you want to change and it is possible to reach hundreds of people in a couple of hours.

People, wherever they are in the world, whether they are in America or Africa, have discovered the power to change some things with change.org.

Just like Google, which has its stamp on our times, change.org has spread to the world from Silicon Valley. I had the opportunity to meet its young CEO Jennifer Dulski in Istanbul some time ago.  

According to her, there are 68 million change.org users in the world now. By the end of the year, this figure is expected to reach 100 million. 

While Dulski was explaining how they grew and what they have changed, she said they were “like the Google of social change and will reach Google’s capacity in a couple of years.” 

Turkey is one the countries where this “social change platform” is growing the fastest. In a period of only 20 months, the number of users has reached 2.5 million.

As a matter of fact, there are so many matters in Turkey that one needs to raise one’s voice. From those who want to draw attention to the inequalities in the justice, education and health systems, to those who demand freedom for the dolphins or those who oppose the destruction in nature the hydroelectric power plants (HES) are causing, change.org is a source of hope for millions of people.

For example, a cement factory planned to be built in the living spaces of mountain gazelles in the Hatay region has been stopped thanks to change.org.

There are business circles that are clinging to change.org like a life buoy.  

We read in the weekend papers that a bilge water facility was to be built in one of the paradisiac places in Turkey, the organic agriculture island Gökçeada (Imbros). Gökçeada is at the same time the world’s only “Cittaslow” island. It aims to develop with organic agriculture, winemaking, gastronomy and tourism. It has been able to attract many investors recently in these sectors. 

It has a special place in my life because the organic cheese, organic butter and organic yogurt I use in my kitchen are all produced at Gökçeada farms.

It seems contrary to logic to build a bilge water facility on an island that has shaped its future on the concept of organic agriculture and has earned the title “Cittaslow.” 

It is known that the Ministry of Agriculture has been supporting Gökçeada’s aim of organic agriculture.

Thus, certain state institutions have approved the target of Gökçeada to become an organic agriculture island. On the other hand, another state agency, such as the Turkey Maritime Organization started an initiative that would threaten Gökçeada’s organic future.

Quite a conflicting and odd situation... For the investors in Gökçeada to say “stop” to a mad project, such as building a bilge water facility on the island, they have no other solution but change.org.
If you want to understand why change.org is growing so fast in Turkey, take a look at the Gökçeada example.