1. Greenpeace India Brings People-
Powered Campaigns To It’s
Supporters
By Ignatius Joseph

2. Now bigger and better
• Greenpeace Extra, or GPx is a free online petition site
launched by Greenpeace India on March 14th, 2013.
• Greenpeace India has been campaigning on national
environmental issues over the past 12 years in India, and now
launches GPx – a people-powered website that allows
anyone to start, run and win campaigns on local issues that
affect their community.
• It equips individuals to create a movement to bring about
environmental and social change.

3. Campaigns and much more
• Greenpeace India has been campaigning on issues like
stopping climate change, promoting sustainable agriculture,
campaigning against nuclear energy and promoting the use
of sustainable energy.
• GPx is the solution to the challenge of balancing national
campaigns with local needs and it allows individuals to work
on issues that matter most to them.
• A large amount of resources are required to run a campaign,
however featured campaigns on GPx will be provided with
required resources as well as a strategy to make it more
impactful.
• The platform also empowers communities and individuals
with campaign trainings and helps them develop skills to
successfully win local campaigns.

4. A man who did it
• Petitions are a starting point for activists, who can then go on
to lobby and create different strategies to win their
campaigns.
• Umang Choudary, an activist from Jharkhand started a
petition on GPx and challenged a company for illegally
dumping toxic waste in his village in an eco-sensitive area.
• His efforts along with the support of locals has forced the
company to stop illegal dumping of toxic waste and a court
order is pending on the compensation required from the
company for damages caused.

5. Umang Choudary says
• “GPx helped me connect my campaign to people worldwide
and 120 people have registered their support for this cause till
date. This gave me the confidence to challenge the company
which is both financially and politically stronger.”

6. When walkers joined
• Another activist, Sadashiv P, President of the Lalbagh
Walkers Association in Bangalore, initiated a petition to save
Bangalore’s iconic 240 acre park from an unnecessary parking
lot within its premises.
• The proposed parking lot would have taken up five acres of
fertile land which was initially set aside to grow medicinal
plants.
• Within three weeks of starting the campaign on GPx, a PIL
backed by more than 2000 online signatures was able to stall
the destructive project as a status quo was ordered by the
High Court.

7. Sadashiv says
• “GPx helped us take our campaign online, and we gathered
2,000 signatures in just 2 weeks to stop the parking lot from
being constructed. It helped us deliver our messages to our
supporters faster and also gather support for the campaign in a
short period.”

8. For those online
• Environmental campaigns started on the website will be
given priority and featured more prominently.
• Featured campaigns may be pushed through a team of online
volunteers and through Greenpeace India’s social media
networks.
• Online volunteers on Greenwired, Greenpeace India’s
volunteer networking website, with different skill sets like
blogging, filmmaking, photography etc. also work on
creating more awareness on the campaign.
• All these strands help get the campaign off the ground and
make it more effective.

9. Janet Vrinda, Online Campaigner with
Greenpeace India says
• “GPx is a tool for people to work on issues beyond Greenpeace
India’s scope. GPx acts as a trigger and an effective platform to
facilitate positive change. Protecting the environment and
providing solutions to sustainable progress is an important
factor for a growing economy like India, making people
conscious, aware of issues and getting them to act on them is
the biggest challenge we face today.”

10. Like Mahatma Gandhi said “Be the
change you wish to see.”
• Greenpeace India is particularly excited about finding ways
for local leaders to create campaigns on environmental issues
to bring about awareness and change in their communities.
• While Greenpeace India has created this platform, it does not
endorse all the campaigns that run on Greenpeace Extra.
• Greenpeace India does not accept funds from any
government or corporates and is funded by individual
supporters.
• GPx gives individuals the power to become leaders and work
directly on issues that matter most in their communities to
bring about change.

11. • Read more on Youth Ki Awaaz at http://bit.ly/15d4zqv