- 03/09/2020
- Category: Commentaries
Problems and its complexities seem to be on the rise during the period of COVID-19. Various kinds of protests were enacted, and complaints were filed. Many forms of online activism were done to accommodate these acts. One way this is realized is through “online petitions.”
Online petitions have become increasingly popular nowadays, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, this popularity seems to have become even more prominent. For instance, in the United Kingdom (UK), around 3 million people have signed petitions assigned to the UK members of parliament during the pandemic period.[i] Popular topics they have raised include those related to workers’ rights, financial assistance, healthcare, and tuition fees for students.[ii] Similarly, in India, there was a petition addressed to India’s Union Health Minister, asking for him to “provide testing kits and preparedness instructions to all 700 district hospitals in India medical colleges and private hospitals” and “undertake, on a war-footing, the training of community health workers”.[iii] This petition in particular has gained more than 66,000 signatures.[iv] Besides, the term “petition” itself has reached its popularity peak in Google search engine back in June 2020 after having apparent increase in search from December 2019.[v]
From such examples, it is no surprise that there are statements accusing COVID-19 as a problem-bringer, states government in particular seems to have often claimed so.[vi][vii] Even so, while COVID-19 seems to have indeed cause complex troubles for everyone, these problems may not be as new as many would have believed. As we have seen previously, topics for online petitions such as healthcare, employment, and education seem to have been the most popular during the pandemic period. Such is perhaps due to how COVID-19 has been affecting these sectors most severely. However, on one hand, it is interesting to see that these topics are also popular in online petitions, even before the pandemic. For instance, the research conducted by Pew Research Center titled “We the People: Five Years of Online Petitions,” shows how online petitions in the “We the People” website, between the year 2011 to 2016 have healthcare, education, employment, and security as their most popular topics.[viii] Here we could see that COVID-19 has not necessarily brought new problems for everyone, but instead, it may have made these problems more visible for us to see. How is this so? What makes these problems more visible during the COVID-19 pandemic? How does online petition topics reflect this?
Figure 1: Popular Topics in “We the People” Petitions (2011-2016) (Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/12/28/we-the-people-five-years-of-online-petitions/)
Firstly, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for activists to realize their purpose through physical acts. COVID-19 is easily spread through contacts- thus, crowding is highly discouraged and even prohibited by many governments.[ix][x][xi] Hence, it is obvious to see that physical protesting is unwise and dangerous during this period. Even so, on one hand, being in a crowd and having massive support in numbers are crucial features activism must have better to express the weight of their actions and purpose.[xii] In this case, online petition seems to be an option many of these activists opt for. Online petition reflects masses who signed it, it is accessible for many and could be easily spread through links. It is an efficient tool to express a cause and mobilize masses for support.
Secondly, COVID-19 has made the already existing problems more complicated than before. With the dangers of COVID-19, many states have enacted various measures to curb the pandemic spread. Policies such as lockdown, physical distancing, and health protocols were implemented to do so. However, on the flip side, many were unable to cope with such changes and suffered. Here we could see “inequality” clearer than before as the complexity of problems increases.[xiii] For instance, not all businesses could cope and operate along “physical distancing,” not all work could be brought “home,” not all students could access “online classes,” and not all countries are equipped with sufficient health facilities and workers to keep up with pandemic dangers.[xiv][xv][xvi]
Thirdly, online petition is a convenient tool to realize actions. While it is true that COVID-19 has made online petition a more straightforward and reasonable option for activists, online petition in itself is also packed with features that could serve as a tool to realize an action better. Depending on the petition website and the user’s skill, an interesting description of what the petition is about could be written. Pictures and videos may be attached to express the severity of the condition and links related to the petition cause could also be pasted.[xvii][xviii] A good petition may also add supporting sources to their written action purpose, aim, expected outcome, and regular updates related to their acts. The more convincing a petition description is, the more others will feel that it is credible, encouraging them to sign.
Figure 2: Examples of Features within Change.org petition website (Source: https://www.change.org/)
Figure 3: Examples of Features within Avaaz.org petition website (Source: https://avaaz.org/page/en/)
To conclude, problems reflected through online petitions are not necessarily new problems. They are issues made more visible through online petitions during the pandemic due to the limitation of physical actions, the increasing complexities of problems, and the convenience of online petition not only as a second option but as a tool in itself. In addition, looking at the increasing popularity and traffic of online activities, we could only expect online petition to stay popular, if not increase, in the near future and perhaps bringing more light to the various problems the world should address.
Author: Mira Ardhya Pramastri
Editor: Amelinda Pandu Kusumaningtyas
References
[i] BBC. (2020). Coronavirus: MPs see a surge in online petition numbers. BBC News (Online). Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-52399940
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Dore, B. (2020). Covid-19 petitions rise online as Indians worry about the pandemic. Live Mint (Online). Available at: https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/covid-19-petitions-rise-online-as-indians-worry-about-the-pandemic-11585557449854.html
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Google Trends. (2020). Petition. Google Trends (Online). Available at: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=petition
[vi] UNDP. (2020). SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF COVID-19. UNDP (Online). Available at: https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/coronavirus/socio-economic-impact-of-covid-19.html
[vii] OECD. (2020). Tackling coronavirus (COVID‑19). OECD (Online). Available at: https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/en/
[viii] Pew Research Center. (2016). ‘We the People’: Five Years of Online Petitions. Pew Research Center (Online). Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/12/28/we-the-people-five-years-of-online-petitions/
[ix] WHO. (2020). Q&A: How is COVID-19 transmitted?. WHO (Online). Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted
[x] Kaplan, J., Frias, L., & McFall-Johnsen, M. (2020). Our ongoing list of how countries are reopening, and which ones remain under lockdown. Business Insider (Online). Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-on-lockdown-coronavirus-italy-2020-3?r=US&IR=T
[xi] The BMJ. (2020). Physical distancing interventions and incidence of coronavirus disease 2019: natural experiment in 149 countries. The BMJ (Online). Available at: https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2743
[xii] Brennan, G. (2018). How Digital Media Reshapes Political Activism: Mass Protests, Social Mobilization, and Civic Engagement. Geopolitics, History, and International Relations, 10(2), 76-81. doi:10.2307/26802343
[xiii] UNDP. (2020). Coronavirus vs Inequality. UNDP (Online). Available at: https://feature.undp.org/coronavirus-vs-inequality/
[xiv] Dhillon, A. (2020). ‘We have abandoned the poor’: slums suffer as Covid-19 exposes India’s social divide. The Guardian (Online). Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/aug/03/we-have-abandoned-the-poor-slums-suffer-as-covid-19-exposes-indias-social-divide
[xv] UNDP. (2020). Coronavirus vs Inequality. UNDP (Online). Available at: https://feature.undp.org/coronavirus-vs-inequality/
[xvi] Eloksari, E.A. (2020). Digital divide causes disparities in COVID-19 relief distribution: Experts. The Jakarta Post (Online). Available at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/04/27/digital-divide-causes-disparities-in-covid-19-relief-distribution-experts.html
[xvii] Change.org. (2020). Change.org. Change.org (Online). Available at: https://www.change.org/
[xviii] Avaaz.org. (2020). Avaaz.org. Avaaz.org (Online). Available at: https://avaaz.org/page/en/
