Welcome to OurActionStation

 

OurActionStation puts the power in your hands to run campaigns to make a difference in our communities for a fair and flourishing Aotearoa New Zealand. 

The OurActionStation campaign platform allows you, your friends and/or community group to start your own petition-based campaign, mobilise supporters around your cause, and influence decision makers.

What have you noticed that needs fixing in the world? Where do you see an opportunity for positive change? Did your friend just say “something should be done about that!” Maybe that someone is you.

Can you see the solution to an injustice in your community, in New Zealand, or the world? Here you’ll find tools to start a petition, share it with your friends and start growing your campaign. 

People-powered wins

OurActionStation is a new campaign platform but has already achieved significant wins. 

When an OurActionStation campaign succeeds we all win. Each of us has the power to make a difference without waiting for someone else to fix it. 

OurActionStation campaign successes have included winning an inquiry into the Family Court system, saving the habitat of Little Blue Penguins in Timaru, successfully lobbying government to forgive the debt of homeless New Zealanders, better sexuality education in all secondary schools, restored funding for the 'Growing up in New Zealand' study, and saving a trial of a Mt Maunganui cycleway that was in danger of being stopped! (Check out more at Successful petitions)

ActionStation campaigners will support your campaign with campaigning expertise, strategy advice and mentoring. The technology behind the petitions is crowdfunded by ActionStation, a community of over 190,000 like-minded people. ActionStation receives no political party or government funding and is not affiliated with any political party.

ActionStation is entirely powered by people like you. Chip in today to help keep OurActionStation humming - a monthly donation of $5, $10 or $20 will help sustain its future. 

What can I run a campaign on? Working towards our shared vision for 2040

New Zealanders are using OurActionStation to create campaigns that work towards a society, economy and democracy that serves all of us - everyday people and Papatūānuku, the planet we love.

For too long politics have been the domain of the powerful few. In the lead up to the 2017 General Election the ActionStation community came together to co-create Te Ira Tāngata: People’s Agenda, a crowdsourced project to re-centre the political conversation around the values that so many of us share.

Te Ira Tāngata is a positive and cohesive vision of an alternative future putting community, care and compassion first. So the community campaigns you see on the platform are reviewed and approved to ensure they are aligned with the mission of the ActionStation community. 

The vision our community seeks to work towards together are: 

Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi; Inclusive and diverse communities; Equality and fairness; Shared power; Justice for all; Flourishing planet; Vibrant and transparent democracy; Education for all; Our place in the world. 

What is your vision of Aotearoa New Zealand in 2040, 200 years after the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi? How will your campaign help us achieve this vision?

At times we might disagree – that's healthy, but OurActionStation campaigns must meet the vision of the community in order to be approved by our Member Review Panel, (a group of 15 volunteers who have been with ActionStation for more than six months and have demonstrated commitment to our kaupapa/cause).

The Member Review Panel reviews campaigns that are set up to ensure it’s in line with our community’s values, mission and Terms of Service. ActionStation reserves the right to take down any petition at any time. See our Terms of Service

How does signing petitions make a difference?

A petition is a great way to gather a support base of people who care about your issue and have taken action, by signing their name to it. It means you have a group of like-minded people who you can then invite to take further action at crucial points on the campaign journey;

Petitions don't always need a big number to make a big impact. They also play an important role in our democracy - by handing in a petition officially to an MP at Parliament, it can go to a Select Committee for discussion by politicians and potentially lead to a change in the law. 

Watch: MP Chlöe Swarbrick explains the Select Committee process and the importance of your petition 
4 min read: ‘Nine ways signing that online petition makes a difference’ 

Besides starting a petition, what else can I do in my campaign?

The OurActionStation platform is a tool that allows anyone, anywhere to take a campaign from start to finish. To start a petition is easy - you can think of the petition as a springboard for the other parts of your campaign. Starting with your petition, you can share it with your network and communicate further with your supporters via email. 

Think of all the things that you could do that may move your campaign forward - for example you can: 

  • Organise events; talks, film nights and meetings
  • Network on social media 
  • Create images, home made videos and gifs
  • Organise creative actions
  • Get out on the street to talk to the public
  • Organise demos and actions

In August 2017, 17 year old Zoe Palmer started a campaign to save the specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Nelson - a campaign that went from surveying young people, organising public events, connecting with politicians, speaking to media and even making a documentary! Click here to read more about how she did it: How to run a kick-ass campaign to save your local specialist mental health service (8 minute read)

 

What makes a campaign successful?

A campaign is made up of many parts from strategy, goals, and tactics to gaining allies. There’s no one path that works for every campaign and you’ll find the way as you go. 

When starting a campaign it's good just to get the ball rolling - don't worry about getting everything 100% - but as you go, be open to learning and look for the people who can help you to get to the next step.

  • Check out more tips and explore resources to find out how a campaign works: OurActionStation Campaign Tips
  • Look through some of the campaigns featured on the OurActionStation homepage to see how other campaigners have set up their petitions: https://our.actionstation.org.nz/ - sign the ones you like to follow their campaign progress in real time.

 

Meet the Member Review Panel

The Member Review Panel  is  a group of ActionStation members who help review campaigns submitted to OurActionStation.

The purpose of the Member Review Panel is to be the kaitiaki or guardians of ActionStation community values. The Panel is made up of five to ten ActionStation members and experienced community campaigners.

The Panel members are currently: Alison Brooks, Kirsten van Newton, Rawiri Tawhai-Bodsworth, Catherine Delahunty, Eliot Pryor and Tim McCreanor.