Action: Making a Difference








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© 2000
Team C001515

What is a petition?

A petition is a formal request to a person or an organisation or a group of people in an organisation asking for some sort of favour. The power of petitions lies in quantity not quality. After a Saturday morning collecting signatures at the local shopping mall, the sheets are likely to be wet and a little grubby.

You can set up a comfortable stall with a chair to collect signatures. Make sure you have information sheets available as well as ideas for further action.

Where can you use a petition?

Petitions can be organised at national level, where a large organisation will send copies to local branches and people at the local level will collect signatures in support of the issue on the petition. They can also be run at a local level. Within a school, students might petition the principal for warmer classrooms or additional resources.

Why use a petition?

Collecting names for a petition can harness a lot of people power. While individuals may not have the time to spend to craft a letter, many do have the one minute it takes to read then sign a petition. Collecting the names of lots of people who are interested in an issue can make policy makers aware of opinions on particular issues. They can be used to protest about current conditions or even to oppose the introduction of new laws.

Steps to follow

  • Write the petition. This should be a brief statement of what is being asked as well as who the petition is aimed for. It is often the case that governments at all levels require particular wording to commence a petition, known as a 'prayer', which needs to be at the top of every page of your petition. A phone call to the office of your politician or local government office to check on the requirements for a prayer, prior to going to the effort of collecting lots of signatures, is a wise first step.
  • There should be space for the person to print their name, add their address and put their signature on the petition.
  • If it is a school petition, students could indicate their year level or grade rather than their form.
  • Get the signatures.
  • Make a formal presentation of the signatures to the person or group these are meant for.
  • When collecting names for a petition, also remember to offer additional activities for involvement for those individuals who sign it.