What is a Petition?

Petition

A formal application made to a court or other official body in writing that requests action on a certain matter.

The FIRST AMENDMENT to the U.S. Constitution guarantees to the people the right to petition the government for the redress of grievances. Petitions are also used to collect signatures to enable a candidate to get on a ballot or put an issue before the electorate. Petitions can serve as a way of pressuring elected officials to adhere to the position expressed by the petitioners.

Petition. (2010). In D. Batten (Ed.), Gale Encyclopedia of American Law (3rd ed., Vol. 7, pp. 488-489). Detroit: Gale.

Petition Sites

ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
National organization advocating individual rights, by litigating, legislating, and educating the public on an array of issues affecting individual freedom in the US.
Amnesty International
Protects human rights worldwide, focusing on the release of prisoners of conscience, fair trials for political prisoners and the abolition of the death penalty and torture.
Avaaz
A global online movement promoting activism on issues including human rights, through petitions, media campaigns, and organizing protests and events.
Care2
Largest social action network empowering people to lead a healthy lifestyle and support causes such as human rights, by signing petitions. Individuals can also start their own petitions.
Change.org
Enables anyone, anywhere to start a petition, mobilize support, and win change in anything from local concerns to global issues.
Common Cause
Nonprofit, nonpartisan citizen's lobbying organization promoting open, honest and accountable government, based in Washington, D.C.
MoveOn.org
A community of Americans using the power of the Internet to have more of a voice in the political system and to campaign for social change.
We the People - The White House
Launched by the White House in 2011, We the People is an online initative supporting citizens' right to petition the government. Any petition on the site garnering at least 100,000 signatures in 30 days will receive a White House response.

Miami Dade College Databases

Kanopy
Stream films and documentaries related to human rights
SIRS Researcher - Library Dababases A - Z
Explore articles related to human rights by clicking on one of the Leading Issues such as Human Rights, Human Rights Universal, Human Trafficking, etc.

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Human Rights Petitions: Petitions

What is a Petition?

Petition

Petition Sites

Miami Dade College Databases

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