Andile Cele

OPEN (Online Progressive Engagement Network)

OPEN is a young and growing association of the world's leading and most promising progressive, national, digital-campaigning organizations. We help insights, expertise and collaboration flow seamlessly between our member groups across national borders. This dramatically accelerates innovation, deepens impact, and helps new member organizations launch and thrive in record time. OPEN's founding member organizations are in United States, Germany, Australia, UK, and in Canada. We are currently supporting start-up organizations in India,South Africa,Sweden,Ireland,France, Austria,New Zealand and nearly 15 other countries across the globe. All OPEN member organizations campaign on a wide range of progressive issues, as shaped by their national debates and the preferences of their individual supporters. Top issue campaigns include combating climate change, pushing back on anti-democratic trade deals, addressing economic inequality, preserving net neutrality, promoting LGBT rights, stopping tax dodging by the super rich, defending workers rights, and expanding and defending public services, especially health care. The core of the organizing model is surprisingly simple: when key issues their community cares about reach a tipping point (in legislation, elections, corporate decisions, or other channels) OPEN groups engage their members through email, social networks, and mobile channels to offer timely information, strategic analysis and tools for collective action to shape the outcome. The choice of tactic depends on what form of collective action would be most effective at any given time -- but they nearly always include a mix of online and offline action.