The online platform openPetition was founded in Berlin in 2010 and became non-governmental organisation in 2012. The internet platform for political participation is aimed at people who want to bring about change and offers various digital participation tools at local, state, federal or European level. These aim to make democratic participation easier and more accessible. For example, the openDemokratie tool offers a petition platform specifically for municipalities and communities, House Parliament offers a platform for people to discuss political topics online and offline and work out solutions together, and opn.vote is a tool for democratic online voting.
Raise your voice – create change
With the mission to make politics more understandable, visible and accessible, openPetition wants to reach as many people as possible. Petition initiators are supported in setting up their petitions to have maximum impact. As soon as petitions exceed a certain regional relevance threshold of signatures, openPetition requests statements from the region’s elected representatives on the petition’s corresponding contents. In February 2022, openPetition transitioned to steward-ownership to ensure that the company’s core values of neutrality, democratic values, transparency, data protection and diversity will be safeguarded in the long-term and remain with the company across generations. The Purpose Foundation holds the veto share with one percent of the voting rights to protect the company’s steward-ownership structure in the long term.
For me, steward-ownership is a voluntary self-restraint. It caps the greed and the temptation for more and more, which takes one further and further away from the actual purpose. Profit must always serve the purpose.