在线请愿：塑造行动主义的力量和影响

超过 41,000 人签署了一份请愿书，反对法国的反跨性别立法，该法案由 LGBT+ 倡导组织 Le Coin des LGBT+ 发起。虽然签名数量并不能保证请愿书的有效性，但请愿书有可能提高认识、动员支持者并影响政策制定者。尽管有人批评请愿书代表了“懒惰主义”，但请愿书可以成为组织与潜在支持者接触并展示公共活动主义的宝贵工具。然而，请愿平台Mes Opinions的首席执行官强调，即使没有实现具体目标，请愿也可以提高人们的认识并为更广泛的社会变革做出贡献。

The Power and Impact of Online Petitions: A Critical Examination

在线请愿的力量和影响：批判性检验

In the realm of contemporary activism, online petitions have emerged as a ubiquitous tool for expressing support for causes and influencing public opinion. While their efficacy has been a subject of debate, the recent surge in such initiatives has sparked renewed interest in their potential impact.

在当代激进主义领域，在线请愿已成为表达对事业的支持和影响公众舆论的普遍工具。虽然它们的功效一直是争论的话题，但最近此类举措的激增重新引发了人们对其潜在影响的兴趣。

A case in point is the petition launched by "Le Coin des LGBT+," a French LGBTQ+ advocacy group, which garnered over 41,621 signatures within five days of its inception on Change.org. The petition aims to galvanize parliamentary opposition to proposed anti-transgender legislation in France.

一个典型的例子是法国 LGBTQ+ 倡导组织“Le Coin des LGBT+”发起的请愿书，该请愿书在 Change.org 上成立后五天内就获得了超过 41,621 个签名。请愿书旨在激起议会反对法国拟议的反变性立法。

Do Signatures Translate to Influence?

签名会转化为影响力吗？

The significance of a petition's numerical support is a matter of contention. Thierry Libaert, a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), cautions against equating the number of signatories with a petition's effectiveness. He cites the example of "L'Affaire du Siècle," an environmental petition that garnered over 2.3 million signatures but yielded inconclusive results.

请愿书的数字支持的重要性是一个有争议的问题。欧洲经济和社会委员会 (EESC) 成员蒂埃里·利巴特 (Thierry Libaert) 警告不要将签名人数与请愿书的有效性等同起来。他引用了“L'Affaire du Siècle”的例子，这是一份环境请愿书，该请愿书获得了超过 230 万个签名，但产生了不确定的结果。

Conversely, the petition to pardon Jacqueline Sauvage, who was convicted of killing her abusive husband, secured over 40,000 signatures and ultimately led to her release from prison under a presidential pardon granted by François Hollande.

相反，赦免杰奎琳·索瓦日（Jacqueline Sauvage）的请愿书获得了超过 40,000 个签名，并最终在弗朗索瓦·奥朗德（François Hollande）批准的总统赦免下出狱。

Beyond Signatures: The Multifaceted Role of Petitions

签名之外：请愿书的多方面作用

While petitions may not possess direct legal force, they can serve as valuable instruments for raising awareness, mobilizing support, and placing issues on the agendas of decision-makers. Libaert emphasizes that petitions can influence public discourse and compel policymakers to consider their perspectives, even if the number of signatures falls short of expectations.

尽管请愿书可能不具有直接的法律效力，但它们可以作为提高认识、动员支持以及将问题纳入决策者议程的宝贵工具。利巴特强调，请愿书可以影响公众言论，并迫使政策制定者考虑他们的观点，即使签名数量低于预期。

Their ability to engage the public is another key aspect. Petitions provide a platform for individuals to express their concerns and contribute to the shaping of public opinion. The presence of a recognizable figurehead can further enhance a petition's reach and appeal.

他们吸引公众的能力是另一个关键方面。请愿为个人提供了表达关切并为形成公众舆论做出贡献的平台。知名人物的出现可以进一步增强请愿书的影响力和吸引力。

Moreover, organizations leverage petitions to expand their base of supporters and mobilize activism beyond the digital realm. "They hope to engage them in other forms of activism, such as demonstrations," Libaert explains. "Petitions are part of a gradual process of citizen engagement."

此外，组织利用请愿书来扩大支持者基础并动员数字领域之外的激进主义。 “他们希望让他们参与其他形式的活动，比如示威活动，”利巴特解释道。 “请愿是公民参与渐进过程的一部分。”

Slacktivism or Legitimate Activism?

懒惰行动主义还是合法行动主义？

Despite the potential impact of petitions, Libaert cautions against regarding them as a substitute for more proactive forms of activism. He likens petitions to "slacktivism," a term coined to describe the tendency for individuals to express their support for causes through online gestures that require minimal effort. While petitions facilitate the channeling of discontent, they should not be viewed as a panacea for social change.

尽管请愿具有潜在影响，但利巴特警告不要将其视为更积极主动的激进主义形式的替代品。他将请愿比作“懒人行动主义”，这个术语是用来描述个人通过在线手势来表达他们对事业的支持的倾向，这需要付出最少的努力。尽管请愿有助于表达不满，但不应将其视为社会变革的灵丹妙药。

The Platform Effect

平台效应

Océane, CEO of Mes Opinions, a French online petition platform, acknowledges the concerns surrounding the efficacy of online petitions. "We regularly receive questions from our users about whether petitions are truly meaningful," she says. "It's understandable, considering the sheer volume of causes and the uncertainty of their outcomes." Mes Opinions alone hosts over 1,000 new petitions monthly, and the number has surged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

法国在线请愿平台 Mes Opinions 首席执行官 Océane 承认人们对在线请愿的有效性感到担忧。 “我们经常收到用户询问请愿书是否真正有意义，”她说。 “考虑到原因的数量之多及其结果的不确定性，这是可以理解的。”仅 Mes Opinions 每月就会收到 1,000 多份新请愿书，而且这一数字在 COVID-19 大流行后激增。

Impact Beyond Victory

超越胜利的影响

Nonetheless, Océane maintains that petitions serve a valuable purpose, citing cases where they have achieved their objectives, such as the discontinuation of the sale of live baitfish at Decathlon, the removal of an author accused of promoting pedophilia from the Angoulême comics festival, and the prevention of school closures.

尽管如此，Océane 坚持认为，请愿书有一个有价值的目的，并列举了他们已经实现目标的案例，例如迪卡侬停止销售活饵鱼，从安古莱姆漫画节上除名被指控宣扬恋童癖的作者，以及防止学校停课。

Even in the absence of a clear victory, petitions can generate substantial impact by raising awareness and shaping public discourse. Océane points to the example of a petition highlighting the forced labor of Uyghurs in China, which failed to halt the funding of exploitative practices by major brands but nonetheless brought the issue to the attention of 70,000 concerned citizens. "Although it did not result in an immediate change, it represents an important step towards broader mobilization," she explains.

即使没有明显的胜利，请愿书也可以通过提高认识和塑造公众话语来产生重大影响。 Océane 举了一份强调中国强迫维吾尔人劳动的请愿书为例，该请愿书未能阻止各大品牌对剥削行为的资助，但仍然引起了 70,000 名相关公民的注意。 “虽然它并没有立即带来变化，但它代表了迈向更广泛动员的重要一步，”她解释道。

Empowering Citizens

赋予公民权力

For Julia, a 27-year-old supporter of the "Le Coin des LGBT+" petition, signing the document was an act of solidarity and resistance against proposed legislation that she believes perpetuates transphobia. "It's the simplest way to express one's support and convey their position to elected officials," she says. "When petitions go viral, they can draw attention to important social issues, as evidenced by this very article."

27 岁的朱莉娅是“Le Coin des LGBT+”请愿书的支持者，对于她来说，签署该文件是一种团结和抵制拟议立法的行为，她认为该立法会导致跨性别者恐惧症长期存在。 “这是向民选官员表达支持和立场的最简单方式，”她说。 “当请愿书像病毒一样传播时，它们可以引起人们对重要社会问题的关注，正如这篇文章所证明的那样。”

Conclusion

结论

Online petitions have become an integral part of the contemporary democratic landscape, offering individuals a means to voice their concerns, mobilize support, and influence policy decisions. While their effectiveness may vary, they provide a platform for citizens to engage in activism and contribute to the shaping of public opinion. Their true impact lies not only in numerical support but also in the ability to raise awareness, foster dialogue, and inspire further action.

在线请愿已成为当代民主格局不可或缺的一部分，为个人提供了表达担忧、动员支持和影响政策决策的手段。虽然其有效性可能有所不同，但它们为公民参与活动并为形成公众舆论做出贡献提供了平台。他们的真正影响不仅在于数量上的支持，还在于提高认识、促进对话和激发进一步行动的能力。