Australian helps politics move online

Australian helps politics move onlineSydney - Sydney lawyer Brett Solomon has heaps of clout in Australian politics.

In July, when the pope visited Australia, he frightened Catholic leaders by threatening to mobilize his 280,000 followers in protests over the new police powers voted through to protect the pontiff.

"It's important at times like this that our organization stands up for what's right," Solomon said, adding, "I think that we need to be vigilant about our civil liberties."

Solomon, 38, is not the head of a political party but the leader of GetUp!

It calls itself an online, community advocacy organization and it's gone from nothing to extraordinary power in just five years.

Outfits like GetUp! are springing up around the globe and changing the way people engage in politics.

Solomon says it's all about using the internet to move public opinion on particular issues. He talks about uncovering a "new constituency that has previously been kept out of or ignored by institution-developed processes."

Solomon's own career blurs the distinction between political activism and social work. He's done stints with Amnesty International and with Community Aid Abroad.

In September, Solomon will move to New York to drive campaigns with Avaaz. org, an international version of GetUp!

Avaaz, which when pronounced means "voice" in several languages, has over 3 million members in 166 countries. Its head, Ricken Patel, describes it as a "global web movement ... working to ensure that the views and values of people everywhere inform global decision-making."

The internet has changed the way lots of people live their lives. From shopping to entertainment, from employment to romance - and now it's changing the political process. (dpa)

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