At the core of the Kleercut.net Web site is the highly regarded Drupal content-management system — that much is obvious to most folks who take time to look under the hood. Although the campaign is only taking advantage of a small number of the available features, Drupal has proven itself (once again) to be lightweight, fast and flexible enough to meet a wide range of online campaigning needs.
However, the campaign’s success and growth are less about technology than about the open source networks that support projects like Drupal and CivicSpace. Specifically, it is the people, the ideas, and the free exchange of information across progressive activist networks that have helped to make the Kleercut campaign possible. From the dedicated Greenpeace forest campaigners, communications and Web staff, and volunteers — who are spread across Canada and the U.S. and working 24-7 — to the far-flung network of progressive “geeks” and online publications that have provided key direction and promotion at critical points in the campaign’s development. These networks have organically come together when needed to breathe life into a logo, a Web site and a simple idea: it isn’t necessary to wipe away ancient forests just to have Kleenex tissue paper.
At a very basic level, Drupal provides the public face for the campaign on the Web. It also has made it possible for campaigners to update the bilingual site at a moment’s notice — keeping the work of dedicated volunteer activists and their important campaign updates front and centre. This includes everything from adding new fact sheets, campaign material, and activist toolkits, to photo galleries of Greenpeace forest campaigners and volunteer activists adopting a local grocery store or challenging Kimberly-Clark on its own turf. We’ve also used Drupal effectively to list Kleercut events happening in communities across Canada and the U.S.
