Are you looking for a way to effect change? Want to get through the gridlock and get things moving? Here are some things you could do for starters:

1) Take part in our forum (see below for posting guidelines), or
2) Have a gander at the very lively Sintercom one
3) Have a look at our tips on effective activism , or if it's international issues that interest you,
4) Visit the New Internationalist's Action page to learn more about a host of causes ranging from jeans factories to gene patents.

The GloPos Forum
It might seem like the debate that never ends, but some things need to be voiced and heard. Whether you have too many time constraints to participate in a real-time debate, or like to eat a sandwich as you consider your response, this is the place for you to tune in to what your peers are thinking and to share your views.

1. No trolling. Don't make posts that are inflammatory just to get people riled up. Substance is the key to not being labeled a troll.

2. Critique ideas, not criticize people. We understand that things can get heated, but excessive flaming will not be tolerated. Users who verbally assault the character or person of other posters on a regular basis will be banned. Name calling is best left behind in primary school. "You are wrong" is not a personal attack; "You are an idiot" is. "You do not have all of the facts" is not a personal attack; "you are ignorant" is. Moderator's judgment applies here.

Do be open-minded and try to help foster meaningful discussion (yes, meaningful discussion is possible if everyone respects each other).

3. No pornographic, sexually offensive, sexually explicit, or objectifying material. Simple rule. Again, this will be left to the moderators’ discretion.

6. DON'T SPAM. Spamming can be defined as either posting excessively with no content, or with commercial intent. Neither definition is acceptable here.

7. Be kind to your moderators. Moderators and administrators are members who have volunteered to help enforce the Posting Guidelines and the rules of the forums, and to help with the running of the site, by moving or locking threads, and dealing with problems as they arise. If your thread is locked, an explanation should be posted by the moderator who locked the thread as to why. If you feel your thread was locked in error, please contact the moderator responsible, or an administrator via email or private message.

8. The quality of this board depends on the quality of the posts. The only way to guarantee thoughtful, informative discussion is to write thoughtful, informative posts. GloPos is not a real-time forum. You have time to compose, edit (before and after posting), find or research links, and count to a hundred if you're angry. Use it.

**Never post while angry, not a rule, just some advice.**

4. Be descriptive with the title of new threads. Don’t start a thread called "Guess what..." and then use the text portion of the post to explain, give your post a headline. And post in the right forum!

5. Respect is the name of the game. This includes respect for other people’s privacy. Don’t post other's phone numbers, addresses, pictures, etc., without their express permission.

Some Pointers On Effective Activism.
Before you voice your strongly held opinions about certain policies or situations, or start up a petition, make sure you know something about the issue ahead of time. Too often, people contact a government office outraged about a particular issue only to find out that they were completely mistaken! Doing some careful research is vital if you’re not going to end up sounding rather silly. Consider going through the following steps, using the resources identified here.