440 signatures!
We are on a roll, and I have diagnosed and know exactly why my numbers stalled out around the 400 signature milestone, it wasn’t because we has run out of new UK users, it because of the time and year and the original ‘Global’ scope setting which pushed the campaign to the back of the visibility queue, causing my promotional views to spread out throughout the entirety of July. Although a 'necessary evil' adding even more UK signatures, the ‘Local - London’ scope has saved the campaign and I have pushed forward the deadline to hit 500 signatures from New Year’s Eve to September 30th.
Once 500 signatures is hit, we will officially enter Phase 3 (where I will change the petition’s scope and formally test out international regions).
Despite being off season, the 324-signature Orthodox Good Friday petition created two days before mine (which I overtook and was entirely stagnant for three months) has picked up some unexpected momentum and its count has increased to 329, meaning my own targets have had to become flexible as several Orthodox petitions have gained signatures since using their counts as targets for my own campaign.
I am still way ahead in signature, but it is nice to see a campaign which has been completely stuck since ‘Awful April’ gain momentum off season (the one created two days before my own) and its also nice seeing these petitions grow without me having to ‘chip-in’ to help.
The lack of recognition for Orthodox/Coptic holidays in the ‘shameful seven’ Western nations is a problem which is persistent all year round, not just around Orthodox Christmas and Orthodox Easter, as for working age adults, taking days off to observe these feast count towards overall days of annual leave used per year. Similarly, children taking school off to observe these holy days affect the total number of days missed throughout the academic year.
My next official update will be published when we surpass the fixed 467-signature milestone (as its not a number based on a Orthodox holiday recognition petition), but despite only officially gaining signature on the 17th, we have already beat our total signature record for July and although we were derailed, we are back on track!
Ro---- Miles Ash-----