There are many well-structured directories of activist links on the internet; why should we add another?

First, many of these networks cover only one specific cause or group of causes, and secondly, they are utilized for the most part by activists devoted to these causes. The intention of the Activist Exchange is to cover a far broader range of causes, and groups, and to publicize these groups to a far wider audience. Activist efforts often suffer from a social stigma, and regularly are marginalized as a result. Our objective is to counter this: to help bring activism into the mainstream of modern culture.

The Activist Exchange will list any groups which seek to counter the negative forms that we, as humans, frequently take:

- as individuals, through such things as our personal selfishness, greed, nepotism, and ignorance; our tribalism, where we distinguish ourselves from others and in the process define the others as “them,” as enemies; and our desire to compete with and wield power over others, particularly over “them.”
- as a species, as evidenced by our “human chauvinism,” in the worst cases through our predatory and parasitic behavior towards the Earth and all other forms of life.

Lastly, we encourage you not to limit yourself to being active for only one cause, even if it is - by default - your cause; e.g., you are from Burma. By spreading your effort around you can: help on many fronts; get a better view of the deeper linkages and problems which underlie almost all activist concerns; and, you will guard against the emotional effects of the unrequited effort for those causes whose resolution takes years to accomplish. You will guard against becoming pessimistic, cynical, and burned out.