Opposition International isa year-old non-profit providing information and news about, and advocacy and training for, opposition political parties worldwide.
Home base is Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owen is currently on a field assignment in the Philippines. Our most active chapters are in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Rangoon, Myanmar, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Kampala, Uganda, Johannesburg, RSA, Tbilisi, Georgia, Bogota, Columbia, Sao Paolo, Brazil, and San Jose, Costa Rica.
Opposition International looks to level the playing field when incumbent governments give themselves unfair advantages. On the whole, however, we stress the positive in the Government/Opposition relationship.
Through social media and journalism, we raise awareness of Government and Opposition can work together to improve accountability,
We document surveillance, censorship, and data security issues.
We advocate for impartial national and international regulations on political activities, for example, diaspora fundraising and voting.
We stress issue-based policy debate through forensic opposition techniques integrating open data and traditional caucus research.
Our volunteers come from many parties. We are non-partisan in that we offer help to any opposition party, whether of the left, right, or centre, which adheres to democratic principles. We speak with Green, LGBTQ+, indigenous, and recognized religious-based parties. We do not hold positions on specific policies. We are committed to diversity and anti-discrimination.
Our mission to be an independent voice in opposition affairs is unique. While state-funded democracy agencies stress inter-party dialogue, Opposition International seeks to engage opposition parties specifically, individually, and transparently. The official approach is understandable: it may complicate state-to-state relations with the incumbent ruling party. “Incumbency bias” by agencies according to the Harvard Electoral Integrity project is often prevalent.
We have no favourites: we do not play the “Great Game.” Our message is the same to all parties: as Benjamin Disraeli wrote, “No Government can be long secure without a formidable Opposition.”