Dissent can be defined as active opposition to established public policies or social conventions. The opposition can take various forms, including media campaigns, public protests, organized boycotts, groundroots activism, and in extreme cases, violent uprisings. Mainstream society often responds to such activities by trying to suppress the dissent.
Many major reform movements of the past have started with the dissent of a small group, or even a single individual. The dissent often arises out of an inherent injustice in the existing order. When the injured person or group speaks out, the established powers may see the protest as a threat to their own privileged position. As a result, in many cases the dissent is quickly crushed. But sometimes the new viewpoint survives and begins to gather support. If it gains enough adherents, what started as a small movement may eventually lead to a major political or social reform.
The American revolution against England began as a small dissenting movement. The anti-slavery movement in the United States also initially represented a minority viewpoint. Other initially small movements which eventually achieved at least partial success include the campaign for a woman's right to vote, the civil rights movement, and the effort to protect endangered species. Many major religions also started out as small movements which were persecuted by majority groups.
The growth and pervasiveness of the world wide web has made it easier for dissenting voices to reach an audience. Numerous individuals and activist groups have established websites to publicize their message and promote their causes. But the web also makes it easier for other people to oppose these causes. Unfortunately, in some cases proponents of unpopular views have received hate mail and even threats. But many courageous people continue to maintain their sites despite this opposition.
Other Voices was created to serve as a guide to some of the dissent that is currently being expressed on the web. For convenience, each page in the site is devoted to a particular type of dissent, with categories such as personal freedom, social causes, religious dissent, environmental defense, skepticism, government and corporate corruption, protection of the natural environment, scientific research, freedom of speech, political process, minority voices, and alternative healthcare. There are also pages which list some other useful resources available on the internet.
Many of the websites listed in this directory provide forums which allow people to debate with each other about current issues. In most cases, anyone may join such a forum and participate in the debates. Some websites also allow people to comment on the articles that are published on the site.
In addition to the main categories, this website also contains a glossary of weird beliefs. Examples of such beliefs include demonic possession, incorruptible bodies, stigmata, the Christian trinity, relics, supernatural interventions, original sin, animal sacrifice, and transubstantiation. Religious skeptics sometimes use these types of beliefs as evidence to support their arguments against the truth of traditional religions.
Note: Other Voices does not list websites which advocate or defend any form of violence, or that provide information about how to obtain, build, or use any kind of weapon. It also doesn't list sites which promote or encourage political or religious persecution, gambling, aberrant sexual practices, sadistic behavior, torture, hate crimes, pornography, spousal or child abuse, pedophilia, and child molestation.
Categories
- Personal Freedom
This category includes websites that oppose attempts to take away personal freedom and civil liberties. It also includes sites which support efforts to protect privacy and guard against government and industry snooping. - Political Dissent
This page lists websites which take unpopular political positions or call for changes to existing governmental systems. It also includes sites that fight to protect or gain political freedoms, and that advocate new approaches to matters such as taxation, budgeting, and lobbying. - Anti-Corporate
This group includes websites that oppose detrimental policies and practices of large corporations and institutions. Such practices might include collusion, artificial price controls, exploitation of women and children, lobbying for special tax benefits, unfair awarding of contracts, and exploitation of natural resources. - Religious Dissent
This category includes websites that oppose the beliefs and practices of major established religious groups, or that promote the beliefs of small lesser-known groups and religious skeptics. It also includes sites that cover controversial topics such as speaking in tongues, bible contradictions, demonic possession, torture, witchcraft, religious atrocities, gospel mysteries, fake relics of the cross, and the hard teachings of Jesus. - Alternative Healthcare
This group includes websites that investigate and publicize possible fraudulent practices of organized healthcare systems and large drug companies. In addition, it lists sites that advocate alternative methods of medical treatment such as natural remedies. - Skeptical View
This page lists websites which express doubts about majority opinions or offer counter-arguments to conventional beliefs. This can include commonly accepted ideas about political systems, religious practices, and social policies. Some of these skeptic websites also try to promote their own counter views. - Glossary of Weird Beliefs
Strange religious beliefs and practices are sometimes cited by skeptics as support for their opposition to organized religions. This glossary contains definitions for some of these bizarre beliefs. - Alternative Information Sources
This page lists websites that take a skeptical view of the mainstream media, or that publicize news and information ignored or suppressed by other sources. It also lists groups that fight against governmental and private censorship, and blatant bias in news reporting. - Nature and Environment
This category includes websites of organizations that fight to protect the natural world from human exploitation and encroachment. This could include the advocacy of animal rights, the protection and expansion of park lands, and opposition to commercial development of unspoiled land.
This directory lists websites that express dissenting viewpoints on major social, political, religious, and cultural matters.
The image at the top of each page is the painting The Uprising by Honore Daumier. This painting is a public domain work reproduced courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.
The Other Voices Directory of Dissent is a non-commercial website. There are no advertisements and no products are offered for sale. In web directories, the site is usually listed in the categories of society, social issues, activism, social sciences, religion, skepticism, dissent, or niche directories.
