a PIRG is an advocate for the public interest. We speak out for a healthier, safer world in which we’re freer to pursue our own individual well-being and the common good.
PIRGs works to find common ground around common sense solutions that will help make that future a reality. The problems we work on aren’t progressive or conservative. They’re just problems that our country shouldn’t tolerate in an age of great abundance and technological progress.
How Our Approach Differs
We value ideas and policies that both improve the quality of our lives now and put us on a path to a better future.
For every issue we work on, we have a bold vision of how to transform our country. But we understand that change comes one step at a time, and often powerful interests are standing in the way. Our focus is on making a difference for the public, not just making a statement.
We’ve successfully advocated for changes that have resulted in more recycling and less waste, healthier and safer choices in the marketplace, and greater accountability in government.
It can raise our awareness of how our society is run, why decisions are made, the manner in which they are arrived at, and how these decisions ultimately affect our daily lives.
It allows us to identify alternative policies and ways to formulate them, so the greatest good can result for the largest number. By understanding our world, we can understand how it can be changed for the better.
We can begin to identify areas in the social structure that citizens can exert pressure on to further the satisfaction of their needs. Once we are aware of how the system works, we are better able to create tactics that are effective, and can avoid time wasted on fruitless exercises and campaigns.
Our Connected Network
There are many PIRGs located cities and provinces and territories near you. We recommend you check out the work and social media of the following PIRG chapters