About FOWL

About

What FoWL is

Friends of WikiLeaks (FoWL) is an independent network made up of people from across the globe who defend WikiLeaks and promote its mission and values. We are a global collection of people with shared beliefs and intentions linked together as a strong and resilient network.
 Our aim is to provide public support and assistance to WikiLeaks and any other person or organisation aligned with WikiLeaks' values. We help raise public awareness of the important work and goals of WikiLeaks and its allies. We also endeavour to provide support when these organisations or individuals find themselves in times of difficulty.

Anyone can become a member of FoWL. It doesn’t matter where you live in the world, or what your skills are. FoWL is open to participation from the entire global community. You can be a journalist, a computer programmer, a lawyer, a full-time parent, a gardener, a fruit seller, anyone! The only requisite is that you share the beliefs and objectives of WikiLeaks, and are willing to lend your support by active participation.

FoWL is not part of the day to day operations of WikiLeaks; it is not involved in the submission process, and never handles sensitive information. FoWL is not a subsidiary of WikiLeaks, nor is it subordinate to WikiLeaks. FoWL is a separate network, that has the express purpose of supporting, promoting, publicising and encouraging any individual or collective which shares WikiLeaks' common values and goals.

It is up to members of FoWL to decide which causes to follow and act on, and which initiatives to support. With a good understanding of the beliefs and values of FoWL, members are expected to quickly make decisions and reach agreements without direct instruction from a higher authority. There is no formal chain of command in FoWL, although we encourage per-project meritocracies. All members will be linked together equally, and work together to support WikiLeaks and other similar organisations. FoWL is run by YOU.