Internet users, startup owners and free speech activists are banding together to discuss, debate and sign the Declaration of Internet Freedom, a petition released Monday that calls for a free and open Internet.

The petition aims to shift the Internet community from the defense to offense when it comes to government tinkering with the net.

"We believe that a free and open Internet can bring about a better world," the preamble reads. "To keep the Internet free and open, we call on communities, industries and countries to recognize these principles. We believe that they will help to bring about more creativity, more innovation and more open societies."

The declaration has five straightforward principles:

The current version of the Declaration can be accessed at InternetDeclaration.org.

FreePress.net, the convener and coordinator of the campaign, has opened the text up to public debate and editing on several platforms in a crowdsourcing-based metaphor for the open Internet itself.

Josh Levy, internet campaign director at FreePress.net, told Mashable that the petition is the first step in an ambitious plan to creating more public awareness around the importance of Internet freedom in many people's daily lives.

"For now, we're urging people to sign on to this document and interact with it — remix it, fork it, change it," said Levy. "Let's have a public discussion on what the open Internet means."

FreePress' next move is to plan a global day of real-life meetups, where people concerned with Internet censorship can meet in person over dinner or cocktails and share ideas. In September, it's hoping to orchestrate a rally in Washington, D.C., to "show Congress how important the Internet is," said Levy.

The Declaration is the result of a partnership between more than 100 individuals and organizations who were critical in organizing the Internet community's fight against the Stop Online Piracy Act, better known as SOPA, last January. Notable signatories include Mozilla, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union, Neil Gaiman, Eli Pariser and Alexis Ohanian.

Levy pointed out that amongst the signatories are American tech startups but also international free speech advocacy groups, such as Reporters Without Borders, whose inclusion he called "exciting."

"There's a big tent of groups — groups that have been doing digital rights work for a long time, like us and the EFF, and lots of international groups that focus on free speech issues in places like Pakistan and Egypt," said Levy. "Internet freedom crosses borders, it affects everyone, everywhere."

Would you sign the Declaration of Internet Freedom? What changes would you make? Share your ideas in the comments.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Olena_T