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Dear friends,
Avaaz is on fire. The pace of our activity, our growth, and our victories is intense! Scroll down through this email to see highlights of the last few months -- it's astonishing what we're building and achieving together.
There are over 8.2 million of us now , growing by 100,000 people per week! Two weeks ago, 650,000 Indians joined our campaign for a powerful new anti-corruption bill, and we won!! We're racking up major victories every month -- fighting political corruption in Italy, media-corruption in the UK and Canada, environmental destruction in Brazil and more. And across the Middle East, brave democracy activists are getting vital equipment and communications support funded by donations from almost 30,000 of us.
From people-powered revolutions in the Middle East to national anti-corruption movements, you can feel it and see it everywhere today -- democracy is on the march, and together we are beating the drum. The press is noticing in hundreds of stories, with one 2000 word feature in the Times of London calling us 'One of the most important new voices on the global stage'. Here's a quick summary of the last few months in our amazing people-powered community...
RECENT CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS
| Anti-Corruption Campaign Explodes in India |
Two weeks ago, Anna Hazare, a 73 year old Gandhian activist, declared a fast unto death until the government agreed to let civil society draft a powerful new anti-corruption law. In just 36 hours, an unprecedented 500,000 Indians joined Avaaz's campaign to support Hazare's call for sweeping reform. In 4 days, the public outcry forced India's government to sign a written submission to all of Hazare's demands! We won!! Today, a new India is being born -- and just as last year in Brazil with landmark anti-corruption legislation, Avaaz is helping to breathe life into it.
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| Breaking the Middle East Blackout |
Funded by donations from almost 30,000 Avaazers, an Avaaz team is working closely with the leadership of democracy movements in Syria, Yemen, Libya and more to get them high-tech phones and satellite internet modems, connect them to the world's top media outlets, and provide communications advice. We've seen the power of this engagement -- where our support to activists has created global media cycles with footage and eyewitness accounts that our team helps distribute to CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera and others . The courage of these activists is unbelievable -- a skype message from one last week read 'state security searching the house, my laptop battery dying, if not online tomorrow I'm dead or arrested' . He's ok, and together we're helping to get his and many other voices out to the world.
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| Huge Win on Hilton Hotels vs the Rape Trade |
24 hours after 317,000 Avaazers called on the Hilton CEO to sign a code of conduct on the rape trade or face hard-hitting ads in his hometown, we got a frantic call from his vice-president. 'You're going to WHAT?', she asked. Hilton had dragged its feet for months. We gave them four days, and they signed. Now 180,000 hotel employees will be trained to spot and prevent the horror of of sex slavery of women and girls.
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| UK -- The People vs Murdoch's Media Monopoly |
Global media kingpin Rupert Murdoch's bid to tighten his stranglehold over the UK press faces a relentless challenge from Avaaz members, who've run adverts, staged public stunts, delivered massive petitions, and organised phone-ins week upon week in an effort to safeguard public debate. An Avaaz-commissioned independent poll found that only 5% of Brits take Murdoch's side -- and new criminal charges for hacking politicians' phones are further eroding the momentum of the Murdoch media machine. The government has been forced to extract concessions from Murdoch, and has now delayed a decision on the deal -- costing Murdoch billions and giving us more time to stop him for good.
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| Libyan Massacre Prevented -- one million messages to the Security Council |
Our messages called for sanctions, asset freezes, and an internationally enforced no-fly zone to protect civilians in Libya. Our voices got through: the UN Ambassador from the US, one of the last hold-outs to back the motion, publicly thanked us for our messages. International action began just as Qaddafi's tanks encircled the rebel-held city of Benghazi -- and is widely credited with preventing a likely massacre of large numbers of civilians.
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| Berlusconi's Censorship Bill, Defeated |
Italy's Silvio Berlusconi, facing souring political winds and a trial for statutory rape expected to coincide with general elections, tried to force a censorship law through parliament that would have silenced his critics on independent TV shows. But Italian Avaaz members fought back -- powering a 70,000-strong petition and thousands of phone calls to parliament at the crucial moment that helped swing the final vote. The law was blocked, in a huge victory for Avaaz members and for the future of Italian democracy and free speech.
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| The 'Angel' Tackling Corruption in Spain |
This week a Spanish newspaper trumpeted Avaaz as its 'Angel of the Day' for battling corruption -- one highlight of a nationwide torrent of media coverage of Avaaz's 100,000-Spaniard petition and theatrical stunts calling for Spanish politicians with records of corruption to be barred from upcoming elections. The rising pressure is fuelling a national debate on corruption, and political parties are feeling the heat.
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| Brazil: Blocking an Amazon-Destroying Mega-Dam |
The proposed Belo Monte dam complex, an environmental catastrophe in the making, has been delayed -- thanks in part to the spectacular delivery led by indigenous tribes-people of more than 600,000 petition signatures from Avaazers in Brazil and around the world. The Organization of American States has now joined the opposition to the dam, saying it violates human rights -- and the momentum is building to cancel it and focus on clean renewable energy sources instead.
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| Wikileaks: A Win Against Torture |
Two weeks ago, more than 500,000 Avaaz members from around the world called on President Obama to end the brutal isolation and inhumane treatment of Bradley Manning , the alleged source of leaked cables publicized by Wikileaks. Just days later, the US government bowed to mounting pressure and announced that Manning would be transferred to a medium-security prison and receive proper mental health treatment, and members of the press were invited to verify that his torture had ended. Public pressure worked !
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| A Million-Strong Swarm to Save the Bees |
Over a million people, including 200,000 in France, signed an explosive petition to ban pesticides that are mass-killing bees the world over -- and, standing with a team of French beekeepers, delivered the petition to the French Agriculture Minister at a major conference. The campaign continues, building pressure for action in France, the EU, and around the globe.
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| Victory Over 'False and Misleading' News in Canada |
Conservative officials in Canada have been working to launch a Murdoch-style propagandistic TV network -- but in February, when they moved to strike national journalism standards against false or misleading broadcasts, they brought down a firestorm of opposition. 100,000 Canadian Avaazers signed in opposition, and the outrageous proposal to undermine balanced reporting was withdrawn.
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| Worldwide Solidarity for Egypt |
In the darkest hours of their struggle for liberation from Mubarak, Egyptians told the world they needed solidarity -- and Avaaz members answered the call. 600,000 of us around the world signed messages of support carried by Al Jazeera broadcasts straight into Tahrir Square -- helping to sustain a movement fueled by hope through some of it's darkest and most uncertain hours.
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| Mubarak's Billions, Frozen |
When Mubarak left power in Egypt, he tried to take his stolen fortune with him -- but within days, more than half a million of us petitioned the G20's Finance Ministers to immediately freeze his billions, delivering the message with a 'protest pyramid' built opposite the Eiffel Tower during the ministers' meeting. In the weeks following, the EU and countries around the world agreed to freeze the assets of Mubarak and his top aides.
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| Under Pressure, South Africa Begins to Confront 'Corrective Rape' |
When a local group in South Africa launched a petition demanding that their government address 'corrective rape' -- the sickening epidemic of rapes of lesbian women to 'turn them straight' -- they were, at first, ignored. But when their petition reached 170,000 signatures, the government noticed -- and now, with nearly a million of us signed on and massive media attention, the pressure for meaningful action is becoming unstoppable.
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| Delivering 1 million voices for food safety |
Before the ink even dried on an exciting new tool for direct democracy in Europe, over one million people from every country in the EU took part in the first-ever European Citizens' Initiative -- a process where people can lodge official petitions that require a response. Avaaz members called for an immediate freeze on genetically modified crops entering the EU until objective studies free from industry influence could show they were safe. The initiative had a spectacular delivery directly to the EU Commission that flooded the media with coverage and sent a clear message to officials.
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| ... And All of This is 100% Funded by Avaaz Members Worldwide! |
All of these campaigns are demonstrations of the promise of people power -- of what's possible when we come together to do what's right. And all of them were funded entirely by small donations from Avaaz members, including almost 250,000 of us who have donated to Avaaz campaigns and 10,000 of us who have become 'sustainers' and donated a few dollars or euros a week or month to cover all of Avaaz's core costs -- click here to join in giving . Because of these small donations, Avaaz doesn't have to answer to corporate sponsors, large individual donors, or government grantmakers. Instead, Avaaz is accountable only to its members, and all our dreams of a better world for all.
With hope and enormous appreciation for the service of every person in this amazing community,
Ricken, Ben, Saloni, Alice, Graziela, David, Shibayan, Morgan, Tihomir, Emma, Giulia, Rewan, Kien, Luis, Alex, Mia, Stephanie, Milena, Heather, Veronique, Iain, Pascal, Benjamin, Yura, Laura, Saravanan, JC, Alma, Dominick, Brianna, Sam, Mohammad, Tricia, Janet, Laryn, Aleksandr, Maksim, Denis and all the volunteers, translators, and all the members of the Avaaz team.
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SOURCES:
Avaaz feature article, Times of London
http://avaaz.org/times_of_london_feature
India corruption campaign coverage, The Hindu
http://avaaz.org/the_hindu_hazare_launch
Hilton joins anti-trafficking agreement, ECPAT-USA
http://avaaz.org/ecpat_release
Murdoch poll coverage, The Guardian
http://avaaz.org/murdoch_poll_guardian
'Angel of the Day' article, La Republica (in Spanish)
http://avaaz.org/republica_angel_of_the_day
European Citizens' Initiative lauded, Le Monde (in French)
http://avaaz.org/le_monde_eci
See more Avaaz media hits here:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/media.php
Avaaz also partially funded and housed a project which conducted the first-ever public opinion survey of refugees from the brutal conflict in Darfur, Sudan. Here's the poll result:
http://avaaz.org/darfur_report
Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here .
Avaaz.org is an 8-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 13 countries on 4 continents and operates in 14 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here , or follow us on Facebook or Twitter .
This message was sent to imagine@maltanet.net. To change your email address, language, or other information, send a message to unsubscribe@avaaz.org, contact us via this form -- or simply click here to unsubscribe .
To contact Avaaz, Instead, write to us at www.avaaz.org/en/contact or call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US).
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1. AVAAZ - your voice
Join your voice to AVAAZ http://www.avaaz.org/en/
By joining AVAAZ you can choose to electronically sign petitions on current issues where politicians and others need to be shown that a lot of people are opposing, or supporting, something. You don't need to feel that there's nothing you can do! the following material is a small selection from the KIVA website - please visit it.
The mission of AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is a new global web movement with a a simple democratic mission: to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want.
| “Avaaz” means “Voice” in many Asian, Middle Eastern and Eastern European languages. |
Across the world, most people want stronger protections for the environment, greater respect for human rights, and concerted efforts to end poverty, corruption and war. Yet globalization faces a huge democratic deficit as international decisions are shaped by political elites and unaccountable corporations -- not the views and values of the world's people.
Technology and the internet have allowed citizens to connect and mobilize like never before. The rise of a new model of internet-driven, people-powered politics is changing countries from Australia to the Philippines to the United States. Avaaz takes this model global, connecting people across borders to bring people powered politics to international decision-making.
Coming together in this way, Avaaz has become a wonderful community of people from all nations, backgrounds, and ages. Our diverse community is brought together by our care for the world, and a desire to do what we can to make it a better place.
| In just one year, Avaaz has grown to over 3.2 million members in every nation of the world. |
The core of our model of organizing is our email list, operated in 13 languages. By signing up to receive our alerts, you are rapidly alerted to urgent global issues and opportunities to achieve change. Avaaz members respond by rapidly combining the small amounts of time or money they can give into a powerful collective force. In just hours we can send hundreds of thousands of messages to political leaders telling them to save a crucial summit on climate change , hold hundreds of rallies across the world calling for action to prevent a genocide, or donate hundreds of thousands of euros, dollars and yen to support nonviolent protest in Burma. Click here to see a list of our campaigns and impact in 2007.
In just one year, we've grown to over 3.2 million members, and have begun to make a real impact on global politics. The Economist writes that Avaaz is poised to deliver “a deafening wake up call” to world leaders, the Indian Express welcomes “the biggest web campaigner across the world” and Nobel Prize winner Al Gore says “Avaaz is inspiring, and has already begun to make a difference.”
With over 600 Palestinians and 11 Israelis killed and the death toll mounting daily as the Gaza offensive escalates, we urgently need to demand that world leaders take action to end the violence and protect civilians.
Sign the petition below calling for robust international action to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and take further crucial steps toward a fair and lasting peace in the Middle East -- we're already being heard, now our message and numbers signing will be published in the Washington Post (opposite) and delivered to UN Security Council powers this week:
CLIMATE VICTORY IN GERMANY
Big news out of Germany--last week, 200,000 of us succeeded in shifting the position of Europe's biggest polluter, and helped salvage the climate talks! It's far from a total victory--the European Union's climate package is... read more
This morning, we received this tense demand for action from from Liberata Rumumba, a refugee and women's leader in Eastern Congo pleading for Europe to send peacekeepers to protect her people, (click on the right to watch). We know how to help. Last week, Avaaz ran a hard-hitting advertisement in The Times of London, pressing UK leaders to support a European force or risk responsibility for genocide -- the British Africa minister called us immediately -- and the British position shifted.
Now we're challenging other EU leaders, taking this effective ad campaign Europe-wide –
Go to AVAAZ 
2. The ONE campaign  
ONE is a grassroots campaign and advocacy organization backed by more than 2 million people from around the world and every walk of life who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.
At ONE, we achieve change through advocacy. We hold world leaders accountable for the promises made to the poorest people, and we press these leaders to support better policies and more effective aid and trade reform. We also support greater democracy, accountability and transparency in developing countries so these resources can be effectively deployed.
Cofounded by Bono, Bobby Shriver and other campaigners, and supported by Bob Geldof and other high profile activists, ONE is nonpartisan and works with activists from the left, right and center to mobilize public opinion in support of effective, proven initiatives that are delivering results: protecting families from preventable diseases like AIDS and malaria, putting kids in school, providing economic opportunity and stabilizing communities. To help ensure the policies we advocate are effective, we seek advice from leading African anti-poverty campaigners and policy experts.
At ONE, we believe the fight against poverty is not about charity, but about justice and equality. We are honored to be part of a greater movement of people and organizations working to end poverty throughout the world.
Here's example of the most recent campaign message from ONE at 15 Jan 2009
Petition text:
Dear Prime Minister Gordon Brown,
Please include a representative of the African Union at the upcoming G20 summit.
As we start to restructure the world's financial institutions, there is a unique opportunity for Africans to make their voices heard and gain a larger stake in the system. As they broadly represent African interests, the AU and African Development Bank are the institutions best suited make a difference if invited to the summit. Please take a moment to help make it happen.
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Dear Maria,
On April 2, leaders from 20 of the world's largest economies, a group dubbed the G20, will gather in London to start reforming the global financial systems. A crucial first step for making sure those reforms help the world's poorest is to give Africa a real seat at the table, by including, for example, a representative of the African Union (AU) and/or the Africa Development Bank.
G20 leaders know they need to include more African representatives. In the declaration from their November 2008 meeting, they state that “emerging and developing economies should have greater voice and representation” in international financial institutions. As the chair of this upcoming G20 Summit, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is the person to make this happen.
Please click below to add your name to our petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown asking him to include the African Union at this summit:
http://www.one.org/international/includeafrica/o.pl?id=800-2810991-mZGKlLx&t=3
Thank you,
David Lane, ONE.org |
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So what are you waiting for?
Join the millions calling for an end to poverty
Join ONE here.
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