The clock is ticking on climate change. In one month, 192 countries will meet at the international climate summit in Copenhagen to negotiate a new global treaty to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Everyone, including our political leaders, know what needs to be done in the deal: it must be fair, ambitious and binding. But at talks this week in Barcelona -- which aimed at trying to build consensus on key issues ahead of the final discussions -- progress was idling and political will from rich countries was severely lacking.

Heads of state need to step up and be the leaders people everywhere expect them to be. Today, aliens from Planet B went looking for climate leaders in Barcelona. Their message was delivered loud and clear to governments at the UN by TckTckTck -- a global campaigning force including 350.org, Avaaz, IndyAct, Greenpeace, and Oxfam -- watch the video and see photos below:

Here's a photo of the aliens with lead US negotiator, Jonathan Pershing:

Right now Copenhagen is the most important city in the world. In just 2 short months, the city might witness the formation of a global climate treaty. You've heard of the Kyoto protocol - the climate treaty that the US helped draft 12 years ago? The one that pretty much every other country has signed on to?

Well, the US, with 1/4 of global greenhouse emissions, has more excuses than a student with a late term-paper about why it hasn't done its part to help solve climate change. The people of the world aren't impressed.

Two years ago in Bali after a dramatic plea from Papua New Guinea in the final hours, the US and other leaders agreed to make a global treaty in Copenhagen in 2009. According to the Bali agreement, the plan needs to have four key elements to bring all nations together (here's the homework assignment). It needs to set mitigation targets for every country (reducing carbon emissions). It needs to protect forests from destruction (which cause 20% of global emissions). It needs to help poor countries develop more responsibly than we did by providing clean technology because the world can't afford to repeat the dirty energy economies of the 20th century. And it needs to help poor countries deal with the present and increasing effects of the climate crisis.

The road-map to Copenhagen, agreed on by the leaders in Bali, places a responsibility on every national government, but the path has been most difficult for the United States. Stubborn, short-sighted politics have delayed action for years, but the window of opportunity for a global deal in Copenhagen has added urgency to our fight.

When the the timetable was set, climate activists like myself stepped up efforts to get the US on track in the two years from December 2007 to December 2009. We threw ourselves into an election that promised change and took on challenges on a historic scale. But that clearly hasn't been enough.

Photo Credit: Robert Van Warden

We brought 12,000 activists to Powershift09 for the largest lobby day ever, and then stopped the U.S. Capitol plant from ever burning coal again. Just last month over 1,800 flash-mobs all over the world placed wake-up calls to world leaders on the need for climate action. And it's working; the global movement we've been working for is here and its beautiful.

The one tiny, little problem is that a handful of US senators stand between us and a global climate treaty. In Bali, they said the treaty needed to deal with 4 things, things that the senate (and specifically the finance committee) can provide.

Luckily, large environmental organizations are pulling out all the stops to fight for ambitious reductions in domestic emissions - as ambitious as we can get. (But boy are my fingers crossed that we can get something better.)

What we're lacking, and this is where you come in, are people fighting for those other three provisions. Adaptation, clean-tech transfer and forest protection receive mere lip-service in the initial draft of the Kerry-Boxer bill.

Developed countries need to put money on the table. How much? According to the Climate Action Network International policy paper, $150 billion per year, additional to existing aid, and raised from auction allowances. The European Commission Communication on Climate Financing is talking on a similar scale at least, calling for €50 billion annually by 2020.

What that works out to for the US, is in the range of 5% of allocation revenue for international adaptation, 5% for clean tech-transfer, and 5% for forest protection. The House climate bill in June allocated just 1%, 0.5% and 5%, respectively for those provisions. The Senate can do better and needs to do better. Whether we get a global deal or not could all come down to the next few weeks in the US senate.

We're so close to the global climate deal we need, but three of the four major provisions required aren't getting much attention. Let's give the senators on the finance committee a reason to look beyond their petty interests and own up to the responsibility we have to the world. Take a look at the senate finance committee members and how to contact them.

Two years ago, we could only hope that a good US Senate bill would be the biggest remaining obstacle to a good global climate treaty. It took millions of calls and letters, thousands of individual meetings and one of the largest days of action the world has yet seen to get us here. We're not done yet. If we can make the case for financing global solutions to the Senate, we can start to see the outlines of history -- the story we can tell our grandchildren about how we fought for, and won, a planet they can still enjoy.

Morgan Goodwin is a fellow at the Avaaz Action Factory in DC

Inspired by sustained support for an end to torture from the world community and a clear majority of Americans, Avaaz.org launched a metro billboard ad campaign to remind policymakers that torture is illegal, unethical and a top recruiting tool for the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network.



The ads (which are running at Farragut North Station and in a Washington Paper) feature Osama bin Laden in an "I love Gitmo" t-shirt (an acknowledgement that Al Qaeda uses the prison to recruit terrorists) and include quotes from President Obama and Presidential candidate John McCain.

Click here to download the press release

Thanks go to the thousands of Avaaz members who donated to fund this campaign. Our global voices are vital if we are to see Guantanamo Bay closed, a total ban on torture, and the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into past practices. If you would like to make a further donation for this ongoing campaign - click here.

Some of the media achieved from the campaign is listed below:

Times of Malta

Agence France Press

Yahoo Espana

Middle East Online

On July 8th Italian Avaaz volunteers and members of the Avaaz European climate action factory -- a rapid response group of youth climate activists supported by Avaaz to raise the level of ambition for climate action in Europe -- organised a "strip mob" in front of the iconic Spanish stairs in Rome, Italy. The stunt's message was for bold climate action from the g8 leaders who were assembling in Italy for 2009 G8 Summit.

The team danced around to chants of "it's getting hot in here" whilst stripping down to reveal green underwear. They kept green underwear on, but threw their clothes at a dancer dressed as Berlusconi, who has been embroiled in public rows over his friendship with a young model. A large crowd of journalists and tourists cheered them on.

Photos and video below. For more information on the Action Factory projects in Europe and Washington DC, click here.

Thank you for participating in the Swine Flu campaign!


We stopped traffic in Geneva on May 27th as we descended on the World Health Organization (WHO) with a herd of cardboard pigs to deliver our petition! The 225 cardboard pigs represented the 225,000 Avaaz members that had signed the petition.

We certainly got our message across -- our campaign delivery went out around the world on ABC news, EFE TV, the Wall Street Journal, France 24, Kuwait News Agency, and Intellasia - as well as many other major news outlets.

When we handed over our petition, it became apparent how important our campaigning was and how valid our concerns were. Initially, the World Health Organization's Food Safety and Zoonoses director, Dr. Jørgen Schlundt, told us that the WHO and the FAO had not found a definitive link between the H1N1 virus and a factory farm and that the source was still under investigation. But he then admitted:
1) scientists have seen more disease breeding and mutating between animals and humans with the massive increase in industrial meat production;
2) he agreed that certain company's farming practices (Smithfields in this case) were dangerous;
3) he warned that new operations propagating in developing countries could make 'mistakes' in food safety that could be seriously risky to human health; and most importantly
4) he indicated that the political processes that determine the research and rules on factory farm biosafety are dominated by the industrial meat lobby. He said strong global regulations were essential, but, to date, unless there is a huge scare like BSE and people die, scientists are unable to push through the laws needed to prevent animal borne pandemics.

The message was clear - our public campaigning for investigation and regulation of factory farms is vital to ensure our food safety and counter the powerful meat industry. Our action showed the WHO that the world does not want to wait for another disaster - we want funding for scientists to investigate factory farms and we want preventive measures put in place that ensure public heath standards.

Click below to see the interview with Avaaz campaign director Alice Jay on Efe:

Dear friends,

During the Summit of the Americas, Avaaz sailed into the harbour at Port of Spain, Trinidad and delivered a message to President Obama to lift the Cuban embargo. The call came from more than 50,000 Avaaz members from the Americas.

Despite tight security, Avaaz Campaigner Paula Brufman and Trinidadian Avaaz members sailed by the site where the regional Presidents were meeting and hoisted a 'End the Cuba Embargo' banner up the mast. Public protest was closed down on the island, but an extraoridnary group of Trinidadian members and volunteers made this peaceful action happen with the consent of the coast guard. Great work!

The delivery of our message was quickly picked up by key news agencies and was reported around Latin America. See below for a video of the sailboat delivery and click here to see the media coverage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZPVMmOH6MY

At the Americas Summit President Obama announced a shift in US policy on Cuba and since then small steps toward dialogue have been taken. It is exciting to be a part of this vital change in regional policy. We will continue to campaign for constructive engagement and for the US to end the almost 50 year failed policy.

This week, Avaaz has been running an advertisement on Washington DC television spoofing ExxonMobil's hypnotically disingenuous ad campaign—you know, the ones where friendly, nerdy people tell you how their work at ExxonMobil will help the environment.

The message of our ad was simple: while ExxonMobil and other fossil fuel companies now talk a good game on climate change, they're still lobbying full-force to prevent a strong global climate treaty. The kind of treaty Obama can help create—if the rest of us give him the political support to do it.

Well, yesterday, ExxonMobil responded to the ad. Apparently, they were mystified.

"They seem to be critical of our desire to communicate our positions on climate change, which we don't understand," said Exxon spokesman Alan Jeffers.

Mr. Jeffers, sorry for confusing you! Perhaps we could be more clear. We have no problem with ExxonMobil's "desire to communicate." It's ExxonMobil's positions on climate change that we're critical of... and the fact that the communications in question don't actually communicate them.

In fact, if ExxonMobil is really eager to communicate their positions on climate change, then they should be welcoming our ad! Take a look:

The truth is, Exxon spent at least $29 million on lobbying in the US last year alone—and is on track to spend even more on a lobbying and advertising blitz this year. While ExxonMobil might not be funding climate denialists to distort science any longer (it lost that battle), it hasn't switched sides in the climate wars. Now, they're just wearing the other side's uniforms. ExxonMobil's strategy is to divert the growing momentum for effective global and national policies by greenwashing itself—and lobbying hard behind the scenes.

Most of their ads showcase research projects or promote the virtues of personal energy efficiency. Unmentioned by the $400-billion-plus company is the fact that their entire business model relies on continually increasing the burning of carbon-based fuels. Watching the ads, a conscientious consumer could conclude that ExxonMobil is to clean energy what the Gates Foundation is to global health. The more appropriate analogy would be Phillip Morris.

(Sometimes the ads are misleading—not just in their underlying message—but also in their particulars: Last year, Britain's Advertising Standards Authority banned an ExxonMobil ad for claiming, falsely, that liquefied natural gas was "one of the world's cleanest fuels.")

ExxonMobil's feel-good ads showcasing hydrogen fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, and tire technology aren't about "communicating their positions on climate change." They're about calming down a public that has become rightly infuriated by fossil-fuel industry obstructionism of real climate action. And they're about distracting attention from ExxonMobil's own lobbying against the cap-and-trade legislation and binding global treaty that the world urgently needs.

We suspect that, in fact, Mr. Jeffers understands this all too well.

Dear friends,

Tibetans fighting the Chinese government's blackout are cut off from the rest of the world. Donate now, and help Tibetans beat the black-out.

As we mark 50 years since the Dalai Lama escaped to India, a dark curtain is being pulled across Tibet -- foreign media detained and expelled, armed troops patrolling the streets, citizens imprisoned for political purposes. And yet many of these violations will not reach the outside world because communications have been cut off.

Without our immediate support, those who are cutting vital holes in the censorship curtain won't be able to alert the global media or other Tibetans to disappearances and the denial of human rights. Open communication is the best insurance to prevent future infringements from taking place.

Donate today, and help ensure that the flow of information so critical to the Tibetan people isn't shut off completely:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/tibet_stop_the_blackout

A modest donation can have a major impact:

• For $90 we can fund transmission of an entire hour of the Voices of Tibet radio network, which provides unbiased news across the Tibetan plateau
• $25 each from just 100 of us will support a new technology program that allows Tibetans to avoid censorship and safely communicate their plight with the world and each other
• For $100 from 100 of us, we can help upgrade a radio transmitter just over the border in India, so that it can broadcast deeper into Tibet and China for one month.

Only freedom of information and dialogue among Tibetans and Chinese can help bring a lasting and peaceful solution to the Tibet problem. Click below now to make a contribution:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/tibet_stop_the_blackout

The situation is dire, and some reports suggest it's getting worse. The Chinese government has even cut phone networks to hinder grassroots organizing efforts by Tibetans and blocked their contact to the outside world – including to Chinese progressives. If we don't help Tibetans access new technologies that can breach the communications blockade, their plight could be silenced behind an impenetrable firewall.

Radio stations, bloggers, censorship avoidance technologies are like fog-lights out of the dark - and vital to the survival of the Tibetan people. Here is what the Dalai Lama says about Voice of Tibet radio – which your support today can help keep on the air:

"This is the only radio service in [the] Tibetan language with a Tibetan editorial board in charge allowing us [Tibetans] to comment on events of Tibetan interest from our perspective.... I would appreciate [...] if sympathetic organizations and individuals could help Voice of Tibet continue functioning..."

Donate today and help keep critical programs like this one alive – they've never been more urgently needed:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/tibet_stop_the_blackout

Freedom of information is vital to the survival of Tibetan culture and a key ingredient in securing Tibetan autonomy. It is also a key way to reach out to progressive Chinese in China, many of whom are looking for alternative perspectives and information. As a global community, we can help ensure access to vital information for Tibetans, Chinese and those of us who are beyond the veil.

With hope,

Brett, Ricken, Alice, Paul, Graziela, Ben, Paula, Luis, Pascal, Veronique, Iain, Milena and the rest of the Avaaz team

P.S. Consider donating to support organizations like Voice of Tibet at this crucial time. They need our support now more than ever. Even a modest donation will go a long way: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/tibet_stop_the_blackout

A year of escalating violence:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA17/011/2009/en
http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/china-amnesty-international-calls-chinese-authorities-open-tibet-2009030

UN Committee Against Torture Report covering the 2008 protests. Relevant section is pages 8-10:
www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/docs/CAT.C.CHN.CO.4.pdf

Human Rights Watch report detailing those unaccounted for:
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/03/09/china-hundreds-tibetan-detainees-and-prisoners-unaccounted

Reports of increased violence across Tibet to 2009:
http://www.savetibet.org/media-center/ict-press-releases/a-great-mountain-burned-fire-chinas-crackdown-tibet

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Today, Coldy 3000 took one step closer towards existence.

In just 4 days, over 123,000 Avaaz members from around the world answered Coldy's call and signed a petition urging the European Union to adopt strong efficiency standards for energy-using products. Today, Avaaz Campaign Director, Luis Morago, along with partners from Friends of the Earth Europe, Natuur en Milieu and some penguins delivered the petition straight to European decision makers -- specifically the Head of Unit of Transparency and Relations with Stakeholders, Gerard Legris, on behalf of President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso. The delivery was a great success with plenty of interest from the press and many bystanders stayed, charmed by the penguins' music and dance. In the coming days, we will also be delivering the petition to high representatives of the Czech Presidency of the EU in Brussels.

But above all else, we're having an impact! Sources tell us that the debate is getting hotter and much more political, thanks largely to increased pressure from campaigning organisations. Stay tuned to the Avaaz blog for more info!

Here is a video of today's event, and check out the photos beneath!

Dear friends,

This week, European regulators will start setting new efficiency standards for fridges, TVs, and other products. Strong rules could massively cut Europe's climate pollution, but industrial lobbyists are pushing to weaken the proposals.

We've received an unusual message: a video sent back in time from the future ... by a talking fridge named "Coldy." Click the picture to watch the video and take action now:

Green technology already exists that would dramatically improve the fridges, TVs, washing machines, and other products that each of us use. Strong green standards, according to expert studies, could have a huge climate impact--greater than taking two thirds of Europe's cars off the road. And these standards would reduce our energy bills by tens of billions of Euros per year.

But the most-polluting companies want to sell dirty products cheaply, and avoid green investment. It's up to us to make sure EU negotiators hear the clear voice of thousands of citizens across Europe -- and not just the voices of industry lobbyists. Click below to watch the video and sign the petition -- it will be delivered to negotiators this Thursday:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/refrigerator_revolution_video

With hope,

Ben, Luis, Iain, Graziela, Paula, Alice, Milena, Ricken, Brett, Pascal, Paul, Veronique, and the entire Avaaz team

FOOTNOTES

1. For more information, updates and policy briefs on the European Eco-design policy process (including the studies and draft legislation on the products covered by this policy, such as TVs, fridges, and lightbulbs), see this site by the NGO coalition ECOS, Greenpeace Europe, WWF-EPO and other leading environmental organizations:
http://www.env-ngo.eup-network.de

2. Last week, more than 100,000 Avaaz members joined the global call for a truth commission to investigate human rights abuses in Bush's war on terror. Avaaz hand-delivered the signatures to the Senate committee and spoke to key U.S. leaders. Click to see photos and a full report:
http://www.avaaz.org/delivery_to_truth_commission

3. Avaaz members will deliver this petition in Brussels with a stunt organized by Friends of the Earth Europe and Natuur en Milieu. For more information, check http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en later this week!

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The night before the US Senate hearing, 60,000 Avaaz members had signed the petition in support of a Commission of Inquiry into Bush's War on Terror - all within 48hours of the petition being launched. By the next morning, the number had jumped an extra 40,000.

When 100,000 names from over 180 countries were officially tabled at the Senate hearing, the international message was clear: find out the truth about the War on Terror, and don't let it happen again. Here are some pictures from the day:

A real Commission of Inquiry would provide a powerful stop signal to further human rights abuses being committed by the US Administration. It would suggest a new era in human rights and a shift in how the US government intends to deal with conflict and terrorism.

Witnesses at the hearing in favour of the Commission made it clear that the best way to respond to terrorism is with justice, due process and human rights. Descending to torture, water-boarding, abductions and wire-tapping only fuels extremism.

As Avaaz Executive Director, Ricken Patel, said "Bush's war on terror tactics are both immoral and incompetent. They violate our fundamental values and stoke the anger and hatred that feed terrorism. Torture and disappearances are more of a gift than a threat to Al Qaeda."

The establishment of a Commission of Inquiry should not be about vengeance or a political witch-hunt. A thorough and honest investigation should be established to ensure accountability and an end to impunity for those who have committed wrongdoings -- created as a preventative measure to limit the possibility of recurrence.

Any Commission must be independent, bi-partisan, and able to investigate all the way up the chain of command. It should have the power to refer for prosecution, but not be a substitute for prosecution. It should be able to follow evidence where it may lead, without fear or favour. Ultimately, it should recommend legislative or policy changes that need to be implemented.

We need to move beyond the language of the War on Terror and start talking about a security framework centred on human rights. But there is still a long way to go. Bagram, the US prison in Afghanistan, contains hundreds of prisoners. The Obama Administration recently restated Bush's line that those detained there should not have the legal right to challenge their detention. Similarly, the state secrets privilege is still being used in cases before the US courts.

An end to the war on terror requires a movement, lawyers, policy makers and politicians. The global outcry, evidenced by the Avaaz petition, shows that to repair relations and restore respect for human rights, the truth must first be uncovered and wrongdoing publicly acknowledged.

Leahy and the Judiciary Committee will need all the support it can get, to get this Commission over the line.

Dear friends,

Let's find out the truth! Sign the petition for an independent investigation into Bush’s War on Terror. Sign the petition here

This week, the US Senate is taking its tentative first steps towards establishing an independent commission into Bush’s War on Terror -- an open investigation into torture, detention, wiretapping and illegal transfers to secret prisons across the globe. This is a major development, but as expected there are very nervous and powerful interests who want to bury it.

A Commission of Inquiry is essential to unravel the full extent of eight years of cover-ups, to hold those responsible to account and to prevent such injustice from happening again. It would send a powerful message that the US wants to repair the damage done to human rights by the Bush years, while strengthening the fight against terrorism.

But without a massive global and US show of support, champion US Senators may not rally the numbers needed to have this commission established. Sign the petition -- which will be presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee before they make their decision this week -- and help get an inquiry with real teeth over the line:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/end_the_war_on_terror

After 8 damaging years, this campaign for justice has a lot to unearth. The hearing this week will begin a process throughout 2009, and as this petition grows, our voices will be submitted to decision makers at every opportunity. But it all starts with a thorough and unflinching Commission of Inquiry - not just to end impunity, but to make sure that the abductions, deaths and disappearances of Guantanamo are never repeated.

Worryingly, the so-called War on Terror is not yet over. Last week the Obama’s Department of Justice argued, as they had under Bush, that detainees at the US facility in Bagram, Afghanistan have no legal right to challenge their detention. Conversely, in a major turnaround it was separately announced that the only remaining ‘enemy combatant’ on US soil is finally to be tried by a US civilian court.

These conflicting decisions reveal an Administration still making up its mind. Now is the time to draw a line in the sand with a bi-partisan Commission that puts the past behind us and empowers an Administration committed to human rights, definitively rejecting torture, refusing to arbitrarily detain and championing the rule of law in its fight against terrorism and in all its global dealings.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/end_the_war_on_terror

As long as the wrongdoing of the Bush years is kept secret and those practices unaccounted for or allowed to continue, mistrust and violence between nations will flourish. Let's plant a seed of hope, understanding a shared commitment by reading this dark page in history before we turn it.

With hope,

Brett, Alice, Pascal, Ricken, Paula, Ben, Graziela, Luis, Paul, Iain, Milena, Veronique - and the entire Avaaz team

More information on the Commission of Inquiry:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-02-25-voa58.cfm

What Amnesty says about a Commission: Investigation, prosecution, remedy
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/151/2008/en

Some options for the Administration
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/weekinreview/22shane.html

More about the Senate Judiciary Committee
http://judiciary.senate.gov/

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Dear friends,

EU leaders meet this weekend to discuss the economic crisis. It's a huge opportunity to create jobs and save the planet -- click below to urge them to embrace a bold green recovery plan: Send A Message Now

In the face of the global economic downturn and the climate crisis, a brilliant new idea is taking hold: green recovery. From China's Hu Jintao to Obama in the U.S., leaders are realizing that a green recovery -- investing in renewable fuels, efficiency, and new technology -- is the best way to create jobs and save the planet at the same time.

But at a summit this weekend, European leaders may miss their chance -- unless enough of us speak up now.

Some European politicians, influenced by special interests, are stuck in the discarded view that helping the economy must hurt the climate, and vice versa. If this mindset wins out, vast sums will be spent on ruinously dirty growth, putting the entire world in peril. But if we raise our voices now, we can help tip the balance towards a cleaner, greener economy that works for us all.

Click below to send a message to European leaders, urging them to commit to a green recovery plan:

http://cdn.avaaz.org/en/europe_green_recovery

Green recovery isn't a dream -- it's already begun. The U.S. has committed to invest almost 1% of its economic output in sustainable recovery programmes. China is racing ahead, putting over a third of its big stimulus package into green investments, while South Korea investing two-thirds of its package in energy efficiency, green jobs, public transport and renewable energy.

The global race to a greener, cleaner future could begin here. But if we fail to switch to clean energy now, any economic recovery risks ending up being crippled by a new oil price spike in a couple of years.

Much more than Europe is at stake. Next April, the 20 biggest economies will gather in London to hash global plans for a coordinated response to the economic downturn. By taking action now, we can put sustainable recovery at the heart of their economic agenda, and set world leaders on the road to a climate deal this December in Copenhagen.

If enough of us write to our leaders now, we can show them that the public rejects the false choice between today's economy and tomorrow's climate. Follow this link now to urge Europe to embrace a green New Deal that creates the jobs of the future, ends our addiction to climate-poisoning fossil fuels, and lays the foundations of a sustainable economic recovery:

http://cdn.avaaz.org/en/europe_green_recovery

With hope,

Ben, Luis, Iain, Ricken, Paul, Alice, Brett, Paula, Graziela, Milena, Pascal, Veronique -- and the rest of the Avaaz team

More information on green economic recoveries:

Great clean-up - can economic rescue plans also save planet? -- The Guardian, 24 Feb 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/24/obama-environment-economic-rescue

Nicholas Stern: An outline of the case for a 'green' Stimulus - London School of Economics, Feb 2009
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/granthamInstitute/publications/An%20outline%20of%20the%20case%20for%20a%20%27green%27%20stimulus.pdf

United Nations Environmental Programme special Green New Deal site:
http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy

Ban Ki Moon and Al Gore: Green Growth is Essential to any Stimulus - Financial Times, 16 Feb 2009
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0fa98852-fc45-11dd-aed8-000077b07658.html

Green or Mean -- graphic of comparing the green impact of national economic stimulus plans:
http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/02/23/ENVIRONMENTweb.pdf

Visit here for the agenda of the meeting:
http://www.eu2009.cz/event/1/3153/

--------------------------------

Dear friends,

Delegates from every country in the world have launched marathon negotiations to decide humanity's response to climate change, culminating in a landmark treaty this December. These negotiations will affect billions of lives -- they are simply too important to leave to bureaucrats and diplomats.

We need to build a public consensus for a strong, fair climate deal, and we’ll need strong allies to help us do that. This weekend, a group of international moral leaders, including Kofi Annan, Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson, Wangari Maathai and Rajendra Pachauri, are meeting to discuss the ethics of climate justice -- they've asked Avaaz members to send them questions to start this conversation.

These leaders have agreed to consider and discuss at least five of our questions -- follow this link now to propose your own question, or vote for your favourites which other Avaaz members have posted. We've only contacted a small group of active Avaaz members, so please do join in the discussion:

http://cdn.avaaz.org/en/climate_justice_forum/

You'll be able to watch the event, webcast live from South Africa, at the same link on Saturday, 28th February from [Noon GMT] -- or see a video of it thereafter. The principles discussed at this event could help to inform our climate campaigning over the next year, as well as the efforts of Kofi Annan and his fellow leaders.

Citizens around the world need to draw a line in the sand for our leaders before it’s too late -- ensuring that the world's response to climate change is grounded in basic principles which are strong and fair. There’s already a great debate gathering about climate justice: how rights and responsibilities can be fairly shared, whether and how poorer countries must reduce their emissions, what finance and technology the richer countries should provide, and how we can minimise the growing risk of catastrophe and ensure that everyone does their part.

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, former Irish President Mary Robinson, Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, and Rajendra Pachauri (chair of the scientists’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) are globally respected voices and ambassadors for change. By engaging in debate with them, we can start to build a public consensus on the deal we need. Let’s ask our questions now at this link:

http://cdn.avaaz.org/en/climate_justice_forum/

Thanks for being part of the global climate conversation!

With warm regards,

Ben, Ricken, Luis, Iain, Milena, Paul, Veronique, Graziela, Pascal, Paula, Alice, Brett -- and the entire Avaaz team

More information about the forum can be found here:
www.ghf-geneva.org/index.cfm?uNewsID=151

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Dear friends,

As Obama visits Canada, help fund an ad campaign asking him to press Harper on climate change: Take action now!

With George Bush out of office, Stephen Harper has lost his biggest ally in avoiding action on climate change. When Barack Obama visits Canada on Thursday, Harper will desperately try to push Obama to accept parts of his do-nothing climate plan.We need to make it clear to the American President that Canada's citizens do not support their Prime Minister on this issue, and support Obama to take a firm position in telling Mr. Harper that the bad old days are over, and its time for both the US and Canada to act responsibly.

The media will be eagerly following Obama's first international visit, so we're publishing a big ad in the Washington Post on Wednesday (see right) to attract attention, clearly telling President Obama and the US media where Canadians stand. The ad will also be delivered directly to Obama's climate advisor. We have just 36 hours to raise enough funds to place the ad. Since this is a message from Canadians, the more of us who donate and endorse it, the stronger its message will be. Click below to join in:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/canucks_to_obama/?CLICKTRACK

2009 is THE make or break year for the earth's climate. It will take every nation working at its best to mobilize fast enough to get a global treaty at the UN Copenhagen summit in December, and Canadians want to be part of the solution. But we're stuck with a Prime Minister and an Environment Minister who are in the pocket of the oil industry, despite all their public claims to be green. On Thursday, Harper will likely offer guaranteed oil supplies to the US in return for Obama agreeing to exempt Canada's tar sands oil (which pollutes 3-4 times as much as regular oil) from global regulation. Side deals like this will effectively kill the global climate treaty at Copenhagen that the world desperately needs.

Obama is facing an uphill fight to get a progressive climate plan through in his own country, so we need to make sure that he doesn't feel any need to make damaging deals with our Prime Minister. Most Canadians are not represented by our government, so on this most crucial issue and visit, we have to conduct our own diplomacy, and give President Obama the true message of Canadians for him on climate change.

With hope,

Ricken and the Avaaz Canada team

PS - here's a link to reports on past Avaaz campaigns -
http://www.avaaz.org/en/report_back_2/

and here's a link for background on Harper's lobbying strategy for the Obama visit:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081105.wclimate1106/BNStory/National/home

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Dear friends,

A shocking new far-right politics is taking hold in Israel and it threatens all we've worked for -- let's help progressives in Israel organise and build a fresh new voice for peace: Watch the Shocking Video, Take Action Now

It's a dark day in the Middle East: the right-wing has won the most seats in Israel's elections, and racist extremist Avigdor Lieberman is now the kingmaker in forming the next government.[1] Lieberman and his fellow leaders are promising to bomb Iran, re-invade Gaza and abandon any ceasefire, stop negotiations and crack down on Israel's large Arab minority. This could kill all we've worked for in the Middle East. But many progressives in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) share our feelings -- and they desperately need our solidarity today.

Wherever extremists have triumphed, we have to organise to beat them. Many thought all hope was lost in the USA after the neo-conservatives' victory -- then progressives used the internet to come back from the wilderness, and achieved the unthinkable by putting Barack Obama in the White House.[2] In Israel today, the despair of the old peace camp opens up a powerful moment to build a fresh new voice against hatred and for peace.

Just $10,000 could help two young Israeli activists use the Avaaz model of internet organizing to reach and mobilise tens of thousands of other Israelis this year -- $5000 would buy billboards in Jerusalem to launch their first campaign with a splash. Follow this link to watch our shocking short video of Lieberman's extremist agenda -- and let's donate now to help a new generation in Israel urgently speak out for peace and change:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/change_in_israel

We have a strong network in Israel to work with already, with almost 10,000 Avaaz members and contacts with promising young organisers who are hungry for change. They just need our support to organise across divides, uniting Israel's scattered constituencies for peace and justice. Many Israelis supported our global campaign for a Gaza ceasefire and joined their voices with ours on climate change, Burma, Tibet and Zimbabwe -- now it's time for us to stand with them.

Even if they are in a minority at first, a strong progressive voice in Israel should make our efforts for the right kind of US and international diplomacy much more effective. We know the forces we're up against. But beneath the surface we often find Israeli majorities for peace, social justice and pragmatism. Before these elections, when Israel's government broke off talks and launched the Gaza offensive, a majority polled wanted to renew the ceasefire with Hamas instead, and we've seen broad support for a wider peace at many times.[3]

Lieberman's rise itself demonstrates how effective, targeted organising can shape Israel's path for ill -- now a new generation of Israelis need solidarity from us to mobilise against this extremism, and to advance the values and causes we share. Everyone who donates to help fund this Israeli organising effort will be kept informed with reports on its progress. Watch the short video of Lieberman's savage campaign now at the link below, and help support a new generation in Israel to organise for change:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/change_in_israel

With hope and determination,

Paul, Graziela, Ricken, Ben, Alice, Paula, Iain, Pascal, Milena, Brett and the whole Avaaz team

Sources:

1. "Key to who will govern Israel: Avigdor Lieberman", Christian Science Monitor (12 February 2009):
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0212/p01s04-wome.html

Ha'aretz: "Unite to block Lieberman's march on Jerusalem" (1 February 2009)
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1060124.html

2. See this report from MoveOn.org on the impact of the online organising efforts they pioneered: http://s3.moveon.org/pdfs/moveon_postelectionreport_ah14.pdf

3. See this Hebrew University poll published in December 2008:
http://www.bicom.org.uk/background/opinion-polls/truman-psr-poll--16-december-2008

--------------------------------------------------------------

Dear friends,

250,000 desperate civilians are caught in the crossfire of Sri Lanka's civil war. U.S. Secretary of State Clinton will be briefed on the number of messages sent by Avaaz members urging protection for civilians -- click below to easily send one now: Take Action Now

In Sri Lanka, Asia's longest-running and often forgotten civil war is coming to a bloody climax, with 250,000 desperate civilians trapped in the crossfire.

The US government, Sri Lanka's biggest trade partner and one of its biggest development and military aid donors, has the most influence. The US has called for safe zones to protect civilians, but needs to use real diplomatic pressure to persuade both sides to agree to this, making clear that aid and trade deals as well as international legal consequences could be at stake.

Senior US diplomats have agreed to brief Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the number of messages sent by Avaaz members over the next few days -- and to respond to our messages in writing. This is a real chance to persuade the Obama team to play a constructive role in this serious crisis. Click here to easily send a pre-written or personalized message now:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/sri_lanka_civilians

There have been atrocities and tragedies on both sides of Sri Lanka's long war -- most of them unrecorded and hidden from the world, due to the government's brutal campaign against independent journalism. The end of the fighting won't, by itself, resolve the injustices that ultimately caused it; after the guns are silenced, the legitimate concerns of the Tamil and other minority groups must be addressed throughout the political dialogue and reconstruction that will follow.

But right now, in these final weeks or days of fighting, the quarter-million trapped Tamil civilians must not become the war's final casualties.

Let's add our voices to those activists and human rights advocates who throughout the years have fought against the marginalisation of minority groups and the deterioration of basic rights across Sri Lanka.

Click here to urge U.S. Secretary of State Clinton -- Obama's top diplomat -- to support the threatened civilians in Sri Lanka:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/sri_lanka_civilians

With hope,

Luis, Ben, Graziela, Ricken, Paula, Alice, Iain, Pascal, Paul, Milena, and the rest of the Avaaz team

SOURCES:

Press Release by Human Rights Watch on appalling situation of civilians in Sri Lanka
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/02/03/sri-lanka-disregard-civilian-safety-appalling

United States and United Kingdom Joint Statement on the Humanitarian Situation in Sri Lanka, 3 February 2009
http://srilanka.usembassy.gov/sdpr-3feb09.html

"Sri Lanka Rebuffs Pleas for Truce, Says Rebellion Near End" - New York Times, 5 February 2009
http://www.avaaz.org/sri2b

Joint Statement by the so-called Tokyo Co-Chairs (Norway, Japan, US and EU) expressing great concern about the plight of Sri Lankan civilians
http://www.avaaz.org/sri1

News release by the International Committee of the Red Cross on repeated shelling and evacuation of hospital in the conflict zone
http://www.avaaz.org/sri2

Q&A: Sri Lanka crisis, by BBC News
http://www.avaaz.org/sri3

Global media rights groups condemn "culture of impunity and indifference" in Sri Lanka
http://www.avaaz.org/sri4

-----------------------------------------------------

Dear friends,

Our fast has nearly begun. From sunrise to sunset on Sunday, February 1, more than 33,000 of us, from 190 countries, will eat no food as a demonstration of solidarity for the people of Zimbabwe. Thanks for pledging to be a part of this moment!

Here is a message from Kumi Naidoo, the South African activist who recorded the video appeal for the fast:

We are stunned by the response of Avaaz members around the world. I have not eaten a bite of food for eleven days, but when I speak to the African Union summit tomorrow, I will be fortified by your hope and energy. The press and leaders I address will know that they are contending with a serious global movement that will not settle for anything less than bold action. You are making a difference for millions of Zimbabweans. Thank you.

Yesterday, Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change signed on to a unity government with Mugabe in order to help resolve the crisis-with monitoring and safeguards from both sides and other Southern African governments. It was a risky and difficult decision. Now, other African and international leaders must commit to ensuring that Mugabe follows through on sharing power, releasing prisoners, and ending political violence. If this happens, and the unity government holds, then the urgent work of restoring Zimbabwe can begin. Our fast could not come at a more critical moment.

During the fast, we all can read messages from Avaaz members around the world and post them ourselves--as well as see a global map—at this link:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/zimbabwe_fast_map

Here are a few comments previously posted there by Avaaz members who have pledged to fast:

• Ghandi used fasting as a peaceful way to win us our freedom. I do hope that our Zimbabwe brethren are able to overthrow a despot using the same method. This Sunday, I will join you in your protest. – Piu Lahiri, an Indian living in Cairo
• With the hope that this will represent one of the steps to breathe truthful change into Zimbabwe. I pledge to fast as a peaceful way of protesting to the injustice that it is done to the people. – Teodora, Romania
• This is a crusade of people around the world to condemn inequality and the neglect of governments to their people, we will turn it around! much strength Kumi Naidoo, you are not alone. – Féliz Rosales, Peru

While fasting, please be mindful of your health. Rest and drink plenty of water throughout the day. Avaaz cannot accept any responsibility for injury or negative effects of fasting—so if you are pregnant, living with a serious illness, or have any other concerns, please consult your doctor before going without food.Avaaz members are fasting from Argentina to Albania, from Burkina Faso to Burma, from Palestine to Papua New Guineau. Here again is the link to the comments page and global map:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/zimbabwe_fast_map

In Zimbabwe, hope can be as hard to find as food and medicine. But today, through a simple action, each of us around the world is showing that the people of Zimbabwe are not alone.

With hope,

Ben, Alice, Iain, Paula, Ricken, Graziela, Pascal, Paul, Luis, Brett, Milena, Veronique, and the whole Avaaz.org team
_____

Dear friends,

Zimbabwean and South African citizens have launched a hunger strike to press for justice and democracy in Zimbabwe. Help answer their call for global solidarity: Click below to pledge to fast this Sunday�and they will present the world's call to leaders at an Africa-wide summit: Pledge to fast

When Africa's heads of state meet this Sunday, they will be greeted by a crowd of hunger strikers � calling for justice and democracy in Zimbabwe.

Desmond Tutu, Graça Machel, and hundreds of others have joined the fasting campaign in solidarity with the Zimbabwean people �and they have sent an appeal for the world to join in. They have taken this radical action to insist that the humanitarian and human rights crisis of Zimbabwe are immediately addressed and not just a political deal done that allows Mugabe to cling to power.

The more of us that join this powerfully symbolic action, the more effective it will become. Click below see a video appeal from Kumi Naidoo, who is one week into a 21 day hunger strike and then pledge to fast for a day on Sunday in support of the people of Zimbabwe:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/fast_for_zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's crisis�cholera, hyperinflation, hunger, and Mugabe's brutality�keeps worsening. But the movement for change in Southern Africa is growing stronger and bolder. All are aware that the stakes are rising. The European Union just tightened sanctions targeting Mugabe's regime. Hunger strikers in Southern Africa trying to deliver a petition to their leaders' summit on Monday, were blasted by riot police shooting rubber bullets. And this morning, after all-night talks, Southern African leaders tried to fend off global pressure by announcing a "breakthrough" in talks that does not resolve any of the desperate needs of Zimbabwe's citizens�only to see their ploy collapse when the opposition pointed out that no power-sharing agreement had been reached to form a unity government.

The next five days are critical: as Africa's leaders choose their next moves, we have to demonstrate that the world stands strong with Zimbabwe's people, and that Mugabe's reign must end. When the African Union leaders sit down this Sunday in Ethiopia, their decisions will be shaped by the political conditions that we help create.

Time and again, we have rallied. More than 400,000 of us have signed petitions, sending virtual "red cards" to Mugabe that were waved by labour activists in a march this fall. We flew an airplane over the United Nations headquarters to urge Mbeki to support democracy in Zimbabwe. And this Christmas, we sent radio ads to tell the people of Zimbabwe they were not forgotten.

Now, through a symbolic act of unmistakable self-sacrifice, we can take our efforts a level higher. Our solidarity fast will strengthen the moral force of Zimbabwean and South African activists who are demanding real change. Click here to watch the video appeal from South Africa and join the fast:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/fast_for_zimbabwe

One day, democracy will be restored to Zimbabwe--the refugees will return home, the fields will burst with food, the hospitals and clinics will be full of medicine and healing. And all of us will know that in answering the call of a suffering but defiant people, we played a part in their victory.

With hope,

Ben, Alice, Ricken, Iain, Graziela, Luis, Paula, Paul, Milena, Brett, Pascal, Veronique, and the entire Avaaz.org team

SOURCES

The Save Zimbabwe Now campaign is coordinating the hunger strike:
http://www.savezimbabwenow.com

"Save Zimbabwe activists begin hunger strike" - The Times, 1/25/09
http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/News/Article.aspx?id=924433

"Police fire rubber bullets to break protest at SADC meeting" - ZimOnline, 1/26/09
http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=4158

"Catholic bishops say inaction killing Zimbabweans" - AP, 1/26/09
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jd_JZmhdw6XWClfpenWt9g-dqNNAD95US7H01

"Special Report: Crisis in Zimbabwe" - The Times, last update 27 Jan 2009
http://www.thetimes.co.za/specialreports/Zimbabwe/Default.aspx?id=363615

"Zimbabwe Lawyers' submission to SADC Summit" - This Is Zimbabwe, 26 Jan 2009
http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/3120#more-3120

Zimbabwe summit 'agrees' Morgan Tsvangirai should be sworn in next month - The Telegraph, 27 Jan 2009
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/4354023/Zimbabwe-summit-agrees-Morgan-Tsvangirai-should-be-sworn-in-next-month.html

MDC denies Zimbabwe deal claims - BBC - Jan 27, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7852978.stm

---------------------------------

Dear friends around the UK,

The BBC is refusing to show a charitable appeal for Gaza's civilians -- let's deluge its management with messages pressing them to change their minds and broadcast it: Take Action Now

The BBC is refusing to show a charitable appeal for humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians in Gaza -- their suffering is too "politically contentious" apparently.

As dozens of MPs, church leaders and journalists are saying, no fair or decent broadcaster should have to block a charitable appeal like this to protect perceptions of its impartiality. It is not taking sides to give food, shelter and medicine to the civilian victims of conflict -- and the Red Cross, Save the Children and the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) have an exceptional record of helping such victims impartially.

The BBC is funded by us, the British public, and it says it really cares about keeping our trust and its own reputation for impartiality -- but it risks losing both with this terrible mistake. We've got the email addresses of Director-General Mark Thompson and his colleagues: just follow the link below to send your own message urging the BBC to broadcast the appeal, and forward this email to friends and family -- let's deluge them with tens of thousands of messages this week:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/bbc_charitable_appeal

In an interview on the BBC's own Radio 4 Today programme this morning, Mark Thompson was clearly on the defensive, dodging questions from presenter John Humphrys. The number of complaints is being broadcast daily in the media, and this approach has made a big difference in getting the BBC to back down previously. Already over 10,000 complaints have been made -- if we act now and spread the word, we could more than double that by tomorrow.

The BBC's policy says, "Impartiality is an essential part of the BBC's contract with its audience, which owns and funds the BBC. Because of that, the audience itself will often be a factor in determining impartiality" -- in other words, by showing them the strength of support for this charitable humanitarian appeal, we could make them realise their mistake. Even if they refuse, keeping this story in the media through our campaign all week will help many people who were prevented from seeing the appeal to hear about it and donate.

The DEC has answered every question raised about whether and how aid can be delivered. There's a standing public service agreement to broadcast DEC appeals, and commercial terrestrial channels ITV, Channel 4 and Five are all doing so. If the BBC continues to refuse, it will set a terribly dangerous precedent -- implying that civilians in politicised conflicts shouldn't get humanitarian aid, that we have to stand aloof from their suffering to maintain some kind of amoral neutrality.

David Hind, the chief executive of the Charity Commission regulator, said the BBC's refusal would have a direct impact on the money raised, adding: "I can't see how members of the public will confuse a humanitarian appeal for people in desperate need in Gaza with unbalanced reporting."

We're providing links on our website so that you can give a donation yourself, make a phonecall to the BBC or contact your MP about this. But the first step is to send your own message to the BBC now at this link, using our special email tool, and forward this email widely:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/bbc_charitable_appeal

With hope,

Paul, Iain, Alice and the whole Avaaz team

(PS: You may want to personalise the message, e.g. to make a stronger point about your license fee.)

Sources:

1. The Guardian: "Clamour for BBC to show Gaza appeal intensifies", 26 January 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/26/bbc-gaza-appeal-mps-motion

2. Mark Thompson interviewed on the BBC's Radio 4 Today Programme:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7850000/7850617.stm

3. Disasters Emergency Committee responses to the issues of access and impartiality raised by the BBC are at this link, as well as in the Guardian story above:
http://www.dec.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?ap=1&id=320

The DEC's assessment of the situation in Gaza is below:

After an 18 month blockade of Gaza and three weeks of heavy shelling the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is now completely overwhelming.

Thousands of people are struggling to survive with many having lost their homes and most down to their last supplies of food and only limited amounts of fresh drinking water.
Just £25 can buy warm blankets for 8 children
Just £50 can provide a food parcel for a family for one month
Electricity - supplies to Gaza are erratic at best with 75% of the area cut off completely. There is a significant public health risk arising out of the almost collapse of Gaza�s water and sewage system, the running of which is dependent on electricity.
Water - Around 500,000 people are without running water with 37% of Gaza�s water wells not working effectively and fuel reserves depleted due to restrictions on access and damage to pipes.
At least 412 Children have been killed and 1,855 injured
60% of the population is living in poverty
1.1 million people are dependent upon aid to survive.
Health - The capacity of the health system has been significantly reduced due to the damage of at least 21 clinics. Ten primary health care clinics are functioning as emergency clinics and hospitals and intensive care units continue to treat the mass casualties.

Please consider donating to the DEC after you have taken action to stop the BBC blocking the broadcast of their appeal at this link:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/bbc_charitable_appeal


-----------------

With the conflict in Gaza escalating beyond control, Avaaz ran the following ad in the Washington Post and the Congressional Paper, Roll Call. The ad, which was an appeal for strong U.S. leadership to broker a ceasefire, also delivered an Avaaz ceasefire petition signed by 500,000 people. To see the campaign click here.

During the closing days of a two-week critical UN climate change conference in Poland, the world was in danger of losing momentum towards a new global climate treaty. Simultaneous climate discussions at the European Union in Brussels had seen Germany attempt to block progress and seek concessions for its heavily polluting industries -- a move that divided Europe and undermined European leadership at the UN talks.

Former climate hero, German Chancellor Merkel, appeared to have turned climate villain. The reason: a combination of the economic crisis and a 2009 election year meant that Merkel was seriously feeling the pressure to cut spending on environmental programs. With the voice of German industry growing louder in Merkel's ear, it was clear that German public opinion needed as say as well. Avaaz commissioned independent national polls in Germany (as well as in Poland and Italy, two other countries blocking progress). The polls asked a simple question, do voters think there is a compromise between environmental protection and climate action. On the final day of the UN talks in the Poland, Avaaz published the polling results and a message to Merkel as a 3-page series of ads in the official conference newspaper the Gazeta Wyborcza. You can see the ads below, and then click here to read more about our climate campaigning during these December meetings.

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 still riddled with loopholes, and the UN negotiators put off the biggest decisions to next year. But because of a massive wave of global people power, things are much better than they would have been.

Here's what happened. After years of climate leadership, German chancellor Angela Merkel sharply reversed course in recent weeks--threatening to derail the entire European climate plan if German coal plants and heavy industries weren't granted free pollution permits. If Germany, Europe's biggest climate polluter, had had its way, the EU agreement would have been toothless--and European leadership in the global talks would have collapsed.

Avaaz learned about the threat--and swung into action. Look at what we did in ten days:

Photo credits: Robert VanWaarden, David Wargert

• More than 175,000 of us from over 192 countries signed a climate petition to Merkel and other European leaders that was hand-delivered to German and EU diplomats in Brussels, to key Members of the European Parliament in Poznan--and to an Avaaz member in a Merkel costume in front of a sea of German TV cameras in Warsaw as Merkel was discussing climate change behind closed doors a few metres away!
  

• Small donations by more than 450 Avaaz members paid for independent opinion polls in Germany, Italy, and Poland--and uncovered that huge majorities in each country believed their governments should take strong climate action despite the economic downturn. Moreover, far more citizens in each country believed that fighting climate would help the economy than thought it would hurt. The polls were circulated publicly--and privately, in meetings with key German ministers.
  

• Avaaz co-hosted ten daily "Fossil of the Day Award" ceremonies during the UN climate talks, presenting a mock prize to the countries who did the most to obstruct progress. Awarded based on a vote of international green groups--and made possible by a team of local Avaaz volunteers in Poznan, Poland and the international youth delegation--the prize sparked bursts of press coverage in Germany, Italy, and Poland when each country won... not to mention outrage and perhaps some soul-searching from those countries' negotiators.
  

• In the closing days of the EU talks, more than 40,000 Avaaz members sent personal messages about climate change through the public-comment page on Chancellor Merkel's own website, a flood of impassioned appeals from citizens across the planet.
  

• Last Friday, Avaaz took out a four-page advertisement in the Polish newspaper distributed at the UN talks. Facilitated by local Avaaz volunteers and paid for by member donations, the ad used a parody of Star Wars to ask if "Angie Skywalker" was being tempted by the Dark Side to become a climate "Darth Merkel"--and delivered our petition and poll results in a spectacular fashion that was covered on multiple German television networks and around the world.
  
  

We learned that the Darth Merkel ad was waved at the German delegation's morning meeting at the UN talks--and when an Avaaz staffer tried to hand a copy of it to Germany's environment minister, he said he already had one.

The German campaign was an Avaaz-style surge of people-powered political pressure: rapid, targeted, global, and, we now know, effective. Sources close to the Chancellor's office tell us that the German leadership were stunned by the intensity of global reaction to their attempt to backtrack on climate policy. They hadn't anticipated anything close to it. Throughout, Avaaz worked closely with partner groups in Germany, who organized protests and launched ad campaigns throughout Germany--creating a "pressure sandwich" of international and domestic outcry. When the final EU deal was struck, Germany backed down on one of its most damaging demands--the free pollution permits and subsidies for new coal plants.

It wouldn't have happened without us--all of us around the world, whether we waved signs in freezing Warsaw or clicked an online petition from home.

In one sense, it's a small victory in a huge fight. The EU climate package is deeply flawed, and will have to be radically strengthened if Europe is to do its part. And Europe is just one component of the global agreement that will have to be struck in Copenhagen next year--at the end of a process full of pitfalls and obstacles.

But in another sense--as with our climate victories a year ago with Canada and Japan--it's a reminder to all of us that these enormous global problems aren't really so far out of our reach. That political leaders need to be led by regular people. That when enough of us join together, we can change the world.

On Monday, 8th December, Crisis Action staged together with Avaaz members a symbolic protest outside the EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels demanding an immediate deployment of an EU peacekeeping force to protect the population of Congo.

*AS EU FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET ON CONGO,
NEW OPINION POLLS CALL FOR ACTION *

Majorities in Sweden, Spain, Germany
Support Sending Peacekeepers to Congo
As Part of A European Contingent

European Foreign Ministers thus far refusing to commit troops,
but set to discuss Congo again today

In new YouGov/Avaaz public opinion polls in Sweden, Spain and Germany, when asked "To what extent would you support or oppose [Swedish/German/Spanish] troops being part of a European peacekeeping contingent in Congo?", clear majorities of those with an opinion said they would support deploying their own country's troops to Congo.

In Spain, 57% of those with an opinion supported deploying Spanish troops to Congo as part of a European contingent, and only 18% were opposed. In Sweden, 51% of those with an opinion supported deploying Swedish troops, and only 25% were opposed; in Germany, 50% of those with an opinion supported deploying German troops to Congo, and only 33% were opposed.

(More poll results linked from this blog soon - for now, follow the link below to read full press release)

"POLLS: European Majorities Support Sending Peacekeepers to Congo" »

Thanks for everything you do! The Avaaz community has responded extraordinarily to refugee Liberata Rumumba's video appeal from eastern Congo, with over 150,000 Euros donated so far to our campaign for European peacekeepers to protect the civilians of Congo, by almost 6000 people.

This has enabled Avaaz to run ads all this week in Brussels and the key European states which could send peacekeepers - Sweden, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands - ads you can see by scrolling down the Congo entries on this blog or clicking the links above. We've followed up the ads with direct conversations with senior officials and politicians in every country.

Meanwhile, crucially, we've been able to commission polls in these countries and in Germany, supposedly one of the principal opponents of an EU deployment to Congo. Those poll results are coming in now and they're very exciting. We'll release them to the media and here tomorrow, before European foreign ministers meet.

Last week UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon spoke on the phone to Belgian foreign minister Karel de Gucht, asking for a European bridging force. But things were looking bleak when, after speaking with European counterparts, de Gucht told the media other states were refusing to commit troops. Late last week, EU High Representative Javier Solana was dismissing the idea, and our information was that the proposal was collapsing.

But late last week our ads ran, and last Friday, Ban Ki-Moon took things up a notch and wrote formally to Solana and Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme, asking them to help organise a European force for Congo. The Belgians have decided to make one more push at the foreign ministers' meeting tomorrow.

We're helping to organise a symbolic protest outside this meeting in Brussels, and sending briefings, poll results and ads to government contacts - doing everything we can to get the message through. We'll keep you posted...

The ad below ran in the European Voice, the main EU newspaper in Brussels, on 4 December:

These ads ran on 5 December 2008 in De Morgen and La Libre Belgique in Belgium:

The ad below ran, full-page black and white, in the swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheters (4 December, 2008). Click here to download a high resolution pdf

The ad below ran, full-page black and white, in the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad (3 December, 2008). Click here to download a high resolution pdf

This morning we received a video appeal from Liberata Rumumba, a displaced woman in the Eastern Congo. She paints a terrifying picture of violence and pleads with us to help, stating that the only way to stop the bloodshed is by rapidly sending in European troops. Two top experts have concurred with her, warning that Congo looks frighteningly like Rwanda before the 1994 genocide and that only Europe can deploy a strong and neutral force fast enough to halt the terror. But European leaders are wavering as their council meeting approaches - we have just one week to persuade them to act.

We know how to do it -- 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 -- their Africa minister called us immediately, and their position has shifted -- the UK has moved toward supporting a European force!

Now we need to take this effective ad campaign Europe-wide -- placing ads in influential newspapers in key deciding countries. The Times ad was paid for by 300 small donations from Avaaz members. If just 3000 of us donate in the next 48 hours we can run ads across Europe before it's too late. Full page ad prices vary across European papers from just 6,000€ ($8,000) in a major Brussels newspaper to 24,000€ ($30,000) in the top Spanish newspaper. Click below to watch Liberata's video appeal and please donate:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/congo_europe_must_act/

There are only days left to influence decision makers in Europe. Next week the agenda and positions will be determined for the European Union's Council of Ministers meeting on the 8th and 9th of December. If they fail to act now, the people of the Congo will have to wait months before the EU considers the issue again.

Our ad last week and a campaign by over 135,000 Avaaz members helped shift the British government, but we need another EU state to step up and lead the troop proposal. France will support it, but for historical reasons should not send troops. We are being told that Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain could be the key countries that tip the balance. We will start by placing ads in newspapers in those countries and in the European Voice in Brussels - the most widely read newspaper by European politicians - just as EU Ambassadors decide their positions on this issue.

The United Nations has agreed in principle on more peacekeepers for the Congo, but hasn't yet received any pledges, and Congolese people and experts agree that UN forces have completely failed to protect civilians and need European reinforcement. This week, 44 Congolese organizations signed a letter to European leaders asking them to send a new force. Their letter pleads:

"We have been abandoned. Who will protect us? Who will help us? ... with each day that passes, more and more people die... we, the civilian population, have been held hostage and caught between many lines of fire... save our lives now; otherwise it will be too late"

The horrors of the Congo crisis are a stain on the conscience of the world. But, if we act now, we can help move towards a more just and peaceful world--one where threats to human life anywhere are recognised as threats to us all. Follow the link to watch Liberata's video appeal and donate to help these desperate voices reach Europe's leaders:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/congo_europe_must_act/

PS: For a report on Avaaz's campaigning so far, see:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/report_back_2

Liberata Rumumba is a displaced person from eastern Congo - in the video, she appeals to us to press our leaders to protect her fellow civilians there. You can donate to support our European ad campaign here. This video appeal was recorded by an Avaaz member in eastern Congo.

Rallies will be taking place this week across Canada to support a Coalition Government.

Music and speakers! More details coming soon!
http://makeparliamentwork.ca/

CHARLOTTETOWN RALLY - Thurs Dec 4
7 p.m Murphy's Community Centre, Richmond Street

EDMONTON RALLY- Thurs Dec 4
6 p.m. Winston Churchill Square

HALIFAX RALLY - Thurs Dec 4
5:30 p.m. Maritime Hall - Halifax Forum
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=52857905268

MONCTON RALLY - Thurs Dec 4
7 p.m Moncton City Hall Front Lawn, Main Street

OTTAWA RALLY - Thurs Dec 4th
Noon Parliament Hill
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100245105047

REGINA RALLY - Thurs Dec 4
7 p.m. Education Auditorium, University of Regina,

ST JOHNS RALLY- Thurs Dec 4
7 p.m. St. Theresa's Hall, Mundy Pond Road

TORONTO RALLY - Sat Dec 6th
Noon City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=46997744273

VANCOUVER RALLY - Thurs Dec 4th
5 p.m Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre, Ballroom "B"
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=99064915261

WINNIPEG RALLY - Thurs Dec 4
7 p.m. Marlborough Hotel, 331 Smith Street
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=32703073238

http://makeparliamentwork.ca/

A Plea from Local Organizations and Civil Society in North Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,

to the United Nations Security Council

and Other International Leaders

Goma, November 18, 2008

Dear Excellencies,

As the representatives of Congolese non-governmental organizations in North Kivu, we come before your authority to request an immediate reinforcement of peacekeeping forces for the Democratic Republic of Congo, reinforcements that would be capable of protecting us. This would help to prevent the atrocities that continue to be committed against civilians on an ever greater scale here in North Kivu, on the border of Rwanda and Uganda.

This letter presents a sad, cynical, tragic and very frustrating situation, which reveals the misery in which the population of North Kivu are immersed. We are anxious, afraid and utterly traumatised by the constant insecurity in which we live. We don't know which saint to pray to; we are condemned to death by all this violence and displacement. We have been abandoned. Who will protect us? Who will help us? The United Nations says that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, but our dignity and our rights are violated every day with hardly a cry of protest. Do we not deserve protection? Are we not equal to others?

"Call for Help from Congo" »

The ad below ran, full-page black and white, in today's The Times of London newspaper (17 November, 2008). Click here to download a high resolution pdf

The people of Congo need our help. In recent weeks over 200,000 people have been driven from their homes, and murder and rape are rife. The United Nations peacekeeping mission to Congo has not intervened to protect civilians. As this email is sent, families are running for their lives, stuck between the brutal violence of both the rebels and the Congolese army, without food or shelter - their only refuges are crowded camps which now face epidemics of disease. This is a human tragedy of unimaginable proportions. But European foreign ministers meeting earlier this week said it's too early to act.

Europe can deploy a well-equipped protection force to be on the ground in two weeks - no one else can get such a capable presence in that fast. If Europe sent a neutral force to the region and helped put real pressure on Congo and neighbouring countries with UN and African officials, this humanitarian crisis could be addressed and a lasting peace made possible. This tough crisis will not be solved militarily but civilians desperately need protection now, and proper European engagement could help tackle the root causes.

The lesson of Rwanda was to step in before it's too late -- Europe's politicians seem to have forgotten that. The people of eastern Congo need us now. Send a message to your leader and forward this email to friends and family-- we'll also place our message in newspapers around Europe. The situation is deteriorating by the day. The more messages that the European leaders receive this week, the more they will feel that their citizens and people around the world expect them to respond and protect the Congolese people. Follow this link to send your message now:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/european_action_on_congo/

The recent clashes between General Nkunda's militias and the Congolese army are the latest in a place where the population has been attacked and terrorised for years by armed groups. Over five million people have been killed. It's been termed 'Africa's world war', with Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia all getting involved. The fighting is fed by a lethal war economy based on the extraction of minerals such as coltan, cobalt, diamonds and gold, to which we're all connected through the worldwide market.

Allegations abound of Angolan and Zimbabwean troops fighting alongside the Congolese army -- Congolese army soldiers committing atrocities and working with militias including the Rwandan Hutu Forces, some of whose leaders were responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide -- and the Rwandan army supporting General Nkunda to muscle the Congolese government to fulfill its commitment to demobilise these same Hutu militias. So it is no surprise that African-only diplomacy is faltering.

The United Nations mission (MONUC) is in Congo to keep the peace between this web of armed groups, but recently it has made clear statements that it cannot protect civilians. We have heard reliably that MONUC are desperate for a rapid EU bridging force to do what they can't and start restoring international legitimacy, which has been lost through overstretch and perceptions of taking sides -- UN troops have fought alongside the Congolese army and are even accused of sheltering pro-government militias.

To have a credible and effective force the United Nations mission will soon have to be reformed and redeployed. In the longer term, the international community needs to be a strong and honest broker to ensure implementation of peace agreements and confront the underlying issues feeding this war. If Europe sends a short-term, neutral force to the region now to protect civilians, it can start to change the terms of this brutal game -- providing a basis both to defend the defenceless and to apply political leverage to all sides. Click below to send a message asking your own country's leader to support action now:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/european_action_on_congo/

We cannot let the best chance to stop the terror in Congo slip by as European leaders turn their backs. Congo needs concerted engagement now. Europe is providing millions in aid to Congo and Rwanda to ensure reconstruction and development, but without a more forceful and permanent push, there will be no peace to keep.

Let's flood European leaders with requests for firm action. Send a message and please send it to your friends and family:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/european_action_on_congo/

Sources:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5126970.ece

http://www.monuc.org/news.aspx?newsID=18960

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/10/congo-kiwanja-un-goma-angola-laurent-nkunda-war-crimes-fighting

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/congos-tragedy-the-war-the-world-has-forgotten-14023616.html

http://www.monuc.org/news.aspx?newsID=18996

http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2008/081107_Mulet.doc.htm

"Since Monday, Uribe has also been receiving thousands of emails calling on him to engage in "Dialogue, Not Violence!" -- an Internet campaign by Avaaz.org, an international global online advocacy network."

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44426

Check out our campaign page: http://www.avaaz.org/en/derechos_indigenas_colombia/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COLOMBIA: Uribe Agrees to Talks with Indigenous Protesters By Constanza Vieira*

BOGOTA, Oct 23 (IPS) - "The police did fire" on indigenous protesters, said Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, who yielded to pressure to meet next Sunday with the leaders of a two-week-long demonstration by native groups.

On Wednesday night, the rightwing president acknowledged an incident that was videotaped by protesters in the La María indigenous reservation in the southwestern province of Cauca and broadcast by the U.S. cable news network CNN. The video shows a masked, uniformed police officer shooting in the direction of the demonstrators.

But with respect to the three indigenous people killed since the protests began on Oct. 12 -- one on Oct. 14 and two on Oct. 21 -- Uribe maintained that they weren't shot by the security forces, but were killed by explosives used by "the terrorists," as he refers to the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, who he accuses of infiltrating the peaceful demonstration.

National police chief General Óscar Naranjo, meanwhile, said that "up to 700 police" have been deployed against the protesters, although last week he said the police numbered 1,000.

Naranjo identified the police sniper by name, and said he opened fire because "250 indigenous people" were throwing explosives from a nearby ditch.

The indigenous movement roundly rejects allegations that participants in the demonstration have used explosives.

On Thursday evening, Uribe personally called the cell-phone of one of the leaders of the demonstration, named the National Minga of Indigenous and Popular Resistance ("minga" is a traditional indigenous meeting for the collective good), Daniel Piñacué, to inform the organisers that he would meet with them Sunday in Cali.

Although the thousands of demonstrators have already made half of the 98-km trek northwards from La María to Cali, the capital of the province of Valle del Cauca, Uribe had originally scheduled his Sunday meeting with the leaders at 9:00 AM in Popayán, the capital of the neighbouring province of Cauca, 130 km south of Cali.

The Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC) had responded earlier Thursday to Uribe's initial agreement to talks by protesting in an open letter that the meeting with the indigenous community leaders should not take place far away from the rest of the people participating in the Minga.

The leaders are also insisting that the talks take the form of a public debate, and that the agenda include the questions of human rights, an end to attacks on indigenous communities and occupation of their territory, the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a repeal of laws that threaten indigenous reservations and thus the very survival of native groups, and compliance with previous agreements signed with social organisations and movements.

ALONG THE WAY

An assembly of 115 traditional indigenous leaders, presided over by local Guambiana council member Ayda Quilcué, was held Wednesday in Santander de Quilichao in Cauca province, 60 km from Cali, to organise food and water supplies for the roughly 30,000 men and women now taking part in the Minga.

The protesters took the assembly's advice to rest up and regain their strength, under improvised tents in the midday heat, and amidst smoke from cooking fires and the aroma of food.

They were also waiting for the arrival of another 6,000 to 7,000 members of the Awá, Pasto, Pijao, Embera-Katío, Embera-Dovida, Embera-Chamí, Zenú, Kankuamo, Wayúu, U'wa, Barí, Mokaza, Quillacinga, Kamentzá, Tule, Muisca, Sikuani, Coreguaje, Sáliba and Inga native ethnic groups from 20 of Colombia's 32 departments (provinces).

Although entire family groups are taking part -- grandparents, parents, siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins -- children, who did participate in a similar Minga march to Cali four years ago, are noticeably absent this time around.

"The harsh clashes with the security forces that occurred over the last two weeks in La María led to our decision that they should not take part, so they have returned home," one father told IPS.

Welcomed by applause from local residents, the Minga participants filed into the town of Villa Rica at noon Thursday. In the afternoon, the march was joined by sugar cane cutters who have been on strike since Sept. 15 demanding basic rights like stable job contracts, a living wage, and sick days.

Four leaders of the cane harvesters' strike have been arrested, as well as two well-known advisers of leftwing Senator Alexander López, who is chairman of the Senate human rights commission.

In June, López called a public hearing in the Senate on the harsh working and living conditions of the sugar cane workers. A month earlier, Uribe had suggested that he be arrested for "inciting class struggle." The president made his suggestion to a general whose alleged ties to a local drug trafficker emerged in September.

A column of indigenous women taking part in the Minga was joined before reaching Villa Rica by two women's peace groups, the Ruta Pacifica de las Mujeres (Women's Peace Route) and the Organización Femenina Popular (Popular Women's Organisation, OFP).

The Minga participants are listening to local residents at every village and town along the way, and explaining what they are demanding of the Uribe administration, such as respect for the "territorial integrity and collective and human rights of indigenous people," which they say are violated because their natural resource-rich lands are coveted by transnational corporations, landowners and other economic interests, and are fought over by the armed groups in the country's decades-long civil war.

They are also calling for the repeal of constitutional reforms and laws that they say infringe on their rights, like the rural statute, the mining code, water laws and the forestry law.

The Minga has now added to its demands a public clearing of their name by the president, who has called them "terrorists" and has urged that their leaders be arrested and brought to trial.

The police have accused the Quilcué Council of ties to the guerrillas, and Uribe ordered the trial of Nasa leader Piñacué, indigenous governor of the Calderas reservation and director of the Nasa de Belalcázar radio station in Cauca.

"It's obvious that President Uribe has it out for our people, and is vociferating against us in the media, offering rewards, militarising our territories, and accusing our leaders," said a statement issued by the CRIC.

UNDER PRESSURE

Uribe's acknowledgement that the police had opened fire on the demonstrators was prompted by the video broadcast around the world. But why did he agree to the protesters' demand for talks?

On Thursday, public employees and other sectors took part in a 24-hour strike called by the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT) central workers union. And truckers, whose work stoppage in August caused severe economic problems, joined the Minga Wednesday and announced that they would also take part in Thursday's strike.

Since Monday, Uribe has also been receiving thousands of emails calling on him to engage in "Dialogue, Not Violence!" -- an Internet campaign by Avaaz.org, an international global online advocacy network.

He also received strongly-worded letters Wednesday from Argentine Nobel Peace Prize-winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and 32 members of the European Parliament (MEPs), at a time when the Colombian government is hoping for a free trade agreement with the European Union.

The signatories included the vice president of that body, Italian lawmaker Luisa Morgantini, and members of the DAND Delegation, which is handling relations with the Andean Community trade bloc, made up of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

The MEPs from 13 different countries expressed "deep indignation about these serious violations of indigenous and trade unionists' rights that should not go unpunished.

"We consider as legitimate the claims of the indigenous people for the respect of their land and autonomy, for the survival of their 102 different peoples, of which 18 are in constant danger of disappearance, and for the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources. Likewise we recognise the legitimate claims of the sugar cane workers for decent work," they added.

"We urge the Colombian government to order the police and army to immediately stop the repression against the indigenous peoples' and workers' movement," said the MEPs, who also condemned "the permanent use of the pretext of fighting against terrorism to repress the social movement in Colombia."

For his part, Pérez Esquivel said the police crackdown on the Minga was "brutal and inconceivable," and criticised Uribe's "lack of propensity to engage in dialogue."

"To say there are infiltrators in the demonstrations and that they are attacking the police is of a naïvete that is hard to believe," he added in his letter.

"In these demonstrations, indigenous people are merely demanding respect for their right to their land, respect for the autonomy of their communities, and fulfillment of agreements signed with the government," said Pérez Esquivel. * With additional on-site reporting by Judith Henríquez Acuña. (END/2008)

For the last two years, the Harper government has done everything it could to wreck the world's efforts to fix climate change. At UN negotiations, Canada has been voted the WORST country in the world on climate change 3 times! Now, it's election time, and we have to make sure that Harper pays the price at the polls for his reckless and un-Canadian climate policy.

Avaaz is targeting 3 of Harper's top lieutenants (including Environment Minister John Baird) where it will hurt them the most -- at the grass roots. Together, we will try to stop their re-election with ad campaigns telling their constituents just how irresponsible they've been in the name of all Canadians. We'll beat them not by supporting any one party, but by appealing to all voters to help save the planet by voting for the candidate most likely to beat the Conservatives. Below, are the first two of a series of ads we will be running. To help launch the campaign and run the ads, please click here to donate!

During the Beijing Olympics, Avaaz spread an Olympic message of peace and hope to Chinese diaspora communities in New York and San Francisco by running a series of mobile billboards. The ads were part of our Handshake campaign to spread a powerful, unambiguous message of peace, friendship and dialogue to the Olympics and countries around the world. The ads spent a few days in the Chinatowns of these cities and then drove around the city centres. Check out the photos, below:

In English (click image to download print-ready PDF):

In Chinese (click image to download print-ready PDF):

On August 8, the opening day of the Beijing Olympics, Avaaz had a team of people walking on foot through central London, with billboards calling for meaningful dialogue from the Chinese on Darfur, Burma, and Tibet. It was part of our Handshake campaign to spread a powerful, unambiguous message of peace, friendship and dialogue to the Olympics and countries around the world. The Look-Walkers walked through Chinatown and then headed up to Trafalgar Square where the launch of the 2008 Olympics was being shown on jumbo Tv screens. Check out the photos, below:

Due to popular demand we're pleased to announce Avaaz members can now buy our "Give peace a hand" T-shirts. We're selling them through Zazzle.com which gives you the chance to customise your shirt's colour and style. To get your shirt now, click on the image below!

**20% of the cost of your shirt will go towards Avaaz campaign efforts to make our world a better place.

These ads served as part of our Olympics handshake campaign which was launched ahead of the Beijing Olympics as a moment to bring global citizens together in the spirit of Olympic solidarity to call for progress on Tibet, Darfur and Burma. Prior to the games, the Chinese government still hasn't opened meaningful dialogue on Tibet or made progress on Burma and Darfur -- and global activists' messages were being lost in a firestorm of accusations about being anti-Chinese.

The handshake attempted to take the Olympic moment back with a powerful, unambiguous message of peace, friendship and dialogue. It began with the Dalai Lama, passing through the streets of London, and then it went online where hundreds of thousands of people joined in. Finally, the message was spread further around the world through a massive Olympic media campaign before the closing ceremonies. The ads appeared on billboards and in newspapers from San Francisco to London, Athens to Singapore.

Love China, Love Tibet:




Love China, Love Darfur




Love China, Love Burma/Myanmar

The International Criminal Court indicted Sudan's President Omar Al Bashir for genocide.

Check our ad campaign to support ICC initiative:

The ad below ran, full-page black and white, in today's Financial Times newspaper (9 July, 2008). Click here to download a print-ready PDF file.

This ad ran in glorious full-page colour in all editions of today's Financial Times -- sponsored and endorsed by Avaaz members in 166 countries. (Click here for a print-ready huge PDF.)

Here are some links to learn more about the Bali and Australia stories:

BALI

Read more about Avaaz campaigning at Bali.
Check out our Titanic ad:

...and the Asahi Shimbun article about its impact:

AUSTRALIA

For photos and stories about the Avaaz-GetUp campaigning about climate targets at Australia's APEC summit, click here -- and check out this video:

...and also have a look at GetUp's "Be Climate Clever-Er" ad, broadcast in a huge nationwide push:

...all of which sets the stage for the new Avaaz "Hello Kiddies" ad!

This ad ran, full-page in black and white, in all editions of the Financial Times today (Monday, July 7, 2008). A print-ready, 3.8MB PDF file can be accessed at this link. The press release is online here.

More ads will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In an an attempt to cow and intimidate people into voting, Zimbabwe's statesecurity agents had launched "Operation Red Finger" to identify if peoplehad voted by checking if they had indelible ink-stains on their finger.Those who had not voted could be beaten and forced to do so. (Chaz Maviyane-Davies, Photographer/Artist)

To: President Kikwete, Chairperson of the African Union
To: President Yar'Adua, Chairperson of the Peace and Security Council, AU
To: President Mwanawasa, Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community
To: Dr Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission
To: Members of the UN Security Council

Your Excellencies,

As you know, Zimbabwe is in the throes of a devastating political, economic, and humanitarian crisis. A presidential run-off election was scheduled for June 27th but the widespread political violence inflicted on the population has overshadowed the poll to the point where the opposition feels it cannot participate. Indeed President Mugabe insists he would remain in office regardless of the results, mocking the courage of those voters still willing to go to the polls. Meanwhile men, women and children are daily bludgeoned, medical care is scarce, homesteads burned, food is exhausted and the thousands displaced are on the move. The depth of the crisis has moved the governments of Tanzania, Angola, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Botswana to express their concern and to criticise the government of President Robert Mugabe.

African leadership is desperately needed at this time; we urge you to launch an urgent program of action to accomplish the following goals:

- Cessation of the violence and repression through deployment of a protection force and monitors, and containment of perpetrators;

- Restoration of aid flows and urgent increase of humanitarian assistance;

- Convening of a process to secure a political solution establishing effective governance, restoration of the rule of law, independence of the judiciary, along with necessary steps to allow economic recovery and a rapid return to democratic rule.

- Prevention of any further destabilizing spillover into the wider region.

THE DEPTH OF THE CRISIS

ZANU-PF responded to President Mugabe's loss in the first round of elections on March 29, 2008, with violent retaliation against the population, characterized by brutal beatings, burning of homes and villages, harassment, arrests, and torture. The violence is largely one-sided, perpetrated by agents of the government and ruling party and the impact has been devastating; indeed, what Zimbabwe is now experiencing is more akin to conflict, than an election. In such conditions, while we salute the determination of the voters to be heard, any election result must lack credibility.

The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights states that it has documented so many cases of systematic violent assault and torture that at times its members have been overwhelmed by the numbers. In May alone ZADHR members saw 1007 patients suffering from extensive injuries sustained during these violent attacks. A hospital in Harare says it has seen almost 2000 victims of violence and torture since the first round poll. The opposition MDC states that at least 70 of its supporters have now been killed and 25,000 forced from their homes as a result of the state's campaign of violence.

A CONFLICT SITUATION

As observed by President Kagame of Rwanda, there is no reason to hold a vote if you do not intend to abide by the outcome. Yet President Mugabe declared that he would refuse to cede power, regardless of the result. He thereby confirms that an election cannot resolve Zimbabwe's crisis. President Mugabe even threatened more violence, warning of "war" if the vote goes against him. Continental leaders and regional neighbours can have no clearer indication of the threat to regional peace and security and the impending and increased danger to civilians, a threat that is even greater if the election is not completed. We call on you to find solutions for Zimbabwe that go beyond merely salvaging the election.

NEIGHBOURS AT RISK

Regional governments bear a significant burden as a result of the economic and political crisis. Approximately 25% of the people of Zimbabwe have left. Millions of them are now in neighbouring countries and their needs impose a strain on already stretched domestic social services and intensify tensions between the host population and immigrant communities. This flow of people across borders contributes to active instability and conflict in the region as evidenced by the recent xenophobic attacks against immigrant populations in South Africa. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has recognized the threat that the situation in Zimbabwe poses to peace and security in its region by mandating President Thabo Mbeki's efforts to mediate a resolution to the crisis between the ruling party and the opposition. It is time to make resolution of Zimbabwe's problems a priority for the continent.

AFRICA'S RESPONSIBILITY TO ZIMBABWE'S CITIZENS

Although SADC must be commended for its attempts so far to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe, its effort has not been repaid. The ruling party is effectively refusing to subject itself to a democratic contest, and waging a violent conflict against its citizens, aggravating a humanitarian crisis. As such it has lost legitimacy, triggering a necessary shift in Africa's stance. Under the Constitutive Act of the African Union, member states are enjoined to "promote and protect human and peoples' rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights" and the African Union has an obligation "to intervene in a Member State pursuant to a decision of the Assembly in respect of grave circumstances, namely war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity." There is extensive documentation in Zimbabwe today of torture and killing of named individuals by agents of the ruling party and government who have been described and/or identified. African Union engagement, particularly by the Peace and Security Council, is fully mandated by conditions on the ground and is urgently needed.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

To SADC: Convene an emergency summit to:- Recognize the failure of the Government of Zimbabwe towards its citizens and the need for an urgent regional, continental, and international response;

- Request the AU to assume leadership of a mediation process with support from SADC and the UN;

- Authorize and initiate a discussion with international partners about funding humanitarian needs and a recovery plan for Zimbabwe.

To the AU Peace and Security Council: Convene an emergency session to:

- Establish the responsibility of Zimbabwe's authorities for the situation, confirm AU responsibility to protect civilians and prevent further destabilization of the region;

- Authorize deployment of a protection force and additional monitors;

- Plan discussions with the United Nations about support, resourcing and deployment of a protection force;

- Send a fact-finding mission to determine the level of responsibility of the different branches of the State in the current human rights violations and humanitarian crisis.

To the AU Commission:

- Include, as an urgent matter, the current situation of Zimbabwe in the agenda of the Sharm El Sheikh Summit and ask the Assembly for a mandate to intervene in the crisis and protect citizens;

- Appoint a Special Envoy on Zimbabwe;

- Authorise him/her to initiate dialogue with key players and the international community with the objective of establishing a mediation process aimed at achieving a political settlement and associated plan of work for achieving long lasting peace and timetable for return to democracy.

The UN Security Council:

- Urgently adopt the crisis in Zimbabwe as an official item on the UNSC agenda recognizing the threat it poses to international peace and security and requiring regular political and humanitarian briefings to the Council;

- Issue a clear statement indicating GoZ responsibility for the current violence, deploring the tactics used against the population by the GoZ and demanding the facilitation of adequate humanitarian assistance;- Provide support for an AU-led mediation effort and protection force.

Respectfully,

1. Action des Chrétiens Activistes des Droits de l'Homme à Shabunda (ACADHOSHA), DRC
2. Aids Law Project, South Africa
3. Botswana Civil Society Solidarity Coalition on Zimbabwe (BOCISCOZ), Botswana
4. Centre for Excellent on Aid Effectiveness, Ghana
5. Centre for Peace and Conflict Management (CAFSO), Nigeria
6. Coalition for Peace In Africa (COPA), Southern Africa
7. Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Zimbabwe
8. East African Law Society (EALS), East Africa
9. Economic Justice Network of FOCCISA, Southern Africa
10. Environnement, Ressources Naturelles et Développement (ERND), DRC
11. Foster National Cohesion (FONACON), Kenya
12. Global Zimbabwean Forum, Switzerland
13. Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF), South Africa
14. Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA), South Africa
15. Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Kenya
16. le Centre de Recherche sur l'Environnement, la Démocratie et les Droits de l'Homme (CREDDHO), DRCFor full list of signatories, please follow this link:
17. Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), Namibia
18. Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ), Zimbabwe
19. MISA, Swaziland
20. Muslim Human Rights Forum (MHRF), Kenya
21. National Association of Democractic Lawyers, South Africa
22. Nigeria Bar Association, Nigeria
23. Open Democracy Advice Centre, South Africa
24. Open Society Foundation for South Africa (OSF), South Africa
25. Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), Southern Africa
26. Positive Life Association of Nigeria (PLAN), Nigeria
27. Protection Enfants Sida, DRC
28. Public Personalities Against AIDS Trust, Zimbabwe
29. Rencontre Africain pour Defence des Droits des L'Hommes (RADDHO), Senegal
30. SANGONeT, South Africa
31. Southern Africa Communications for Development (SACOD), South Africa
32. Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), Southern Africa
33. Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW), Southern Africa
34. Southern African Legal Assistance Network (SALAN), Southern Africa
35. The Botswana Centre for Human Rights - Ditswanelo ¸ Botswana
36. Treatment Action Movement (TAM), Nigeria
37. Trust Africa, Senegal
38. West Africa Bar Association, West Africa
39. West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), West Africa
40. Youth Intercommunity Network, Kenya
41. Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, Zimbabwe
42. Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development, Zimbabwe
43. Zimbabwe Exiles Forum, South Africa/Zimbabwe
44. Zimbabwe Human Rights Association, Zimbabwe
45. Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Zimbabwe
46. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZHLR), Zimbabwe
47. Zimbabwe Liberation Veterans Forum ¸ Zimbabwe
48. Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), Zimbabwe
49. Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum (ZSF), South Africa
50. Zimbabwe Women's Resource Center Network, Zimbabwe
51. The African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), Kenya

*** Sent by Avaaz supporter and volunteer Duncan Maru ***

Climate change will certainly be one of the top agenda items at the G8 summit during the first week of July, but the real question is whether the G8 leaders will actually take decisive action to stop global warming. Leaders from each of the G8 countries have frittered away most of the momentum gained in 2007 and continue to avoid the pressing need to make binding, national targets to decrease carbon emissions. All the important innovations and ideas aimed at reducing global warming--from wind energy to fuel efficiency to changes in consumer behavior --can not be effective unless countries make the firm, immediate, political commitment to reduce carbon emissions. This meeting, a prelude to the broader G8 summit next month, marks a critical juncture at which the world's most powerful-- and polluting-- countries can start to take leadership on the issue.

Host country Japan plays a particularly central role here, and there is some reason for optimism. A recent Pew global attitudes poll showed that the 66% of Japanese citizens are concerned "a great deal" about global warming--the highest total among the countries surveyed (the same figure was 19% in the United States and 26% in Britain) [1]. Within the government, the Environment Ministry supports mandatory, national caps on carbon emissions. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, however, opposes these critical policy changes [2]. Japan's Prime Minister, Yasuo Fukuda, is the key to shaping his administration's ultimate stance on it, and it looks presently as if he is leaning the wrong way -- on the side of the Trade Ministry [3]. Avaaz members need to show Mr. Fukuda that the global community supports the Japanese public and his colleagues in the Environment Ministry in trying to achieve aggressive policy action in Japan.

Why is this important? Most Avaaz members are well aware of the pressing need for action on climate change, but let's briefly recap. To avoid a greater than 2 degrees Celsius increase in global temperatures over pre-industrial levels, the scientific consensus is that greenhouse gases must be limited to 450 parts per million carbon dioxide over the next century [4]-- though some argue that even this figure may be too high and it should be as low as 350 ppm [5]. To achieve this and avoid environmental catastrophe, action must be taken swiftly [6,7]. Countries would need to reach a 60-80% reduction in carbon emissions over 1990 levels by 2050 [4]. An important graphic from the journal Science, showing clearly that if we continue to fail to act (blue line), the rate of carbon emissions we will need to achieve the desired greenhouse gas level may be out of reach [4]:

Unfortunately, our current trajectory is looking more like the blue line than the red. To get to where we need to be in 2050, the G8 and other highly industrialized countries must reduce carbon emissions 25-40% of 1990 levels by 2020 [8]. While scientific innovation is critical, the key next political step is for each of the G8 countries to take the lead and enact binding (mandatory), national caps on emissions at these levels. The non-EU members-- Russia, Canada, United States, Canada, and Japan-- have been particularly slow to move on this. Other proposals that include voluntary or sectoral caps fail to guarantee that these literally earth-saving emissions reductions can be reached. Although the specific, technical aspects of carbon emissions reductions schemes are debatable, allowing companies to choose to reduce their emissions leaves too little to chance in an area where there is so much at stake. For example, a group of American researchers showed that mandatory caps on two acid rain polluters-- Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxides-- each were reduced over 25% from 1991 to 2002 in the United States. In contrast, carbon dioxide, subject to voluntary standards, rose 25% during the same period [9,10]. Clearly, under a voluntary carbon dioxide regime, the United States went in the wrong direction. The experience of Canada also has shown that, despite a relatively strong popular and political will to enact change, voluntary caps failed to achieve its Kyoto goals [11].
Unfortunately, Fukuda's seems to currently favor the Trade Ministry's strategy and is considering largely voluntary, sectoral-- that is, targets set within specific industries rather than at a national level-- targets. Furthermore, they recently announced that they would aim for a 14% reduction from current levels by 2020--a pathetic 4% reduction from 1990 levels and nowhere close to the aggressive action needed [12]. Japan, having both public opinion and its own Environment Ministry on the right side of the issue, is well-positioned to take decisive action, but they need the support of global public opinion to win. Let's get them to immediately declare what scientists have been saying for years now: that their governments must enact mandatory, national caps on carbon emissions to achieve a reduction of 25-40% from 1990 levels by 2020. Let's all work together to help Mr. Fukuda, host to the most powerful and polluting countries in the world, to put mandatory, national carbon caps on the agenda at this meeting-- both for his country and for the rest of the G8.

References

1. Pew Global Attitudes Project. "America's Image Slips, But Allies Share U.S. Concerns Over Iran, Hamas. No Global Warming Alarm in the U.S., China." http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=252.

2. "Voluntary, then mandatory path for CO2 scheme-Japan." Reuters, October 5, 2007. http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKT14136220071005.

3. Arita, Eriko. "Are Japan's leaders merely readers on climate change?." Japan Times, March 20, 2008. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fe20080320a1.html.

4. Doniger, David D., Antonia V. Herzog, and Daniel A. Lashof. "CLIMATE CHANGE: An Ambitious, Centrist Approach to Global Warming Legislation." Science 314, no. 5800 (November 3, 2006): 764-765. doi:10.1126/science.1131558. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/314/5800/764.

5. Hansen, J., M. Sato, P. Kharecha, D. Beerling, V. Masson-Delmotte, M. Pagani, et al. "Target atmospheric CO2: Where should humanity aim?." 0804.1126 (April 7, 2008). http://arxiv.org/abs/0804.1126.

6. O'Neill, Brian C., and Michael Oppenheimer. "CLIMATE CHANGE: Dangerous Climate Impacts and the Kyoto Protocol." Science 296, no. 5575 (June 14, 2002): 1971-1972. doi:10.1126/science.1071238. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/296/5575/1971?ijkey=jVqsttm/anqYc&keytype=ref&siteid=sci.

7. Wigley, T. M. L. "The Climate Change Commitment." Science 307, no. 5716 (March 18, 2005): 1766-1769. doi:10.1126/science.1103934. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/307/5716/1766.

8. "The Bali Roadmap: main points." http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22932645-2,00.html.

9. Griscom, Amanda. "Involuntarism: Study finds mandatory caps work better than voluntary programs to limit pollution." Grist.org, April 21, 2008. http://www.grist.org/news/muck/2004/04/21/griscom-emissions/.

10. Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies, Natural Resources Defense Council, Public Service Enterprise Group. "Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Generation Owners in the U.S.." http://www.ceres.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=595&srcid=592.

11. Rivers, Nic, and Mark Jaccard. " Canada's efforts towards greenhouse gas emission reduction: a case study on the limits of voluntary action and subsidies." International Journal of Global Energy Issues 23, no. 4: 307-23.

12. Chris Fujioka, "Japan puts off interim C02 goal," Reuters, June 9, 2009, http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUST31826220080609?sp=true.

Students are being targeted by Mugabe's police, read below:

"On Monday this week, the offices of the Student Christian Movement of Zimbabwe were raided at 1pm by heavily armed members of the police, as well as central intelligence and military personnel.

During the raid, the police ransacked the offices, confiscating computers, laptops, digital cameras, and a mini bus. Prosper Munatsi, the Movement's General Secretary, as well as other members were arrested in the raid and they were released four days later but had to report to the police every day. In the process they spent the whole day of Thursday 12th of June and Friday 13th of June at the police station where they had to report. We believe they were arrested and continuously harrased for educating Christian students and youth about their rights and responsibilities in the face of a second round of presidential elections.

Please tell Mugabe's government to stop harrasing the Christian students, allow them to work and carry out their activities."

Send a message to Zim officials to STOP the harassment, click below:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/zim_rights_alert_2/

Check out this message from our Zimbabwean partners:

"Jenni Williams and 13 other members of Women Of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), a citizen group, were arrested and detained by armed riot police on 25 May for peacefully marching for regional support in ending violence in Zimbabwe. This week 12 of the activists were granted bail, but Jennie Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu were denied -- because the state said they were likely to mobilise people to demonstrate on the streets. Please tell Mugabe's government that you are watching and demanding justice for these women!"

Click here to send a message to free the WOZA women:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/zim_rights_alert/

Robert Mugabe's government has stepped up a campaign of intimidation and terror as the 27 June run-off election draws near.

In response, Avaaz is teaming up with Zimbabwean groups to direct international pressure on specific rights abuses at Zimbabwean diplomats across the world.

We will be introducing new alerts regularly.

Our first concerns the brave women of Women Of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) and can be found here:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/zim_rights_alert/2.php?cl=97386170

The United Nations is preparing to select its next Human Rights Commissioner. Avaaz believes that there needs to be more transparency surrounding the appointment of high level international officials such as this.

To make the process more transparent, we've created this site where you can learn about the candidates, see our recruitment ad in The Economist, and generally be more engaged in the selection process for this important position.

*Rome Summit Petition Delivery *

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES MASSIVE GLOBAL PETITION CHALLENGING RICH COUNTRIES ON FOOD CRISIS

"Planetary Emergency Demands More Than Band-Aid Fixes"

Hi-res photos of Ban with petition available now from media@avaaz.org, or from the UN pool


Avaaz, the world's largest international online advocacy network, hand-delivered a global emergency petition containing hundreds of

thousands of signatures to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and other senior officials at the Rome food summit this Wednesday, assisted by Sierra Leone's agriculture minister Sam Sesay and GCAP, the alliance of anti-poverty campaigns. The petition is gathering thousands of names an hour.

"This petition is very helpful to show that people are pushing for this, and to help build the political will for governments to act," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, receiving the petition before his press conference at the summit.

"The food crisis is a planetary emergency - you can't put a band-aid on it," said Avaaz's Executive Director Ricken Patel. "Rich countries need to stop obstructing and start investing massively in developing nations' food production."

The campaign was launched with a YouTube appeal for help from Sierra Leone's foreign minister Zainab Bangura. "My appeal is for you to talk to your governments and please, please support the campaign," says Bangura, "I am speaking on behalf of the voiceless millions of Africans who cannot speak for themselves."

Launched just one month ago, the petition has already been signed by over 330,000 citizens of every country in the world. Addressed to leaders attending the Rome summit, it says:

"We call on you to take immediate action to address the world food crisis by mobilizing emergency funding to prevent starvation, removing perverse incentives to turn food into biofuels and managing financial speculation, and to tackle the underlying causes by ending harmful trade policies and investing massively in sustainable agricultural productivity in developing nations."

To book interviews or for more information in Rome contact: media@avaaz.org

About Avaaz



Avaaz, meaning "voice" in several European, Middle Eastern and Asian languages, was launched in January 2007 with a mission to harness new technologies to help ensure that the views and values of the world's peoples better shape global decision-making. It has since grown to more than 3 million members from every country on earth.

The Economist wrote last year of Avaaz's power to "give the world leaders a deafening wake-up call", while the Indian Express heralded "the biggest web campaigner across the world, rooting for crucial global issues." David Miliband, the UK foreign secretary who asked Avaaz to co-host his first major speech, calls the organization "the best of the new in foreign policy."



In the days following the Burmese cyclone, while governments and aid organisations waited for the junta to let them in, Avaaz members raised over $2 million in emergency funds, channelled immediately to the monks and other relief networks already operating inside Burma. http://www.avaaz.org/en/burma_aid_report

Avaaz's 'Stop the Clash of Civilizations' video recently won the YouTube political video of the year award, gaining more votes than other videos centered on the US Presidential race. www.youtube.com/ytawards07winners

The global effort to prevent weapons from reaching Zimbabwe during the current crisis is led by Southern African trade unions, NGOs, and church organisations, with support from global civil society. Together, these organisations have produced the sign-on letter (see below) to the leaders of the Southern African Development Community. If your organisation would like to sign the letter please email campaigns[at]avaaz.org. For individuals looking to sign our petition, please click here.

To the leaders of the Southern African Development Community,

We call on you to condemn the shipment of arms to Zimbabwe and to agree an immediate moratorium on arms transfers to Zimbabwe to stop any weapons reaching that country.

Weapons and munitions must not be allowed to reach Zimbabwe, be it via air, sea, rail or road, as long as there is a clear risk that they will be used for state sponsored violence. SADC countries should monitor their airspace closely to prevent attempts to fly in weapons. Only this will guarantee that arms will not reach Zimbabwe and be used to exacerbate the current violence.

The SADC Firearms Protocol, adopted in 2004, explicitly recognises the harmful effects of poorly regulated arms transfers and the dangers they pose to the well being of people in the Region, their social and economic development and their rights to live in peace. The Protocol commits the community to promote and facilitate regional cooperation to prevent the excessive and destabilising possession and use of firearms and ammunition, including the development of robust legislation to control the transfer and transit of these weapons through SADAC territory. The risks that arms transfers pose to the human rights of the people of Zimbabwe also highlight the urgent need for a strong, global Arms Trade Treaty, based on human rights and international law, to effectively control the international trade in weapons.

Following action led by South African trade unions, the Chinese vessel "An Yue Jiang", carrying a deadly load of 77 tonnes of arms, including three million rounds of ammunition, 1500 rocket-propelled grenades and 3000 mortars bombs was forced to leave Durban on Thursday 10 April, when dockworkers refused to unload it, and a coalition of civil society groups and lawyers succeeded in blocking the cargo from being taken overland to Zimbabwe. It has been unable to dock elsewhere after governments refused to allow it to use their ports. It should be noted that the ship left Durban in violation of a court order issued by Judge Pillay at the High Court of Durban on Friday 18 April.

The campaign to stop this ship reaching Zimbabwe has been lead by African trade unionists and citizens. Regional leaders have supported them. Now all governments must act immediately to protect human rights.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu issued the following public statement at 1300 hours Thursday 24th April:

Zimbabwe is staring into the abyss. Violence is growing and the people are suffering greatly as a result. It is now vital that we all do what we can to calm the situation.

In particular I join the worldwide calls to stop the supply of weapons to the country--by land, sea or air--until the political crisis is resolved. It is obvious that supplying large quantities of arms at this stage would risk escalating the violence, perhaps resulting in the large-scale loss of life. We should be proud of the African Trade Unions and governments who refused to let the most recent Chinese shipment off-load in their ports but China must now agree not to try and send these arms by air instead.

I join the South African church leaders in urging all governments to immediately start work at the UN level to agree a binding UN arms embargo as quickly as possible. In the meantime I hope that every country will agree to a moratorium on the supply of any arms to the country.

If violence flares further in Zimbabwe, those supplying the weapons will be left with blood on their hands. It is up to every country in the region and beyond to take a stand.

To sign the petition calling on governments to stop the arms shipments for Zimbabwe click here.

After January's presidential election was tainted by vote-tampering - Kenya's future hung in the balance, with over 600 killed and 250,000 made homeless. Avaaz members played a crucial role in supporting Kofi Annan's mediation efforts by sending 90,000 messages to foreign ministers urging them to refuse to recognize any government until it was legitimately established.

www.avaaz.org/en/kenya_free_and_fair/

As part of our climate campaigning around the Bali climate meeting, Canada's position at negotiations was also targeted with a national ad campaign. The campaign was accompanied by one of the largest online actions in Canadian history -- 113,000 signers in 3 days! After Prime Minister Harper reversed his position on emissions targets, opposition leader Stephane Dion filmed a message to Avaaz exclaiming: "Avaaz members, reversing the bad policy of a government, this is great... join Avaaz, because it works!"






Here's a scan of the ad appearing in the paper:

During major UN climate negotiations in December 2007, more than 180,000 Avaaz members added their name to a global emergency petition calling on Bush, Harper, and Fukuda to get on the right side of history and support emissions cuts. We delivered these signatures in a full page ad in the special conference section of the Jakarta Post which was distributed to every delegate in Bali. The ad caused a stir at the conference and was widely reported in the media - it told the rest of the world to stand firm against the climate wreckers.

Every minute counts -

It is 1:19 am in Bali, Indonesia. There are only a few hours left in these historic climate negotiations but Canada is blocking an emerging agreement. We can't let it happen. We need to call the Prime Minister's Office before 6pm EST - the sooner the better.

The problem:

The talks here are stalled. In an ad-hoc working group of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, only one country is holding out against citing the 25-40% reductions (from 1990 levels) in greenhouse gases that industrialized countries need to make before 2020. That country is Canada. They are preventing inclusion of the targets that the science demands for the survival of the planet. They are watering down this potentially historic pact.

How we solve it:

The situation is critical, and it's literally a matter of hours. The Bali agreement could be a step towards stopping dangerous climate change. But if Canada prevents strong targets from being included in the negotiations, we'll have few concrete results from the work we have been agonizing over for two weeks. Help us get Canada to stop blocking the talks!

If we can put enough pressure on the Canadian Government Delegation here in Bali, they may just change their behaviour. They cannot get away with their tactics if they know their citizens are paying attention.

Call. It will make a real difference. It will make real action on climate change a priority for this government. We can turn the tide in Bali.

What you do:

If you can afford it, call the direct cell phone of the Prime Minister's representative here in Bali. His name is Dimitri Soudas, and you can reach him on 011 62 85 857 032 037. He needs to hear what Canadians really think.

Or, if the long distances charges are a bit much, call the Prime Minister's Office at 613 992 4211, and ask to be connected to Mr. Soudas, or the Prime Minister himself.

What you say:

Canada needs to stop blocking the negotiations, so the world can make real progress in Bali!

For more background information, go to www.climateactionnetwork.ca

This request is brought to you by people sitting at their computers at 2 am in Bali - mostly members of the Canadian Youth Delegation (www.cydbali.org), a project of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, working alongside the Climate Action Network Canada. Please distribute widely.

On Sunday, Avaaz members and an international coalition of youth, along with local and national NGOs, coordinated a striking aerial art project on Kuta Beach in Bali. Artist John Quigley organized the crowd of over a 500 people to arrange their bodies to form an image of the world being washed away by the rising tide. Above this image, more people spelled the words "Act Now," a message designed to target the UN Climate Negotiations at the beginning of their critical second week.

It was an extraordinary day in a beautiful location that is under tremendous threat from climate change impacts. When photographed from above, the image depicts half of the world awash in rising ocean waters, symbolizing how the nations representing the Global South will suffer the most severe impacts of climate change. The activists sponsoring the event are calling for a Bali breakthrough that would trigger the momentum needed for resolving the climate crisis. A successful Bali Mandate from this year's UN Conference would ensure there is no gap between commitment periods and that actionable items and processes are defined in Bali to work towards a 2009 consensus focused on strong and binding global emissions targets.

The action is another example of how Avaaz members around the planet are making sure that the governments meeting in Bali know that the world is watching and waiting for action to prevent a climate crisis. Below, is a photo of the event courtesy of our friends Step it Up.

Click here to see an enlarged version of the photo.

It's 10pm in Bali, Indonesia and, as Europe and the Americas start their days, the Global Day of Climate Action is drawing to a close on the Island of the Gods. On a typically hot December day, 2000 climate activists descended on the local town of Denpasar to fulfill their part of today's global calls for climate action. After this march, 20 Avaaz members headed off to the Bali International Convention Centre-- the venue where the climate negotiations are taking place. It should be noted that Avaaz were the only organisation allowed to demonstrate within the compound.

Once clearing security we set up our march to deliver the call to action signed by over 545,000 Avaaz members worldwide. In front of the world's media we donned bright pink Avaaz t-shirts, pick up flags from around the world, and began marching with a banner that said: "Bali Virtual March - 545,000 for Climate, Avaaz.org". We did a circuit around the convention centre and then stopped for photos and interviews.

It was a fantastic day and we're delighted that our message has got through, but there's still so much more to do! Canada, the USA and Saudi are continuing their efforts to wreck the negotiating process. As we go into the last week of the conference, Avaaz members will play a critical role in shaping the governments' positions which will determine whether or not Bali is a bust or breakthrough. It's crucial we keep the momentum up!

Below, are some links to photos being used by the media!! In the coming days, we will post a video of the march courtesy of our good friends at Oxfam!

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//071208/ids_photos_wl/r1693503550.jpg/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7134060.stm

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//071208/ids_photos_wl/r1693503550.jpg/

Well over half a million people have now signed up to the virtual march on Bali. But there's so much more we can do to send message to the UN climate negotiations!

On December 8th, Avaaz and the partners of the Global Climate Campaign will be attending marches around the world to demand bold action on climate change. It's a great opportunity to get out of the house and meet other people who care about the climate. To get involved check out this site, where you can use the map sign up to attend an climate march or, event host one of your own!

In November, 2007 the people of Pakistan overcame violence & rigging to cast a clear vote for civilian democracy. 75% wanted President Musharraf to go, but he refused, hinting he could dismiss the new parliament.

The Avaaz community backed up the people of Pakistan by endorsing and funding this advert which appeared in The News, a respected broadsheet read by politicians, ambassadors and generals alike. The ad's centrepiece was our petition calling for democracy to be supported not undermined.

As the media spotlight shifts away from Burma, a great new solidarity website has been launched. Check it out and upload your pictures!

http://www.dontforgetburma.org

View Album

Get your own

Avaaz co-founder and Executive Director Ricken Patel appeared on the BBC one-to-one interview program HARDtalk last week to discuss Avaaz, Burma, the Middle East, and our model of gobal online campaigning. You can watch the interview here, or just click below:

Avaaz.org's Ricken Patel on BBC World's HARDtalk.

What do Pakistanis really want? And, what's really going on with terrorism and civil strife in Pakistan, the issue which General Musharraf has taken as his pretext for the state of emergency? These are vital questions. In researching the issue and talking to experts we found some interesting answers - hence Avaaz's new global campaign to End the Emergency in Pakistan, and support prompt, free and fair elections.

One question people often ask is whether Pakistanis want democracy, or are ready for it. While there is a lot of support for the military to play a role in guaranteeing stability, the answer appears to be yes to democracy - and we're not just talking about elections, but human rights, Pakistan's newly-pluralistic media, the independent secular judiciary, and so forth.

In the August 2007 poll by Terror Free Tomorrow, Pakistanis rated "ensuring an independent judiciary, free press and free elections" as their Number 1 national priority - even higher than economic growth, way above the war on terror. (85% thought these democratic foundations important in some degree, 53% very important.)

So Musharraf's claim that "The common people are concerned with prices, concerned with unemployment and poverty. They are tired of this uncertainty in the name of democracy" - brutally misrepresents what the large majority of Pakistanis think. Which is perhaps no surprise, given that 53% of poll respondents rated Musharraf negatively. (He rated worse than all politicians mentioned except for George Bush, worse even than Osama bin Laden.)

How about the messy reality of civil strife in the provinces on the frontier with Afghanistan and the "war against terrorism"? Well, within a day of the emergency announcement, the military concluded a ceasefire deal with the Taliban in South Waziristan, including the withdrawal of troops. Meanwhile, thousands of democratic activists are being thrown in prison. Emergency powers are being directed primarily against the political opposition, rather than against terrorist groupings.

It gets worse. The respected International Crisis Group (ICG) has published a series of in-depth reports on the conflicts in the frontier provinces and wider instability in Pakistan. It reported last year how President Musharraf's party and military have for years been working in coalition with a branch of the Pakistani Taliban in the Balochistan province, while turning a blind eye to the threats to internal and international stability. Specifically,

"With their chief Pakistani patron, Fazlur Rehman's Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam running the Balochistan government in alliance with Musharraf's Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam), a reinvigorated Afghan and Pakistani Taliban are attacking international forces and the Kabul government across Balochistan's border with Afghanistan."

The ICG's overall conclusions on Pakistan, published this summer, include the following analysis:

"Since the 11 September terror attacks, the U.S. has provided the bulk of $10 billion in aid to the military, believing that the military is their reliable partner and the only institution with the capacity to govern and to combat militants. On the contrary, by excluding moderate parties, military rule has fanned extremism; by alienating the smaller provinces and virtually blocking all institutions and channels of meaningful participation, it threatens to destabilise a country of 160 million people in a strategic and volatile neighborhood...

"The U.S. should use its considerable influence to persuade the generals to give up power, offering political and material incentives if they do so and threatening sanctions if they thwart democratic change. A free, fair and transparent election this year is the first, necessary step in the peaceful political transition that is needed to bring Pakistan to moderate, democratic moorings."

These are just some of the reasons why we take Musharraf's claim to be Pakistan's last bulwark against terrorism with a large pinch of salt.

As Avaaz members around the world push their own governments on climate change, there's good news from the US: a powerful climate movement is sweeping across the United States.

Last April, our friends at Step It Up helped ordinary Americans arrange 1400 rallies urging the government to step up their responses to climate change. Now, Step it Up are back, building the US climate movement even further by pushing for politicians to turn words into action. On November 3, a year before the next election, they are asking people to organize or attend rallies in their communities. This time, they will invite US lawmakers to attend events and see for themselves what the polls are already saying: 86% of US citizens want action on climate change.

This video gives a sense of what happened in April. We're hoping the push this weekend will be even more powerful!

Avaaz members will be adding their global voice to the movement on Monday, as Step It Up culminates in a youth-led conference in Washington DC called PowerShift . On Monday, thousands of US youth climate activists will meet members of Congress on the steps of the Capitol--and they've invited Avaaz to present our global climate petition to Congressional leaders. Then the activists will fan out to lobby their members of Congress one-on-one--and to hand-deliver messages from Avaaz members around the world urging US action on climate change.

Let's hear it for Step It Up and PowerShift!

Extraordinary - over $315,000 raised in a week for practical assistance to Burmese groups to break the blackout. The average donation was $28. Well done to everyone. The first shipment is on its way.

The Guardian agreed to publish the op-ed below after we delivered our petition to Gordon Brown, prime minister of UN Security Council member the UK. See video of our delivery to the right.

People power can win
The Guardian, October 2007

For now the images of monks and protesters massing on the streets of Rangoon and other cities, and of the military junta's brutal crackdown, may have vanished from our television screens. But the so-called "saffron revolution" is far from over. The world must not turn away.

In Burma, thousands of the monks and protesters who captured our hearts with their bravery are being brutally tortured in prison. At the same time we hear that the democracy movement is regrouping, its base broader than before. Around the world, the last three weeks have seen an unprecedented mobilisation in solidarity with the protesters.

We at Avaaz.org have organised a 780,000-strong global petition, which was delivered on Monday to British prime minister, Gordon Brown, with a group of Burmese monks and exiles, and in a full-page Financial Times advertisement, addressed to China. A coalition of groups, from Avaaz.org and Amnesty International to the International Trade Union Confederation and Facebook, organised big demonstrations in 200 cities worldwide on Saturday October 6 - and much more is planned.

As UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari gathers support from Burma's neighbours, a fresh wave of global pressure is targeting key governments, many of whom are slowly starting to turn the screws on the junta. The coming days and weeks are crucial.

The generals and their allies claim that things are back to "business as usual" in Burma. The media, shamefully, has followed their lead. Much has been said about the crackdown in 1988, in which over 3,000 protesters were massacred. But it is worth remembering the story of the Burmese people's courage then, because it can give the world an object lesson in staying power.

In March 1988, the death of a student provoked angry demonstrations and hundreds of students were killed. But in June and July 1988, the students came back with more mass protests. Again blood flowed in the streets. The government began to bend.

Two general strikes were called in August, bringing workers and the whole country into the struggle. Amidst more massacres, more than half a million people joined in daily demonstrations in Rangoon. The government lifted martial law and released some prisoners.

It took six months. By September, the democracy movement had control of at least 50 cities and towns, and air force troops joined the marchers on the streets. The ruling party finally called for multi-party elections.

It was at that moment that the current junta launched its brutal coup, shooting hundreds and arresting thousands more. Even then, the struggle was not over. The junta also promised elections. The National League for Democracy was formed, and Aung San Suu Kyi toured the country. She attracted crowds of tens of thousands, defying the ban on public assemblies. Instead of marching, now they were listening and asking questions. In 1990, two years after the first massacre, Suu Kyi's party won over 80% of the vote. But the junta refused to recognise the result and placed her and other leaders under house arrest - and the world let them do it.

Will the Burmese give up now, three weeks into their first revival in 19 years? Remembering the tragedy of 1988 and 1990, Burmese journalist May Ng wrote in Mizzima, "there is a powerful difference this time. The world's reaction to Burma is impressive ... The people of Burma will not be alone this time." Will we betray that trust?

The global response is sluggish, but gathering pace. China has agreed to the first UN security council presidential statement ever on Burma, and put its name to a call for the release of all political prisoners. The European Union just voted for the first package of sanctions and incentives which will genuinely squeeze the Burmese generals. The Asean regional bloc of which Burma is a member has responded with condemnation and "revulsion", and Singapore - where the generals get their Armani, hospital care and private banking - has refused to rule out sanctions.

It should be becoming clear by now to China and Burma's other sponsors that the only hope of stability lies in a genuine transition. Than Shwe's regime is politically bankrupt. The Burmese analyst Thant Myint-U is right: there is no Velvet Revolution possible in Burma, and the army's institutions must play a full part in the transition. But without a tripartite dialogue which acknowledges the legitimate demands of the democratic opposition and the ethnic groups, and which leads to a new and more democratic order, Burma faces an abyss.

It is time for all parties to do their utmost to bring about that transition - ideally, under the wing of Ban Ki-Moon and the core group of nations being constituted to support UN-led diplomacy. But people are being tortured right now, and diplomacy can go in sterile and hypocritical circles unless pressed into action.

We know what we need to do. Avaaz.org's campaign continues to grow - most recently, we have sent tens of thousands of messages to EU and South-East Asian leaders from their electorates, and are raising sorely-needed funds for the Burmese movement. The images and stories will flow again. The people will hold the streets. On October 24, the 12th anniversary of Aung San Suu Kyi's incarceration, global activists will converge to make our demands heard again. People power - on the streets of Burma, and around the world - can win.

On 19 July 2007, Avaaz.org agreed to co-host the first speech of UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband - because he agreed to take questions from Avaaz members around the world. As you can see from the YouTube video, he answered three on the day. We also handed him a "book of global public opinion" with over 3000 pieces of advice, warning and encouragement, comments and questions. We've now received from the Foreign Secretary another 20 answers to some of the most frequently-asked questions (posted below): many of these make interesting reading.

Miliband called Avaaz "the best of the new diplomacy". So while there remains plenty of room for improvement in British foreign policy, this conversation is far from over. We will follow up these questions in our global community's future advocacy with the UK, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a powerful state in its own right. We expect to be giving particular attention to Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, among other things.

If you want to continue the conversation here, email blog@avaaz.org and we will post responses which meet a standard of civility. Bloggers should feel free to link or repost. First, click on each of the questions below to see David Miliband's written answers, or click here to read the whole thing.

Question 1: Is it possible to have an ethical foreign policy?

Question 2: Guantanamo is enormously damaging to our international reputation for justice and upholding international law - it should never have been allowed and must be closed.

Question 3: When is the UK going to take a lead against dictatorships and end human suffering in Darfur (Sudan), Zimbabwe, Burma to mention a few? It is outrageous what the named regimes are able to do to their citizens. Please bring peace and individual safety to these people.

Question 4: Mr. Miliband, I am grateful for the opportunity to ask you a question today. As an environmentalist who has been involved in international policy for thirty years, I welcome in principle the development of a "new diplomacy", because "old diplomacy" clearly has not worked for the majority of people on Earth, nor for the environment. As a key partner of the US, Canada and Australia, what is your game plan to convince them to accept a Kyoto 2 climate change regime for 2012 which includes what experts say is the only environmentally realistic emission reduction target of greenhouse gases: 50% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels?

Question 5: Please can you tell me the three things you learned from the resolution in Northern Ireland that you will apply in your role as Foreign Secretary?

Question 6: How will your foreign policy get involved in the necessary "dialogue between civilizations" that is the only long-term solution to the current conflicts between the West and the rest?

Question 7: Is ending world wide poverty a priority for your government and if so will you commit to at least 0.7% of your GDP to help? How will you encourage other Western countries like Canada to contribute more international development aid?

Question 8: The longstanding injustice suffered by the Palestinian people is at the root of much conflict in Palestine and beyond. Injustice breeds immense anger and distrust and acts of violence between those who experience the injustice and those who deliver it. What are you as Foreign Secretary, going to do to (1) help re-establish trust, (2) work for a lasting justice for both Palestinian and Israeli peoples, and (3) begin to break the cycles of blame and counterblame, wherever they might be?

Question 9: Will the UK henceforth take a major role in forming a united foreign policy for the European Union which will have real influence on US policy as 'the West' strives to recover, through enlightened multilateralism from grave damage world wide caused by the present Bush Administration?

Question 10: Will the British government respect any governments that are democratically elected, regardless of their political affiliation? Will England respect the right of the people to be governed by the political parties of their choice?

Question 11: How do you propose to deal with democratically elected governments in the Middle East that hold unpopular views in the West. I am thinking about the Hamas government in the Occupied Territories and the government of Lebanon that includes Hizbollah members?

Question 12: People in so-called third world countries are wondering when rich countries are going to stop subsidising their goods, so that our products can enter their markets the way theirs enter ours? The current situation is unfair and it will destroy our economies.

Question 13: While supporting and advancing the UK's interests abroad, how important will the voices and needs of the people impacted by policies be in your priorities and decisions? How will you work to hear and respond to the needs and concerns of the voiceless?

Question 14: I think the world's biggest worry for the near future will be if the USA decides to bomb nuclear facilities in Iran, or if it allows Israel to do it for them. My question is then what is your attitude about this issue and how would you respond if the Americans decided to go ahead with an attack on Iran?

Question 15: What positive future British foreign policy will be developed that will allow ordinary Iraqis to rebuild their country without the physical presence of British military forces? Can you envisage an inclusive coalition for commonsense with other countries?

Question 16: How do you see our future role within the UN?

Question 17: What positive steps will the new British government be taking to reduce, and eventually outlaw, nuclear weapons - not only in so-called 'rogue' states like North Korea - but in all countries, including Britain and the USA?

Question 18: Would you, Mr Miliband, consider closing DESO, the government organisation that supports and promotes the business of British arms manufacturers abroad, and replacing it with an organisation that supports and promotes the development of green technologies that could help to reduce potential future conflicts over sources of energy and other natural resources, and those arising out of the effects of global warming?

Question 19: If you refuse to extradite former Russian citizens whom the Russian government wants to prosecute - why do you expect Russia to extradite to the UK people whom you want to prosecute?

Question 20: When & why would you decide to go to war?

"Miliband answers: 20 questions from Avaaz" »

In the past few weeks Avaaz members in every country in the world have answered the call to action and built an unprecedented global solidarity movement with the people of Burma. We've accomplished a great deal together, here's a short summary of what we've done so far:

• Yesterday, our 775,000-signature petition was hand-delivered by Avaaz and Buddhist monks to UK Prime Minister and powerful Security Council member Gordon Brown (See here)
• Over the weekend, tens of thousands of European Avaaz members sent emails to their Foreign Ministers, urging the EU to squeeze the Burmese junta. Yesterday, the EU agreed to tougher measures to pressure the generals.
• In Singapore--where Burma's generals shop, bank, and vacation and where democratic activism is very rare--thousands of Avaaz members have contacted their Foreign Minister, George Yeo, urging him to lead efforts for progress in Burma. Yeo has sharply criticized the Burmese regime.
• The Avaaz petition was run as a global ad campaign targeting China - including a full page ad in the Financial Times worldwide. Last week, China reluctantly supported a UN Security Council condemnation of the Burmese crackdown.
• Avaaz members joined with other groups to mobilize worldwide protests outside Chinese and Burmese embassies on a day of action on October 6th, covered in the international media.
• Check out some of the press we've gotten for this campaign: The Guardian, Mizzima, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Thanks to all of you who've made this possible. 20 years ago, when the democracy movement last took to the streets in Burma, the military massacred thousands of activists. This time, everything could be different, because this time the world isn't looking away. Let's keep the momentum going. Please keep checking our website for the latest developments and ways to get involved. In the meantime, if you haven't yet, it would be great if you could make a donation to help Burmese activists out.

Yesterday's news that the Burmese government has completely shut down all communications flowing out of Burma shows how important it is for us to maintain our global efforts to support the monks.

Together, we've nearly hit over 750,000 for our Burma campaign. We've also delivered a message to the Chinese government via an Ad in the Financial times. It's now time for a hard push towards the 1 million mark. If you haven't already, please sign the petition and then tell your friends to do the same: http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma

Finally, major thanks to Avaaz member Alex, for coming up with the following graphic:

Dear Avaaz community,

We have been really overwhelmed by the positive responses to our Burma campaign in support of the Burmese monks and people! Once again it is incredible to realize how many people out there care about the world and are ready to take action.

A number of members around the world volunteered to translate our alert in different languages, including our friend Jittrawadee in Thailand. (Thai translation is below).

Thank you so much all of you who are really dedicating yourselves to help our message get to every corner of the world!

Graziela

____________________________________________________________

เรื่อง พม่า: พลังประชาชนชาวพม่าลุกฮือ
ถึงเพื่อนๆที่รัก

พลังประชาชนชาวพม่าลุกฮืออีกครั้งหลังจากอยู่ในอำนาจนิยมแห่งเผด็จการมาเป็นเวลาหลายสิบปี และพวกเขาต้องการความช่วยเหลือจากเราแน่นอน

ผู้ประท้วงอย่างสงบจาก จำนวน 20,000 คน ในวันเสาร์ 30,000 คน ในวันอาทิตย์ และวันพุธที่ผ่านมามีผู้ประท้วงครบ 100,000 คน ในสัปดาห์นี้พวกเขามีสิทธิ์ที่จะนำชีวิตใหม่มาสู่ประเทศที่รักของเขา ในอดีต รัฐบาลทหารได้สังหารหมู่ผู้ประท้วงและได้ย่ำยีประชาธิปไตย ครั้งนี้น่าจะจะแตกต่างจากที่ผ่านมา....เพียงแต่ให้สังคมโลก ยืนหยัดเคียงคู่กับชาวพม่า พวกเรากำลังร่วมกันเข้าชื่อเป็นกรณีเร่งด่วนเพื่อร้องเรียน ต่อสภาความมั่นคงแห่งสหประชาชาติ (และแนวร่วมพันธมิตรจีนของพม่า) เพื่อกดดันให้นายทหารของพม่าเปิดการต่อรองเจรจากับประชาชนผู้ประท้วง โดยไม่มีการทำร้ายบดขยี้ประชาชน กดลิงค์ด้านล่าง เพื่อร่วมเข้าชื่อร้องเรียน เราจะยืนหยัดเพื่อดำเนินการในเรื่องนี้ตราบเท่าที่ยังมีวิกฤติ
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/d.php?cl=20001775

ความหวังยังริบหรีอย่างยิ่งสำหรับพม่า โปรดร่วมกันดำเนินการทันทีโดยบอกต่อกับคนที่ท่านรู้จักและแสดงให้รัฐบาลของพม่ารู้ว่าอำนาจของประชาชนกำลังลุดฮือขึ้นเรียกร้อง บนถนนทุกสายและทั่วโลก

ด้วยความหวังจาก พอล, ริกคั่น เบน กรซีล่า พาสคาล และทีมงานอาวาสทั้งหมด

หมายเหตุ : สืบค้นข้อมูลเพิ่มเติมได้ที่ http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iy-MfhLN9Q7MwtQ1VlrvexLjr2dA and http://www.uscampaignforburma.org/.

As General Petraeus presents his own report on the US military "surge", here is Avaaz's digest of the harsh realities of the Iraqi humanitarian catastrophe in facts and figures:

Biggest refugee exodus in the world today.

Over 4 million Iraqis are refugees from their homes - the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that over 2 million refugees have now fled the country and 2.2 million are internally displaced, totalling over one-sixth of Iraq's population. Over 60,000 are currently leaving their homes every month.

Savage ethnic cleansing.

Deliberate ethnic cleansing - often by government-linked militias - is central to the refugee exodus. Baghdad, a city of over 5 million people, has undergone the worst of the ethnic cleansing under the eyes of Iraq's Shiite-dominated government. The capital city's population is reported by US military officials to have changed from 65% Sunni to 75% Shiite over the last four years (of the millions of Sunni Baghdadis, well over half have been forced out, along with Christian and Palestinian communities). Baghdad now has almost no multi-confessional neighbourhoods left.

More deaths than Darfur?

Iraq is a complex conflict in a collapsing state which the media has found it hard to cover. It is thus extremely difficult to verify the true scale of killing. A controversial 2006 Johns Hopkins University study estimated the death count at 655,000 (though elements of its methodology have been questioned, it took a similar approach to estimates previously made for Darfur and the Congo). Most experts -- including those involved in smaller verified counts - now acknowledge that the true death total runs into hundreds of thousands: as Iraq breaks down, much of the violence cannot adequately be tracked.

The killing has accelerated between 2006 and 2007.

US officials have made much of a brief fall in "number of attacks" and narrowly-defined "ethno-sectarian violence" by comparison with December 2006 (a truly terrible month). But most independent sources suggest that this badly misrepresents the facts. Associated Press reports have documented almost twice as many Iraqi civilians on average dying daily this year - 62 per day in 2007, against 33 per day in 2006.

Other independent figures on fatalities tend to support this trend, and suggest that the US military surge concentrated on Baghdad has displaced violence outside the capital. One recent report suggests that the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior may have begun to manipulate casualty figures.

Electricity, food and water supplies are running short.

US ambassador Ryan Crocker reported in July 2007 that Baghdad residents now have on average only an hour or two of electricity each day. Total power generation is falling, and insurgents and militias are sabotaging facilities and stealing power. The US has now washed its hands of the electricity crisis, and some provinces have started to disconnect their power plants from the national grid.

Billions in development assistance have been squandered on poor projects, further "security" measures, and through corruption. Oxfam and the NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq report that 28% of Iraqi children are malnourished, four million people regularly cannot buy enough to eat, and 70% are without adequate water supplies. The World Health Organisation has been fighting a cholera outbreak in the supposedly safe north. Iraqi officals report that the food rationing system on which millions depend is breaking down.

Iraqis have little or no confidence in the US, and in their own government.

An August 2007 BBC/ABC/NHK poll of Iraqis found that only 15% now express confidence in coalition forces - the lowest figure since 2003. 70% of Iraqis believe that both security and the conditions for political dialogue in their country have worsened over the six months of the US military "surge", and 72% believe the presence of US forces is making security worse, not better. 46% think US withdrawal will make civil war less likely, and only 35% think it will be more likely. Almost two-thirds of Iraqis say the Maliki government is doing a bad job, and disapprove of the prime minister personally.

Most people in Iraq and around the world want withdrawal soon - but it's just not happening.

79% of Iraqis oppose the continuing presence of Coalition forces in Iraq, and 47% are so desperate as to want an immediate departure. Their views are echoed by citizens around the world: 67% of those polled in a massive international survey by the World Service want withdrawal within a year.

There are currently 168,000 US troops in Iraq. General Petraeus has announced the possibility of 30,000 combat troops being withdrawn by summer 2008. This would only bring the US troop level back to the point it was at in January 2007 - and, indeed, in 2003. Withdrawal is not yet on the cards - nor is real political reconciliation.

But most Iraqis support reconciliation in a single, non-confessional Iraq.

As of August 2007, 62% of Iraqis want a unified, central Iraqi state rather than partition - the strongest support on record. 98% say that the separation of people along sectarian lines is a bad thing.

Click here and act now to stop this catastrophe. Join over 100,000 people in calling for an international peace conference held by impartial mediators, to broker a political solution to the war and full US withdrawal. Time is running out for Iraq.

---

Jon wrote:

This page is a very good resource for those opposed to the invasion
and occupation of Iraq. However the context of the word
"controversial" that Graziela Tanaka uses to describe the John
Hopkins/Lancet paper requires analysis, in my view. The UK-USA
mainstream media substantially prefers the figures coming from
iraqbodycount.org (IBC), which are approximately one tenth of the
figures quoted in the Lancet. It should not come as a surprise that
the lower figure is preferred, as it is this number that is derived
from media reporting itself. It would amount to a recognition of
serious carelessness or institutionalised underreporting if the media
were to prefer the Lancet report.

On that basis, "controversial" can be understood here to mean
"criticises powerful interests too much", and the word forms something
of a disclaimer even when used subconsciously. When it comes down to
it, this nuance reflects a media consensus that analysis from a group
of unknown volunteers (at IBC) represents better assessment of the war
than a joint, peer-reviewed paper from a highly respected university
in conjunction with a highly respected medical journal. This
suggestion ought to be ridiculous, but it occurs in our media system
without much of a mention at all.

This is not to suggest that IBC is quoting figures in bad faith, nor
that their being relatively unknown is an indicator of amateurishness.
But we should definitely keep an eye on how we as "media consumers"
are manipulated (deliberately or otherwise) into believing one figure
over another.

Avaaz supporters and ocean lovers,

It has been long known that the livelihood of species of fishes are endangered because of predatory fishing. It makes it hard for us to prevent it since most of the time there is no way of knowing where the fish that ends up on our table comes from.

Some surprising news is that a lot of it might come from the cost of Africa, which means the fish that rightfully belongs to coastal communities that have depended on fishing as a form of subsistence for generations, is now going to Europe and the United States.

Read the article - Global Fishing Trade Depletes African Waters - Wall Street Journal:
http://www.illegal-fishing.info/item_single.php?item=news&item_id=1797&approach_id=12

Avaaz now partnered with our friends at Oceana - www.cutthebait.org - to take on this fight. Oceana is a group of marine scientists, economists, lawyers and advocates who work on specific and concrete policy changes to reduce pollution and to prevent the irreversible collapse of fish populations, marine mammals and other sea life.

Thanks to these efforts the issue is gaining increasingly attention from the media and the perfect opportunity is coming up with the WTO negotiations for a new fisheries subsidies agreement. Read how scientists and advocacy groups have been pushing the issue to the WTO:

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL2346864120070524?feedType=RSS&pageNumber=1

Thanks for joining the campaign and help spread the word!

Graziela