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 adwalkers 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/