English Blog http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/ en en Copyright 2009 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:20:53 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Show us your climate leader 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: Barcelona Climate Talks ]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/iain/2009/11/show_us_your_climate_leader.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/iain/2009/11/show_us_your_climate_leader.php Climate Change 350 avaaz avaaz action factory climate climate crisis cop15 copenhagen greenpeace Oxfam Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:20:53 -0500 From Here to a Global Climate Treaty 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
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 ]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/iain/2009/10/from_here_to_a_global_climate_treaty.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/iain/2009/10/from_here_to_a_global_climate_treaty.php Climate Change avaaz avaaz action factory climate Climate Bill climate crisis copenhagen global movement global warming Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:37:37 -0500 Close Gitmo, End Torture
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]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/iain/2009/10/close_gitmo_end_torture.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/iain/2009/10/close_gitmo_end_torture.php Guantanamo Human Rights Press Hits Print Ads advertisement advertising gitmo guantanamo human rights press Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:07:07 -0500 Stripping in Rome Photos and video below. For more information on the Action Factory projects in Europe and Washington DC, click here. ]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/iain/2009/07/stripping_in_rome.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/iain/2009/07/stripping_in_rome.php Climate Change G8 Report Backs The Avaaz community avaaz avaaz action factory climate climate crisis flash mob g8 global warming italy strip mob video Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:46:28 -0500 Pigs in Geneva! - Swine Flu petition delivery gets global coverage 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:

]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/pascal/2009/06/pigs_in_geneva_swine_flu_petition_delivery_gets_global_coverage.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/pascal/2009/06/pigs_in_geneva_swine_flu_petition_delivery_gets_global_coverage.php Report Backs Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:06:29 -0500 V Summit of the Americas in Trinidad & Tobago: mission impossible, mission accomplished. 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.]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/paula/2009/05/v_summit_of_the_americas_in_trinidad_tobago_mission_impossible_mission_accomplished.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/paula/2009/05/v_summit_of_the_americas_in_trinidad_tobago_mission_impossible_mission_accomplished.php Latin America Lift the Cuba Embargo Report Backs Cuba Embargo Fidel Castro Latin America Obama Port of Spain Summit of the Americas Trinidad & Tobago US Mon, 04 May 2009 11:20:40 -0500 Exxon responds to Avaaz spoof ad: "We don't understand" 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.]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/benwikler/2009/04/exxon_responds_to_avaaz_spoof_ad_we_dont_understand.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/benwikler/2009/04/exxon_responds_to_avaaz_spoof_ad_we_dont_understand.php Climate Change Press Hits Videos advertising advocacy avaaz carbon emissions climate Climate Bill Climate change climate crisis exxon Exxon Mobil exxonmobil fossil fuels Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:29:15 -0500 Tibet: end the blackout
Tibetans fighting the Chinese government's blackout are cut off from the rest of the world.
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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]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/03/tibet_end_the_blackout.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/03/tibet_end_the_blackout.php Avaaz email alerts Human Rights Tibet Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:16:36 -0500 Penguins descend on Brussels with Avaaz's petition 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! ]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/iain/2009/03/penguins_descend_on_brussels_with_avaazs_petition.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/iain/2009/03/penguins_descend_on_brussels_with_avaazs_petition.php Climate Change Dialogue with Power Report Backs Videos avaaz Brussels climate energy efficiency European Union global warming petition delivery Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:32:39 -0500 A talking fridge?
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:

CLICK TO WATCH!


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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]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/03/a_talking_fridge.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/03/a_talking_fridge.php Avaaz email alerts Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:18:32 -0500 'War on Terror, Tell the Truth' petition delivered 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. ]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/brett/2009/03/war_on_terror_tell_the_truth_petition_delivered.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/brett/2009/03/war_on_terror_tell_the_truth_petition_delivered.php Dialogue with Power Guantanamo Human Rights Report Backs Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:31:36 -0500 Tell the truth about the War on Terror


Let's find out the truth! Sign the petition for an independent investigation into Bush’s War on Terror.
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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]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/03/tell_the_truth_about_the_war_on_terror.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/03/tell_the_truth_about_the_war_on_terror.php Guantanamo Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:48:03 -0500 A green recovery
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:

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/

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]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/02/a_green_recovery.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/02/a_green_recovery.php Avaaz email alerts Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:40:38 -0500 Our questions for Kofi Annan
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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]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/02/our_questions_for_kofi_annan.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/02/our_questions_for_kofi_annan.php Climate Change Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:03:25 -0500 Canucks tell Obama about Harper
As Obama visits Canada, help fund an ad campaign asking him to press Harper on climate change:
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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]]> http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/02/canucks_tell_obama_about_harper.php http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/yuri/2009/02/canucks_tell_obama_about_harper.php Avaaz email alerts Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:25:36 -0500