Tag Archives: Brazil

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Something big is happening … Ricken Patel – Avaaz.org


Dear fellow Avaazers,

It is wonderful to finally be able to unite with other people on this planet, to stand up, to be heard. I am so happy and so proud to be part of Avaaz. Sometimes I can’t believe this is really happening! THANK YOU…from the bottom of my heart to all the people who are part of this movement, united in a common spirit.
— Alexandra, Avaaz member from Germany.

Something big is happening. From Tahrir Square to Wall St., from staggeringly brave Avaaz citizen journalists in Syria to millions of citizens winning campaign after campaign online, democracy is stirring. Not the media-circus, corrupt, vote-every-4-years democracy of the past. Something much, much deeper.  Deep within ourselves, we are realizing our own power to build the world we all dream of.

We don’t have a lot of time to do it. Our planet is threatened by multiple crises – a climate crisis, food crisis, financial crisis, proliferation crisis… These crises could split us apart like never before, or bring us together like never before. It’s the challenge of our time, and the outcome will determine whether our children face a darker world or one thriving in greater human harmony.

This is our challenge to meet. With 10 million hopeful citizens and rising, Avaaz is the largest global online community in history. There is no other massive, high-tech, people-powered, multi-issue, genuinely global advocacy organization that can mobilize coordinated democratic pressure in hundreds of countries within 24 hours. Our potential is unique, and so is our responsibility.

It’s amazing, but just 10,000 of us make our entire community possible with a small weekly donation of $3 or $5, the price of a cup of coffee, that funds all of Avaaz’s core expenses. But to rise to this moment and win it, we need to accelerate — by doubling our number of weekly ‘sustainers’ to 20,000, and doubling our capacity to do everything we do. Click below to make it happen and buy the world a cup of coffee: 

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl

Making a small but steady weekly contribution enables Avaaz to plan responsibly around long term costs like our tiny but awesome staff team, our website and technology, and the security of our systems (this can get pricey when our campaigns are taking on shady characters!). It also means we have the ability to respond immediately to crises as they occur and jump on opportunities for action without delay.

A very small donation of $3 or $5 per week from 10,000 more sustainers would enable our community to expand all our work next year, helping to save lives in humanitarian emergencies, protect the environment and wildlife, support democracy and fight corruption, push for peace and reduce poverty.

Donating to Avaaz has a double-impact — because our donations not only make change now by empowering particular campaigns, every contribution builds our community that will be making change for decades to come. It’s an investment with both immediate and long term results for our children’s and our planet’s future. Click here to contribute:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl

Fundraising is often a problem for social change organizations. Government or corporate funding would profoundly threaten our mission. Funding from large donors also often comes with strings attached. And high-pressure tactics like telemarketing, postal mail, or direct on-the-street programmes often cost nearly as much as they raise! That’s why the Avaaz model – online, people-powered donations – is the best way in the world to power an engine of social change, and a huge part of our community’s promise.

If we can multiply the number of sustainers we have, it will take our community, and our impact, to a whole new level. I can’t wait.

I know that donating is an act of hope, and of trust. I feel a huge and serious sense of responsibility to be a steward of that hope, and my team and I are deeply committed to respecting the trust you place in us with your hope, time, and resources. It’s a special thing we’re building here, and if we can keep believing in each other, anything is possible.

With hope and gratitude for this amazing community,

Ricken Patel
Avaaz

PS – In case you’re mulling it over, here’s 11 more reasons to donate to Avaaz 🙂

Reason 1 – What we do Works

With 10 million members in every nation of the world, able to mobilize at a moment’s notice to pressing needs and opportunities, Avaaz works –- together we’ve saved lives in Haiti and Burma, reversed government policies from Brazil to Japan, and won victories on international treaties from banning cluster bombs to preserving oceans. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown says of Avaaz “You have driven forward the idealism of the world… do not underestimate your impact on leaders” while the Economist says Avaaz is “poised to deliver a deafening wake up call to world leaders” and Al Gore says “Avaaz is inspiring, and has already made a difference”. We’re only 5 years old and growing fast, and the more our members get involved and donate, the more impact we have.

Make a donation here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl

Reason 2 – An Avaaz donation is an investment with permanent social change returns

With Avaaz, our donations fund high impact campaigns that also recruit more people. More people means more donations, and more impact. So you’re not only achieving a particular change with your donation, you’re helping grow a community with new members that will multiply your donation many times over, and be a permanent and ever-increasing source of change. It’s a tremendous philanthropic value to have this kind of double and permanent impact.

Reason 3 – We have no bureaucracy

Avaaz is a massive network of citizens, but our organization is absolutely tiny – just 20 full time campaigners with operational and technology support. Most large global NGOs have hundreds or even thousands of staff. Our small size means we have no time for red tape, layers of management, or being focused on anything but getting results.

Reason 4 – We’re regularly audited, and fiscally responsible

There’s a lot of fear out there about misuse of donated money. Most of the fear is misplaced – most organizations are filled with good people trying to do good things. With Avaaz you can be sure – partly because we’re required by law to be audited every 12 months. This audit thoroughly checks every aspect of our books and financial practices. We’ve been audited 4 times since we launched and every time been given a squeaky clean bill of health (for details, click here).

Reason 5 – We have a world-class team that does outstanding work

Campaigning, advocacy and social change are a serious and demanding business – the more competent the team, the more impact our donations have. Avaaz attracts some of the best campaigners and advocates in the world. Many of our campaign directors joined us after being CEOs of successful multi-million dollar advocacy organizations, and most have degrees from the top universities in the world.

Donate now: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl

Reason 6 – We’re 100% Independent

Avaaz takes absolutely no money from governments or corporations. This is hugely important to ensuring that our voice is exclusively determined by the values of our members, and not by any large funder or agenda. While we received initial seed grants from partner organizations and charitable organizations, 100% of the Avaaz budget now comes from small online donations. This means that the only agenda we have to follow is the people’s agenda.

Reason 7 – We pass the money on when it makes sense, and give to the best efforts

Avaaz has donated more than $5 million to other organizations, because we saw them as better placed than us to have impact on a particular issue. For example, we’ve granted $1.6 million to Burmese monks and aid groups, $1.3 million to Haitian aid organizations (see this video from the groups that received our donations), and more than $1million to relief organisations in Pakistan. The way we support organizations is important too. Most foundations have endless process and constraints that make them slow, bureaucratic and risk averse in supporting advocacy. Avaaz finds the best people and organizations and doesn’t micromanage them – we just empower them to do what they know best.

Reason 8 – We’re political (this really matters)

Most charities offer tax deductibility for donations. But this means that they are, in a way, partially tax-payer funded, and governments use that to place a very thick set of rules on what they can and can’t do. Chief among them is restricting what they can say to criticize, support, or oppose a politician. Avaaz is very rare in that our donations are not tax deductible, leaving us 100% free to say and do whatever we need to to get leaders to listen to people. Since so many important issues are won and lost in the political realm, this makes us much more effective than advocacy groups that shy away from speaking out politically.

Reason 9 – We go where the greatest needs and opportunities are

Most organizations focus on a single issue over a long period of time. This is very important to do, but that can mean that when desperate needs or amazing opportunities for social change arise, they get ignored because everyone is working on their own issue. Avaaz campaigns target the most urgent needs and opportunities, showing up just when a powerful burst of citizens’ attention is needed most. We work continuously with top quality partners in the areas we campaign on, and all describe Avaaz as an amazing added value to their work.

Click to donate: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl

Reason 10 – Democratic accountability is hard-wired into our model

The Avaaz model of campaigning is people-powered. Our priorities are set at annual and weekly levels by polls of our membership and every campaign we run is first polled with members. Click here for results from our 2010 annual poll. No matter how much work we put into developing a campaign, if it fails to get the greenlight from members, we don’t run it. So on a day to day basis, how we spend the donations we receive is determined directly by members.

Reason 11 – There’s no other organization like us

Avaaz is the world’s first and only massive, high-tech, people-powered, multi-issue, genuinely global advocacy organization. In a world where the problems we face are consistently global, and the solutions to them increasingly require global democratic action, Avaaz is uniquely placed to effect change. No other organization can rapidly mobilize large-scale, coordinated democratic pressure in over 150 countries within 24 hours. A new model of internet-based, people-powered politics has changed politics in several countries, and Avaaz is taking that proven model global. The result is already the largest global online movement in history, and we’re just getting started.

Make a secure donation to Avaaz: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Bolivia: Stop the crackdown …Luis Morago – Avaaz.org


On Sunday, Bolivian police used tear gas and truncheons to crack down on indigenous men, women and children who are marching against an illegal mega-highway that will slice through the protected Amazon rainforest.

72 hours later, the country is in crisis — two key Ministers have resigned, Bolivians are erupting in street protests across the country, and President Evo Morales has been forced to temporarily suspend the highway construction. But powerful multinationals are already divvying up this important nature preserve. Now, only if the world stands with these brave indigenous people can we ensure the highway is rerouted and the forest is protected.

Avaaz just delivered a 115,000 strong Bolivian and Latin American emergency petition to two senior government Ministers — they are worried about massive public pressure and are on the back foot. Now after this brutal violence let’s ramp up the pressure and raise a global alarm to end the crackdown and stop the highway. Click to sign the urgent petition — it will be delivered spectacularly to President Evo Morales when we reach 500,000:

WWW.Avaaz.ORG

Thousands of indigenous people have been marching for six weeks from the Amazon to the capital. Finally, at a meeting with Avaaz last week, Bolivia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs pledged to open dialogue with leaders. On Saturday, he went to speak with the marchers, but when he refused their basic demands, they forced him to march with them for one hour to break the police fence. The next day troops stormed the area where the protesters had set up camp and brutally beat and detained hundreds and loaded them onto buses to forcibly remove them.

The proposed 300km highway would cut straight through Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS in Spanish), the crown jewel of the Bolivian Amazon, famous for its huge trees, astonishing wildlife and fresh water. TIPNIS’s incredible natural and cultural significance have earned it the status of a double protected area — as a National Park and an indigenous reservoir. The highway is financed by Brazil and would link Brazil to Pacific ports. But below the surface, it would be a poisonous artery that would destroy these communities and the forest and open up this pristine land to logging, oil and mining explorations, and large scale industrial and agricultural business. A recent study found that 64% of the park could be deforested by 2030 if the road is built.

Bolivian and international law say indigenous leaders must be consulted if the government wishes to take their land, and the indigenous communities want safer alternatives to foster economic growth and regional integration. But the government has ignored their vocal opposition and failed to study a single alternative road route outside TIPNIS. Instead, Morales is pushing for a referendum for the region which ignores the law and is seen by many as an attempt to fabricate illegitimate consent.

Morales — known as Bolivia’s first indigenous President — is renowned globally for standing strong for the environment and indigenous people. Let’s encourage him to stick to those principles now that this simmering conflict has violently reached boiling point, and stand with those on the front line struggling for Amazon protection and respect for indigenous communities — sign this urgent petition to stop the crackdown and the illegal highway:

WWW.Avaaz.ORG

Again and again, the protection of the land we all depend on and the rights of indigenous people are sacrificed by our governments at the altar of development and economic growth. Our leaders often choose mining and deforestation over our own survival — regularly directly profiting foreign corporations. In the future we all want, the environment and the lives of innocent people come before profit. President Evo Morales now has the chance to back his people, save the Amazon, and rethink what real development looks like in Latin America.

With hope,

Luis, Laura, Alice, Ricken, David, Diego, Shibayan, Alex and the rest of the Avaaz team

Sources

Bolivia’s Evo Morales suspends Amazon road project (BBC):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15072166

Bolivia halts road project after protests (RNW):
http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/bolivia-halts-road-project-after-protests

Bolivia’s Interior Minister the Latest Official to Resign in Highway Construction Controversy (VOA):
http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2011/09/27/bolivias-interior-minister-the-latest-official-to-resign-in-highway-construction-controversy/

Bolivia Defense Minister Quits In Amazon Highway Dispute (Huffington Post):
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/26/cecilia-chacon-quits_n_981399.html

Article citing study of deforestation projections (in Spanish):
http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/vida-y-futuro/20110703/analisis-historico-y-proyeccion_132222_268061.html

Turning Point for Morales: Bolivian Police Repress and Detain Indigenous Marchers (Andean Information Network):
http://ain-bolivia.org/2011/09/turning-point-for-morales-bolivian-police-repress-and-detain-indigenous-marchers/

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Brazil is on the verge of gutting its forest protection laws


Incredible! Over 740,000 signers — let’s reach one million in time to join massive marches for forest protection across Brazil.

The Amazon is in serious danger: Brazil is on the verge of gutting its forest protection laws — unless we act now, vast tracts of our planet’s lungs could be opened up to clear-cutting devastation.

This threat to the Amazon has sparked widespread anger and protests across the country and tensions are rising. In an effort to stifle criticism, armed thugs, allegedly hired by loggers, have murdered environmental advocates. But the movement is fighting back — in four days, brave indigenous people are leading massive marches across Brazil to demand action and inside sources say President Dilma is considering vetoing the changes. 

79% of Brazilians support a veto of the forest law changes and this internal pressure is leading some in Dilma’s administration to back a veto. But we need a global cry of solidarity with the Brazilian people to really force Dilma’s hand. Our global petition will be boldly displayed on banners at the front of the massive marches for Amazon protection. Let’s reach one million to SAVE THE AMAZON! Sign the urgent petition below and send this on to everyone:

 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_amazon_a/?vl

People love Brazil! The sun, the music, the dancing, the football, the nature — it’s a country that inspires millions around the world. This is why Brazil is hosting the next World Cup, why Rio has the 2016 Olympics and next year’s Earth Summit, a meeting to stop the slow death of our planet.

Our love is not misplaced — the Amazon is vital to life on earth — 20% of our oxygen and one-fifth of all the world’s freshwater comes from this magnificent rainforest. That’s why it’s so crucial that we all protect it.

But Brazil is also a rapidly developing country, battling to lift tens of millions out of poverty, and the pressure on its political leaders to clear-cut and mine for profit is intense. Now, they’re dangerously close to buckling on environmental protections. Local activists are being murdered, intimidated and silenced. It’s up to Avaaz members across the world to stand with Brazilians and urge Brazil’s politicians to be strong.

Many of us have seen in our own countries how growth often comes at the expense of our natural heritage: our waters and air get polluted, our forests die.

For Brazil, there is an alternative. Dilma’s predecessor massively reduced deforestation and cemented the country’s international reputation as an environmental leader, while also enjoying huge economic growth. Let’s come together now, when indigenous and environmental leaders are taking their battle to the streets and urge Dilma to follow in those footsteps — sign the petition to save the Amazon, then forward this email to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_amazon_a/?vl

In the last three years, Brazilian Avaaz members have taken massive leaps towards the world we all want: They won landmark anti-corruption legislation, and have lobbied their government to play a leadership role at the UN, protect human rights and intervene to support democracy in the Middle East, and help protect human rights in Africa and beyond. Now, as brave Brazilian activists are being killed for protecting a precious global resource, let’s come together around this critical day of action to save the Amazon and herald Brazil as a true international leader once more.

With hope,

Emma, Ricken, Alice, Ben, Iain, Laura, Graziela, Luis and the rest of the Avaaz Team
MORE INFORMATION

ICTSD: The Brazilian Forest Code: Exploitation and Preservation
http://ictsd.org/i/news/biores/111187/

WWF, More voices speak out against relaxing Brazil’s Forest Law
http://www.wwf.org.uk/news_feed.cfm?5142/More_voices_speak_out_against_relaxing_Brazils_Forest_Law

BBC — Brazil passes ‘retrograde’ forest code:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13544000

AP — Another Amazon activist killed in logging conflict:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gpeblqINNdOyGwLJOL2QRXInY4bA?docId=CNG.b3569aafd06fe78f58be73c5faaa97a5.71

Mongabay — Majority of Brazilians reject changes in Amazon Forest Code:
http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0611-amazon_code_poll.html

Science Insider — Furor Over Proposed Brazilian Forest Law:
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/05/furor-over-proposed-brazilian.html

Guardian — Death in the Amazon: a war being fought for us all:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/jun/15/amazon-rainforest-brazil-murder

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Murder in the Amazon …Emma Ruby-Sachs – Avaaz.org

1 Comment

The Amazon is in serious danger — the lower house of the Brazilian congress has approved a gutting of Brazil’s forest protection laws. Unless we act now, vast tracts of our planet’s lungs could be opened up to clear-cutting devastation.

  

The Amazon forest is at risk. The Brazilian Congress has watered down strict forest protection laws and brave Brazilian activists are being murdered for speaking out. It’s time for us to take this critical battle global — if we all call on President Dilma to veto the bill, we could save the Amazon.

The move has sparked widespread anger and protests across the country. And tension is rising — in the last few weeks, several prominent environmental advocates have been murdered, purportedly by armed thugs hired by illegal loggers. The timing is critical. They’re trying to silence criticism just as the law is discussed in the Senate. But President Dilma can veto the changes, if we can persuade her to overcome political pressure and step onto the global stage as a leader.

79% of Brazilians support Dilma’s veto of the forest law changes, but their voices are being challenged by logger lobbies. It’s now up to all of us to raise the stakes and make Amazon protection a global issue. Let’s come together now in a giant call to stop the murders and illegal logging, and save the Amazon. Sign the petition below — it’ll be delivered to Dilma when we reach 500,000 signers:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_amazon/?vl

People love Brazil! The sun, the music, the dancing, the football, the nature — it’s a country that inspires millions around the world. This is why Brazil is hosting the next World Cup, why Rio has the 2016 Olympics and next year’s Earth Summit, a meeting to stop the slow death of our planet.

Our love is not misplaced — the Amazon Is vital to life on earth — 20% of our oxygen and 60% of our freshwater comes from this magnificent rainforest.  That’s why it’s so crucial that we all protect it.

But Brazil is also a rapidly developing country, battling to lift tens of millions out of poverty, and the pressure to clear-cut and mine for profit on its political leaders is intense. This is why they’re dangerously close to buckling on environmental protections. Local activists are being murdered, intimidated and silenced, it’s up to Avaaz members across the world to stand with Brazilians and urge Brazil’s politicians to be strong.

Many of us have seen in our own countries how growth often comes at the expense of our natural heritage, our waters and air get polluted, our forests die. 

For Brazil, there is an alternative. Dilma’s predecessor massively reduced deforestation and cemented the country’s international reputation as an environmental leader, while also enjoying huge economic growth.  Let’s come together now, and urge Dilma to follow in those footsteps — sign the petition to save the Amazon, then forward this email to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_amazon/?vl

In the last 3 years, Brazilian Avaaz members have taken massive leaps towards the world we all want: They won landmark anti-corruption legislation, and have lobbied their government to play a leadership role at the UN, protect human rights and intervene to support democracy in the Middle East, and help protect human rights in Africa and beyond.

Now, as brave Brazilian activists are being killed for protecting a critical global resource, let’s come together, and build an international movement to save the Amazon and herald Brazil as a true international leader once more. Sign the petition, then forward this email to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_amazon/?vl

With hope,

Emma, Ricken, Alice, Ben, Iain, Laura, Graziela, Luis and the rest of the Avaaz Team
MORE INFORMATION

BBC — Brazil passes ‘retrograde’ forest code:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13544000

AP — Another Amazon activist killed in logging conflict:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gpeblqINNdOyGwLJOL2QRXInY4bA?docId=CNG.b3569aafd06fe78f58be73c5faaa97a5.71

Mongabay — Majority of Brazilians reject changes in Amazon Forest Code:
http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0611-amazon_code_poll.html

Science Insider — Furor Over Proposed Brazilian Forest Law:
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/05/furor-over-proposed-brazilian.html

Guardian — Death in the Amazon: a war being fought for us all:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/jun/15/amazon-rainforest-brazil-murder

Washington Post — Brazil’s lower house approves looser forest protections:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/brazils-lower-house-approves-looser-forest-protections/2011/05/25/AGgXnaBH_story.html

Brazil’s forest bill threat to Amazon
http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/05/26/brazils-forestry-bill-threat-to-amazon/
Support the Avaaz community! We’re entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way — donate here.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Hunt for climate impacts, win a trip to Brazil


Imagine this situation: You’re stuck at the airport for who knows how long because your plane’s been grounded, you’re covered in the itchiest poison ivy you’ve ever had, and the airport bar is out of your favorite Cabernet.
 
What is going on?
 

 Check out the new UCS Climate Hot Map. Travel the world to learn where global warming is already having an impact and you could win a trip for two to help find answers to the challenges of climate change in the Rio Cachoeira Natural Reserve in Brazil!

This is climate change. Many people don’t realize it, but global warming is already affecting our lives and it’s causing trouble in surprising places—like in North Carolina where climate change has caused poison ivy to become more potent.
 
And unfortunately, itchy, thirsty, and impatient are only the beginning—there are dozens of ways global warming is already affecting the world and could be affecting you!
 
Today, the Union of Concerned Scientists introduces a new, interactive way to learn about the local consequences of global warming and the solutions available to meet the climate challenge. The Climate Hot Map allows you to travel the world and explore the places (or “hot spots”) where scientists have gathered evidence of climate changes that are already under way.
 
Check out some of the highlights from the Climate Hot Map by taking our Climate Hot Map Scavenger Hunt today.By joining the hunt for hot spots, you’ll be entered to win our grand prize: an Earthwatch Institute trip for two to assess the impacts of climate change on the Rio Cachoeira Natural Reserve in Brazil! You’ll get additional entries for every correct Hot Spot you identify and for sharing the Climate Hot Map Scavenger Hunt with friends and family members. Five runners-up will receive a Solio Mono Hybrid Solar Charger—great for traveling or at home to charge your cell phone or MP3 player using the power of the sun.
 
So what are you waiting for? Travel the world, win cool prizes, learn about the local impacts of global warming today, and find out what communities around the world are doing to reduce global warming emissions. Start the Scavenger Hunt now.

 Sincerely,

Brenda Ekwurzel, Ph.D.
Climate Scientist