Highlights
 | Uganda Activists Petition Against Anti-Gay Bill A delegation led by Anglican priest Canon Gideon Byamugisha delivered Avaaz's 500,000-name petition against an anti-homosexual bill to Uganda's parliament. Byamugisha says the bill teaches intolerance and hatred, while Obama has called the bill 'odious'. The bill has been presented to parliament, and awaits debate. (AP, New York Times) - March 1, 2010 | |||||||||||
 | Uganda gay bill critics deliver online petition Uganda, where homosexuality is already illegal, is trying to push a bill that would make homosexuality punishable by extensive prison sentences - or even the death penalty. An Avaaz petition against the bill was delivered to parliament with 450,000 signatories. (BBC) - March 1, 2010 | |||||||||||
| Avaaz.org, a powerful voice to world leaders The Avaaz citizen's network responded rapidly to news of the Haiti earthquake. 19,000 donated over $1.3 million for relief and recovery work. Hundreds of thousands more petitioned to secure over $1 billion commitment in debt relief for the country. Local partners report on the difference this support is making. (PIH) Feb 26, 2010 (PIH) - Feb 26, 2010 | ||||||||||||
 | "We are not powerless - a great feeling" Anna Siitam, an alumni of the Avaaz ActionFactory in Europe, tells German magazine Joy why she has 'den schõnsten job der Welt' - the most beautiful job in the world. (Joy Magazine)[DE] - 19 Feb, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Nordea maintains support of notorious logging company Denmark's largest bank, Nordea, has been linked to Gunns Ltd, a forest company who want to clear large tracts of land in the Tasmanian rainforest to build a large pulp mill. Over 15 banks internationally have declined to support Gunns Ltd, as Nordea should - or refuse to invest until they have completely stopped using natural forest wood. (Danmarks Radio TV) - Jan 6, 2010 | |||||||||||
 | Hatoyama, Obama, Merkel in 'Cli-Matrix' ad urging aid The full-page ad in the Financial Times by Avaaz.org, carries the image of the three leaders wearing sunglasses and black outfits worn by the main characters in the 1999 movie. The ad calls on the three to "fund the fight to save the world." (Japan Times/Kyodo News) - Dec 16, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Slacktivism Strikes Back Online activists are often mislabeled 'slacktivists' - couch potatoes clicking to support issues with no commitment - but events surrounding the Copenhagen climate conference certainly suggest otherwise. With the ability to mobilize members in all time zones and 14 different languages, Avaaz is at the forefront of modern online international advocacy. (The Huffington Post) - Dec 15, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | "Avaaz is like a sailboat, we go where the wind carries us" Nous sommes un voilier, pas un bateau à moteur, nous allons là où le vent nous porte. Et ce sont les membres qui soufflent dans les voiles. On effectue un sondage régulièrement pour savoir sur quoi on va se mobiliser. Sur le climat, 96% de nos membres ont voulu qu’on se mobilise.» Interview with Ricken Patel. (Libération FR) - Dec 12, 2009 | |||||||||||
| Video of the Week: Fossil of the day Avaaz.org's Ben Wikler donned a crisp tuxedo to host an awards ceremony at the Copenhagen conference's Bella Centre. Countries that performed the worst at the UN climate change conference received recognition for their lack of environmental progress at the Climate Action Network's 'Fossil of the Day' awards. [Article in German] (Die Tageszeitung)- Dec 11, 2009 | ||||||||||||
 | Youths United on Climate CNN features Avaaz aliens, trees and mermaid in this special report on youth climate activism. (CNN) - Dec 10, 2009 | |||||||||||
| The Daily Show's Moment of Zen On the 10th of December, one of the Avaaz aliens (Josh Lynch) was honored by being featured on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as the Daily Moment of Zen, helping him and his alien companions spread their goal - to find a real climate deal in Copenhagen. (The Daily Show) - Dec 10, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | ZDF Today: Avaaz interview German national TV goes behind the scenes at the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen with Avaaz's Ricken Patel. (ZDF) - Dec 9, 2009 | |||||||||||
| Giant tree protesters call out COP15 'tricksters' Activists dressed as trees call urge Finland, Sweden, and Austria not to chop targets for greenhouse gas reduction. Karl Burkart speaks to Ricken Patel of Avaaz.org about the action and events in Copenhagen. (Mother Nature Network) - Dec 8, 2009 | ||||||||||||
 | Ricken Patel voted Huffington Post's Game Changer of the year in Politics Huffington Post readers voted Ricken Patel Game Changer of the year in politics, honoured for his work as co-founder of Avaaz.org, bringing together 3.6 million people worldwide to push for global change. (Huffington Post) - Nov 19, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Hope for climate change action takes flight Chinese lanterns were released south of the white House (despite some participants being stopped by the secret service) as a symbol of hope for climate change action from China and the US. (The Washington Post) - Nov 18, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Washington will seek a political climate agreement without a numerical target Avaaz Aliens searched for global climate leaders at climate talks in Barcelona to warn that an international, legally binding treaty is needed to prevent the destruction of our environment as suffered by their planet. (L'Express)[FR] - Nov 9, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Ousting Guinea's Brutal Junta In spite of moves to encourage Guinea’s military leaders to step down, the junta is still clinging to power. Ricken Patel, the executive director of Avaaz.org, presents arguments in favour of the E.U. using their political weight to end the violence in Guinea. (The New York Times) - Oct 25, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Eight reasons to sanction Guinea Too often, the world has stood by and watched as countries have collapsed, necessitating long and costly interventions to rebuild peace. Over 125,000 citizens from across the world signed an Avaaz.org petition calling for targeted sanctions on Guinea's military regime. (European Voice) - Oct 23, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Bin Laden sports 'I love Guantanamo' T-shirt in US ad Guantanamo is a potent symbol for the torture excesses of former president George W. Bush and is used by Al-Qaeda to attract new members. This Avaaz ad campaign, run at a metro station close to the White House, calls for the detention center to be shut down. (AFP) – Sep 29, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | There Will Be Bells -- the Global Climate Wake-Up Call On Sept. 21st people from Dakar to New York and Guatemala joined together in a Global Climate Wake Up Call. People from all walks of life get together in public places to urge our political leaders to take bold action to deliver a global climate treaty. (The Huffington Post) - Sep 11, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Climate groups dismayed by G20's lack of interest "Until the US, EU and Japanese leaders wake up and put together a serious climate finance plan, there will be a 150 billion dollar pothole on the road to Copenhagen," Ben Wikler of Avaaz told reporters in Pittsburgh for the summit. (AFP) - Sep 25, 2009 | |||||||||||
| 'Flash mobs' send world's politicians climate wake-up call Participants in "flash mobs" held up mobile phones synchronized to sound alarms at the same local time, 12:18 PM, as a "wake-up call" for world leaders in advance of the United Nations summit on climate change in New York on Tuesday. (CBC News) - Sep 21, 2009 | ||||||||||||
 | The fiercest battles for a climate deal are fought online From campaigners TckTckTck and Avaaz to the UK climate secretary's office and the UN, organisations are using the web to harness people power on a scale not seen since Obama's famous digital election strategy. It's not hard to see why. (The Guardian) - Sep 22, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Reuters: Climate activists phone blitz Prime Minister Environmentalists converged on parliament on Monday and chanted "tick! tick! tick! tick!" to symbolise a wake-up call to world leaders ahead of December's U.N. climate summit in Copenhagen. (Reuters) - Sep 21, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Suu Kyi verdict widely condemned "Aung San Suu Kyi 's detention today on spurious charges removes any shred of legitimacy" of the government, said Ricken Patel, director of an online campaign network called Avaaz.org. (UPI) - Aug 11, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Europeans Demand Tighter Sanctions on Myanmar Regime “Citizens across the globe are asking world leaders to hold this brutal regime to account,” said Ricken Patel, director of an online campaign network called Avaaz.org. “Aung San Suu Kyi ’s detention today on spurious charges removes any shred of legitimacy.” (The New York Times) - Aug 11, 2009 | |||||||||||
| G8 - Strip Mob for Cooler Climate In Rome today, a “Strip Mob for Cooler Climate” took place on the Spanish Steps in order to send a message to Silvio Berlusconi to keep his clothes on and get to work on the serious problem of climate change. (CNN) - Jul 8, 2009 | ||||||||||||
 | House Passes Climate Bill The Avaaz Climate Action Factory, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and the Energy Action Coalition hold a rally to urge the House to pass the climate bill. (The Wall Street Journal) - Jun 27, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Cuba inside, shutdown outside Not being present at the Port of Spain Summit of the Americas has not stopped Cuba from being the centre of attention of leaders inside and outside of the conference. Global web-based group Avaaz staged their protest in the west Trinidad port of of Chaguaramas. (BBC) - Apr 19, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | It's not easy being green - guardian.co.uk The EU is being pressed for an eco-friendly post-crisis era economic recovery program while the US moves with more clarity and purpose and China, the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, commits a third of its huge stimulus programme to green investments. Avaaz, the internet-based campaign, is telling this weekend's EU summit via millions of emails... (The Guardian) - Feb 25, 2009 | |||||||||||
 | Voice of America - Group Seeks to Mobilize Global Political Action Through Internet "We still have a massive democratic deficit in the world today and the technology revolution that has been sweeping the globe has allowed people to connect across borders like never before. We are trying to connect this global community to take action rapidly and effectively when moments of opportunity present themselves." (Ricken Patel of Avaaz.org on Voice of America) - Apr 28, 2008 | |||||||||||
 | The Economist, “Wakey-wakey: Electronic activism is stirring citizens into life, whatever leaders might think” Leaders of the G8 nations will have a fresh topic for small, and perhaps serious talk, when they meet in Germany this summer. They will all have been bombarded with emails urging them to take faster action on climate change - in a campaign mounted by Avaaz.org, a new web based protest movement. (The Economist) - Feb 15, 2007 | |||||||||||
 | Asahi Shimbun: NGO convinces Prime Minister to develop mid-term goal An Avaaz advert in the Jakarta Post featuring the faces of Prime Minister Fukuda, President Bush, and Prime Minister Harper, was brought to attention at a pre-Bali negotiations meeting and sparked a discussion that convinced Prime Minister Fukuda to develop a national mid-term goal. | |||||||||||
