I just wanted to share some good news that came in via email that I will share with you here. I support Avaaz in many of their campaigns by signing petitions from human rights to animal cruelty. So I was so pleased that this was the result of a long campaign to ban Ivory in Hong Kong.
If you want to add your name to help close more markets in Ivory, there is a link within the email at the bottom..
I have added to my Meaningful Monday’s Tag, but can’t wait till then. 🙂
Have an amazing weekend all of you..
Love and Blessings Sue
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Dear friends,
The world’s largest ivory market just banned ivory!! And our movement was at the centre of the fight!
Hong Kong’s ivory market is gigantic — responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of elephants. With these amazing creatures careening towards extinction, Avaazers launched a massive petition,sent thousands of messages to Hong Kong legislators, got many engaged directly with our campaign, and built a media storm right before the vote — legislators even held up our campaign ads during the debate!
And yesterday, we won!!! Here’s how it happened…
The 1.1 million-strong call for an ivory ban is delivered to Hong Kong’s lawmakers ahead of the vote
First, over a million of us joined our petition calling for an ivory ban. Almost immediately after launching, a key legislator got in touch to talk to Avaaz about the campaign — we definitely got their attention!
Then, last week, we got an urgent email from campaigners in Hong Kong that the government was calling a vote on the ivory ban in just five days. So, we swung into action:
We plastered Hong Kong’s social media with a video from our friends at WildAid Hong Kong featuring Chinese superstar Li Bing Bing, showing the heartbreaking impact of the ivory trade.
Next, we created a beautiful ad to run in Hong Kong’s biggest newspaper on the day of the vote, telling legislators that the future of elephants was in their hands.
The Avaaz ad in the Oriental Daily News telling Hong Kong lawmakers that the elephants’ future is in their hands
Then thousands of us sent messages to lawmakers calling on them to support the ban.
And as the legislators went in to vote, Avaazers joined a colourful protest organised by fellow campaigners.
“Having the support of over a million people all over the world made a big impact when it came down to the vote. Thank you Avaazers!”
– Alex Hofford, WildAid Hong Kong
Finally, in the debate before the vote, one of the main legislators championing the ban held up a giant printed version of our ad for everyone to see, showing them the whole world was watching!
“It was a huge boost to be able to deliver a million voices into the debate before we voted for the ivory ban. The world stood with us, and it made a difference.”
– Hong Kong lawmaker Hon Elizabeth Quat
In the end, we won the vote by a landslide!Media worldwide have hailed this ‘historic’ vote — the biggest ivory market in the world will now start shutting down its ivory trade!Like many Avaaz campaigns, we didn’t do this alone. This incredible result was only possible after years of campaigning by WildAid and others, and thanks to a dedicated group of legislators in Hong Kong who made sure the vote happened.
Today, thanks to all of us, the poachers and traders are fuming, and our majestic elephant friends have been given a lifeline. I’m full of joy, for the planet, but also selfishly, for my own family. I’ve just become a dad, and now I have hope that my new baby will grow up to have the spectacular experience of seeing elephants in the wild.
With gratitude and pride at what we have achieved together,
Bert and the Avaaz team
P.S. We’ve won in Hong Kong — but there are still markets open in Europe that we need to close. Click here and add your name to that campaign too!
Most of you know how passionate I am about Gardening and doing so without pesticides or herbicides. Progress of my garden and allotment can be found HERE.
So it was with great dismay I learnt of the decision of our British Government to allow certain banned pesticides to be used on farms here in the UK.
The government has just allowed bee-killing pesticides to be unleashed across Britain’s farms, threatening the butterflies and bugs we rely on to grow our food.
Scientists’ warnings got these pesticides banned across the European Union,but the government has caved in to the powerful pesticide industry and the National Farmers Union to let them be used here again. It’s up to us to stop this madness — if we continue to poison our pollinators, the hedgerows, fields and fruit trees of this country will end up silent.
Overturning a decision like this is going to take an unprecedented number of us speaking up. But we can do it: nearly 3% of British internet users are getting this email. If each of us signs and gets just one friend to sign we can reach 6%, if each of us gets two people, we can reach 9%, etc etc. Sharing the petition online could have the ripple effect we need — click to sign now and share on Facebook, Twitter, email, everywhere:
While the rest of Europe has backed a ban and seen their bee numbers are continuing to recover, the farming lobby in Britain has always preferred an industrialised chemical-powered approach to agriculture and with an attitude which says “as long as the yields are good, to hell with the consequences!”
It’s true that some reports show that neonicotinoids can deliver a short-term improvement on harvests, yet if we carry on using these pesticides the wider impact on critical pollinators will be catastrophic. Last Parliament, we saw how frustrated the government can get when presented with evidence-based science, doing all it could to block Europe bee-saving moratorium for pesticide use. Now it wants to go it alone across our green and pleasant lands.
But we know they are nervous — gagging scientists from speaking out and burying notes from previous meetings. We have also seen how u-turns are possible, with the fox hunting vote killed off — but that was only possible because a petition went completely viral with thousands of people sharing with their friends and family. Let’s do it this time for the bees. Sign the petition and share it now everywhere you can think:
Two years ago, Avaaz members across Europe came together to introduce the first continent wide-ban on neonicotinoids. Let’s do it again and get rid of these crazy poisons in the UK once and for all.
With hope and determination,
Sam, Nick, Luis, Antonia, Lisa and the whole Avaaz team
Avaaz.org is a 41-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decision-making. (“Avaaz” means “voice” or “song” in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz’s biggest campaignshere, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter. “
I hope dear Friends you too will add to the already 75,000 signatures to add your protests to help save the insect world, not to mention the affects on health.
While you and I crave for cleaner oceans, less pollution, as we speak our speak. Others are walking their talk, and doing something to raise awareness in defence of our Environment in one of the last untouched places on Earth by man.. The Arctic…. I hope that if you are already an Avaaz member you will have already clicked and signed the petition, but if you are new to the organisation, then please feel free to read and pass on and I hope you will add your voice to that of others who want to stop this injustice for these Greenpeace warriors who want a greener peaceful world.
This only came in my email box today and already 594,675, have signed..
Thank you for reading, and I am still in catch-up mode so trying to work my way down my email lists..
Blessing to you all for a Peaceful Weekend Sue
Update
Update: 28 October 2013
Breaking news: last week the piracy charges were replaced with charges of hooliganism — still a wildly disproportionate punishment that carries up to seven years in jail. Let’s continue to stand with the brave Arctic 30 until these false charges are dropped entirely.Sign now and forward this campaign!
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Dear friends,
Ana Paula and 29 of her Greenpeace crewmates are trapped in a Russian jail for trying to save the Arctic from oil drilling. But our community could set them free if we help Greenpeace build a massive global outcry targeting Russia’s biggest global partners. Let’s reach 1 million to free the Arctic 30 — sign now by clicking below:
Ana Paula is a 31-year old from Brazil who wanted to peacefully protest Russia’s plans to drill the Arctic.Now she, along with her 29 crewmates from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, is locked in a Russian jail with no release in sight. But we can throw her and the rest of her crew a lifeline.
The Greenpeace staff, some in solitary confinement, are now facing fifteen years in prison on trumped up charges of piracy. Their crime? Hanging a banner on a Russian oil rig to protest dangerous deepwater drilling in one of the earth’s most beautiful and fragile places. Many western governments have already spoken out, but now Ana Paula and Greenpeace are asking the Avaaz community to help build a truly global outcry.
Together we can call on some of Russia’s strongest trade and political partners — Brazil, India, South Africa and the EU — to call for the release of the Arctic 30. Let’s reach 1 million to free Ana Paula and her friends. Once we hit that mark, Avaaz will project their faces in key public places to keep this story at the top of the news: http://www.avaaz.org/en/free_the_arctic_30_loc/?blGazab&v=30393 This is what Ana Paula’s sister said about her: “In many ways, my sister is a typical Brazilian — talkative, friendly, and full of life. But she’s also simply extraordinary, passionate about nature since she was little, and never hesitating to stand up for it even at great personal risk.”
Now Ana Paula and her crewmates could lose 15 years of their lives, all for trying to hang a banner on a Gazprom oil rig, the first of its kind in the Arctic. This is an aggressive backlash against defenders of our environment — stopping oil drilling in the Arctic is about protecting the last great wilderness on earth, where oil spills are almost impossible to clean up.
Greenpeace has hired great lawyers who point out that the 30 were arrested in international waters, making Russia the one violating the international Law of the Sea. But being on the right side of the law may not be enough to regain their freedom, and their dreadful fate may be sealed soon unless the international community lets Russia know that this is a scandal that’s not going to go away. Avaaz has a particularly powerful voice in many of these countries with huge memberships — 5 million in Brazil alone! If we all weigh in now and build a one million strong petition, Avaazers in Brazil, South Africa, India, and the EU can ramp up the pressure. Sign now to help build 1 million people to help free the Arctic 30: http://www.avaaz.org/en/free_the_arctic_30_loc/?blGazab&v=30393 These Arctic 30 were brave enough to confront the oil industry in one of the last untouched places on earth. They are being silenced and intimidated by the oil industry for their bravery. Our community has stood strong for campaigners across the world — now let’s free these 30.
With hope and determination, Jamie, Alex, Emma, Lisa, Ricken, Marie, Julien, Diego and the rest of the Avaaz team
As some of you may know I support Avaaz and from time to time I have shared a particular petition with you, Its good to know that when we click those petitions we get results…. Below I received an email which I want to share showing how our clicks have helped in various campaigns… and to all those who I know support Avaaz The World in Action,
A BigThank you too…
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“Dear amazing community, I often get asked by Avaazers, “what happens after I sign a petition?” And the truth is, a HECK of a lot! Every Avaaz campaign springs from a massive global mandate, and then zeroes in on the best way for our voices to win. Here’s just two of our victories from the last few weeks: Remember when 2 million of us came together to stop the flogging of a 15-year old rape victim in the Maldives? Her sentence has been quashed! Here’s what our team did to win:
Our ads threatened the profits of officials who owned parts of the tourism industry
Spoke for hours with the Maldivian Attorney-General and Ministers and emailed the President at his personal account.
Commissioned opinion polls showing massive support for reforms to protect girls. And wrote an Op-Ed in a major national paper.
Persuaded a top Islamic scholar to speak out against flogging.
Threatened to run an ad (right) in tourism publications, affecting the country’s major industry.
Visited the Maldives and the location where the girl was held, pressing officials directly.
Ahmed Shaheed, former Foreign Minister of the Maldives said “The Avaaz contribution was the spearhead of the campaign to overturn the flogging sentence; a petition signed by millions, a country visit, a public opinion survey, and persistent follow-up all proved irresistible.”
Another example: Remember how almost 2 million of us rallied to stop the Maasai tribe in Tanzania from being kicked off their land for a hunting reserve? Last week, the Prime Minister announced they could stay! The petition provided a powerful basis for what the team did next:
Maasai women gather to protest the eviction. Photo by Jason Patinkin
Got CNN and the Guardian to visit the Maasai and break the wider story to the world.
Advised Maasai elders on their campaigning strategy.
Flooded Ministers and the President with messages — forcing a debate in cabinet and Parliament.
Ran a hard hitting newspaper ad in an influential paper which publicly shamed the government.
Persuaded diplomats worldwide to raise the issue — embarrassing the government.
Financially supported Maasai elders to travel to the capital where they gathered to ‘occupy’ land outside of the Prime Minister’s office for weeks, refusing to leave until he met them.
Gordon Brown said: "A million dollars has been raised via the brilliant Avaaz.org, in just a few days."
Key Brazilian Senator joins Avaaz "open vote" naked protest sending a clear message: "we have nothing to hide"
The victory belongs to the Maasai people, but our community helped them win by making this a global issue the government could no longer ignore. This hopefully ends a 20 year land battle!! Of course, our community does a LOT more than petitions. Last week, we raised a $1 million challenge grant in a few days to donor governments to put Syrian refugee kids in school. At a UN meeting, I was able to put a cheque on the table and issue the challenge on behalf of over 40,000 Avaaz donors. UN Education Envoy Gordon Brown, who chaired the meeting, called our community’s effort a "magnificent and impactful intervention" in getting other governments to give! And often it’s not the Avaaz team but our community that does the direct lobbying. For example in Brazil, we’re inches away from winning a massive fight to end the shady practice of ‘secret voting’ in the Congress. Our huge push helped win the vote in the lower house and right now, Senators’ telephones are ringing off the hook as Avaaz members across Brazil use our online calling tool to directly tell them to stop this corruption — experts say a win is likely in days! It’s this unique magic mix between a gigantic and spirited community of citizens able to speak out, donate, and lobby, and a small team of top notch advocates able to take smart, strategic actions at the highest level with democratic legitimacy, that makes our campaigns increasingly unstoppable. If we keep believing in each other, and growing in size and in commitment, there’s no limit to the good we can do in the world. Thank you so much for the honour and the joy to be part of and serve this community. It’s something truly precious we have here — let’s keep building Avaaz. With love and appreciation, Ricken and the team
PS — You might not know that Avaaz is different from just about every other global organization in that we are 100% funded and guided by our community. Every campaign we run is first polled and tested to a random sample (you might think of it as a jury) of our community, that tells us exactly how the whole the community will react. I may be the CEO, but you’re my boss. If you don’t like something (and I don’t mean 51% like it, but 81% like it) then our team go back to the drawing board and come up with a better option for you. We have never, ever, broken this rule. So at the end of the day, it is your wisdom, the collective wisdom of our community, matched with the smartest suggestions the team hears from you and come up with ourselves and from our partners and experts, that determines what we do every single day. When you add to that the fact that 100% of our funding comes from small online donations (we strictly refuse any donations from corporations, governments, foundations, and even individual donations over 5000 Euros), I think Avaaz may be one of the purest organisational expressions of people-powered change in the world today. Make that an organisation served by a beautiful team of wonderfully talented and deeply committed people that I wish I could introduce you all to, and we’ve got a kind of magic that can build the world we dream of.”
Its not often I share an email with you all but today is an exception.
I am a member of AVAAZ.Org “Avaaz—meaning "voice" in several European, Middle Eastern and Asian languages—launched in 2007 with a simple democratic mission: organize citizens of all nations to close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want.”
I would ask you all to look into these facts and judge for yourselves. I have spoken upon this subject before in 2009 in my post Corn Dance~Seeds of Truth
Growing our own food and collecting their seeds is an important part of our sustainability and we all need to be aware how important Self-Sufficiency is now becoming. We need to take a good look at how our world is being controlled and manipulated from monopoly corporations. Please as I always say, don’t believe one word I say, Go find out for yourselves! and look up the herbicides Round Up which are being used too!
Below is the email, Please feel free to forward this post and the link to Sign the petition which is highlighted in Red below.. Many thanks Sue
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Dear Avaazers,
It’s unbelievable, but Monsanto and Co. are at it again. These profit-hungry biotech companies have found a way to exclusively ‘own’ something that freely belongs to us all — our food! They’re trying to patent away our everyday vegetables and fruits like cucumber, broccoli and melons, forcing growers to pay them and risk being sued if they don’t. But we can stop them from buying up Mother Earth. Companies like Monsanto have found loopholes in European law to get away with this, so we just need to close them shut before they set a dangerous global precedent. And to do that, we need key countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands — where opposition is already growing — to call for a vote to stop Monsanto’s plans. The Avaaz community has shifted governments before, and we can do it again. Many farmers and politicians are already against this — we just need to bring in people power to pressure these countries to keep Monsanto’s hands off our food.
Once a patent exists in one country, trade agreements and negotiations often push other countries to honour it as well. That’s why these food patents change everything about how our food chain works: for thousands of years, farmers could choose which seeds they’d use without worrying about getting sued for violating intellectual property rights. But now, companies launch expensive legal campaigns to buy patents on conventional plants and force farmers to pay exorbitant royalty fees. Monsanto and Co. claim that patents drive innovation — but in fact they create a corporate monopoly of our food. But luckily, the European Patent Office is controlled by 38 member states who, with one vote, can end dangerous patents on food that is bred using conventional methods. Even the European Parliament has issued a statement objecting to these kinds of destructive patents. Now, a massive wave of public outcry could push them to ban the patenting of our everyday food for good. The situation is dire already — Monsanto alone owns 36% of all tomato, 32% of sweet pepper and 49% of cauliflower varieties registered in the EU. With a simple regulatory change, we could protect our food, our farmers and our planet from corporate control — and it’s up to us to make it happen: http://www.avaaz.org/en/monsanto_vs_mother_earth_don/?blGazab&v=23900
The Avaaz community has never been afraid to stand up to corporate capture of our institutions, from pushing back the Rupert Murdoch mafia, to helping ensure that telecoms keep their hands off our Internet. Now it’s time to defend our food supply from this corporate takeover. With hope and determination,
Jeremy, Michelle, Oli, Dalia, Pascal, Ricken, Diego and the whole Avaaz team
Did it not make you smile and laugh.. Well here is your chance to do a little dancing of your own, and help a few Penguins along the way and you don’t even have to move from your arm-chair… All you have to do is feel the beat of Nature in your heart and click your fingers and your mouse.
Something was on my mind last night.. I couldn’t sleep, So I wrote the poem below as I thought about the Antarctic Ocean under threat, I support Avaaz in many of their campaigns of human rights and environmental issues so I will just use their words here as “The whales and penguins can’t speak for themselves, so it’s up to us to defend them. Let’s change negotiators’ minds with a massive wave of public pressure — Avaazwill surround the meeting with hard-hitting ads, and together we’ll deliver our message to delegates via a deafening cry on social networks.”
So Lets apply the pressure!…
Watch the Videos and click the links and Please support Avaaz in their petition.. Once we ALL of us join together and make a Stand.. We CAN make a Difference in the World..
Keep reading…..
Can you not hear the sound?
Do you not listen with ear to ground?
Is not your head tilted to listen?
Are not your eyes moist with tears that glisten?
Can you not feel it deep inside?
Do you not see the rising tide?
Is not your heart open and wide?
Are you not touched with humble pride?
Can you not see her virgin grace?
Do you not see this beautiful place?
Is it not time you used your voice?
Are you ready to make a choice?
Listen; really listen to our Earths Lament
As our Grandchildren ask where our species went
Can you not hear the silence of a dead sea?
Are your eyes cried out with sorrow, don’t you see?
“Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.”
As from 2015 Dreamwalker's Sancturay is now an Award Free Blog..
I am grateful for ALL the Awards I have been given from you amazing people..
Awards encourage bloggers to reach out to others especially when first starting out in blogging.. And I am so very thankful of each and everyone I have received and passed along.
Your Comments are all the rewards I require
Should you wish to pass an award along, then I started off 2015 with the Hearts as One Drumbeat Award.. If you know of an award winning blog who is deserving then please feel free to pass along my own creation in celebrating Unity, Love and Compassion..
Blessings to you ALL...
~Sue~
Media worldwide have hailed this ‘historic’ vote — the biggest ivory market in the world will now start shutting down its ivory trade!
Like many Avaaz campaigns, we didn’t do this alone. This incredible result was only possible after years of campaigning by WildAid and others, and thanks to a dedicated group of legislators in Hong Kong who made sure the vote happened.
Most of you know how passionate I am about Gardening and doing so without pesticides or herbicides. Progress of my garden and allotment can be found 
vote" naked protest sending a clear message: "we have nothing to hide"
Dreamwalker's Sanctuary 
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