Hope is something you do

We're living through a pivotal moment on planet Earth.A time of war, famine, and fire -- when the very balance of life is threatened by one species. But at this precise moment, when the world is hurting and hope can feel too hard, our movement is directly affecting the course of history.Together we crowdfunded over $13 million for on-the-ground impact this year. We funded earthquake rescues in Syria, and safe houses for LGBTQ+ people in Uganda. Also secret schools for girls in Afghanistan, and we're funding emergency care in Gaza, right now.Each campaign and every shipment of aid: it's ALL funded by Avaaz members.And here's the thing: less than 1% of the Avaaz community has donated this year -- imagine if it was 2%! We could double the life-saving aid we get into war zones. Twice the number of Amazon leaders speaking for the rainforest, and double the number of poaching investigations. If you're searching for hope and longing for a better world, it's right at our fingertips!2024 is stacked with opportunities and disaster zones -- and we can shape what happens. I'm not asking for a "donation", I'm asking you to help fund direct impact in the wars, negotiations, and crises that are defining our world.Read about our impact below -- but if you're inspired by what millions of us can do, together, then this is the moment to back our movement. There is hope in action, and we have serious work to do! [Take Action Now!] Dear friends, We're living through a pivotal moment on planet Earth. A time of war, famine, and fire -- when the very balance of life is threatened by one species. But at this precise moment, when the world is hurting and hope can feel too hard, our movement is directly affecting the course of history. Together we crowdfunded over $13 million for on-the-ground impact this year. We funded earthquake rescues in Syria, and safe houses for LGBTQ+ people in Uganda. Also secret schools for girls in Afghanistan, and we're funding emergency care in Gaza, right now. Each campaign and every shipment of aid: it's ALL funded by Avaaz members. And here's the thing: less than 1% of the Avaaz community has donated this year -- imagine if it was 2%! We could double the life-saving aid we get into war zones. Twice the number of Amazon leaders speaking for the rainforest, and double the number of poaching investigations. If you're searching for hope and longing for a better world, it's right at our fingertips! 2024 is stacked with opportunities and disaster zones -- and we can shape what happens. I'm not asking for a "donation", I'm asking you to help fund direct impact in the wars, negotiations, and crises that are defining our world. Read about our impact below -- but if you're inspired by what millions of us can do, together, then this is the moment to back our movement. There is hope in action, and we have serious work to do! [I'LL DONATE $2]( [I'LL DONATE $8]( [I'LL DONATE $32]( [OTHER AMOUNT]( Ten Ways We Delivered Hope in 2023 1.We powered life-saving rescues in Syria When two shattering earthquakes left thousands trapped under the rubble, our movement responded in hours. We raised over $4 million to fund emergency care, rescue operations, and life-saving aid in some of the worst hit parts of Syria. Our support directly helped save the lives of 3,000 people in just the first few days. 2.We're supercharging an Amazon uprising As oil drilling invades the rainforest, we're supporting Indigenous communities to fight back. They've protected the Amazon for millennia -- now we're helping leaders to plan, march, and influence global treaties on rainforest protections. Over 9 million Avaazers signed the [People's Declaration for the Amazon](, and we took over the New York skyline to land the message: At the Amazon Summit in Brazil, dozens of us prepared meals and translated for Indigenous leaders, ensuring they could speak for the rainforest. In Peru, our movement united to [help block a deadly "genocide bill"]( that threatened Indigenous communities and the forest they protect. And this month our community [enabled dozens of Indigenous leaders to be at the COP28 climate talks](, working with Avaaz campaigners to hold our leaders' feet to the fire! "Thanks to all of you, who helped us get here, bringing the voice of the youth, of the Indigenous peoples of Amazonia, to this crucial place, ensuring that the COP can no longer take place without our voices at its core." - Txai Suruí Indigenous warrior of the Paiter Suruí people 3.We're going all-out for peace in Gaza Within hours of the October 7 attacks, Avaaz was in contact with mediators, sharing the blueprint of a deal to stop the violence and secure the release of Palestinian detainees and Israeli hostages. When it happened, it was mediation -- not missiles -- that created a temporary ceasefire and freed dozens of people in captivity. We also partnered with Amnesty USA to stage a powerful stunt in front of the White House calling for an immediate ceasefire. And, [thanks to almost 60,000 donors](, we've already sent over half a million euros in life-saving aid to Palestine. For many of us, this campaign is truly personal, and [we won't stop until there's a permanent ceasefire](, equal rights for the Palestinian people, and peace for all. 4.We funded safe houses for the LGBTQ+ community In May, activists in Uganda sounded the alarm about a vicious new 'anti-gay' law. [The response from this community]( was extraordinary. As LGBTQ+ people were being hunted down, our movement stepped in to fund safe houses, medical care, and legal support. We're also a major funder in the ongoing constitutional court challenge to overturn the horrifying law. "Avaaz's support has been pivotal amidst the persistent legal challenges posed by the anti-homosexuality act of 2023. Now we're able to respond swiftly, providing crucial legal aid, safe housing, and emergency rapid response to community members facing violence. Your unwavering commitment shows that there are individuals who believe in us, and are willing to support our community. Hope is our currency, and the generosity of friends like you keeps us resolute on our path." - Dr. Frank Mugisha Human Rights Defender, Uganda 5.We're supporting brave young people putting the worst polluters on trial Faced with the biggest threat to life on Earth, our leaders are failing. Now young people in Europe and the US are taking their governments to court, and our movement is helping them to win. We're funding legal costs, evidence collection, and research to prove key arguments. Working alongside partner groups, we're also helping to ensure both cases grab global headlines, [showing judges the whole world is watching](! "We want to say a huge thank you to the thousands of Avaaz members who have generously supported the case and sent heartfelt messages. Thank you for helping us make this case a reality, allowing us to sue 32 European governments to protect our basic human rights from climate catastrophe." - Catarina, Martim, Cláudia, Sofia, André, and Mariana (Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and Others) 6.We're going after Putin When we heard about thousands of children being stolen from Ukraine, [we ramped up our campaigning]( for Putin to be charged with war crimes. The ICC put out a warrant for his arrest -- so when Putin planned on attending an international meeting in South Africa, Avaaz members funded giant billboards [calling for him to be arrested](. Putin didn't dare show up in person, and is now even more isolated from the global community. Let’s keep up the pressure, it works. 7.We're blowing the whistle on atrocities in Sudan Shocked by reports of extreme violence, Avaaz members united to get the world's attention. Over 60,000 of us donated to fund journalists, investigators, and fact-checkers. We're helping to increase global media coverage and ensuring human rights abuses are documented, forcing governments to act. This vital work is ongoing. 8.We fought the far-right in Spain When a snap election was called, Avaaz members went all-out to stop the politics of hate from entering government. We put up a giant billboard, and when the Vox party took us to court, our edited message got swept through social media. Our huge media campaign successfully helped to block the far-right in the elections. Almost half the world will go to the polls next year -- a major opportunity for us to fight for people and the planet! 9.We helped criminalise the mass destruction of nature [Over half a million of us called on the EU to make ecocide a crime](, and thousands emailed the key decision-makers. It worked: after months of sustained action from Avaazers and partner organisations, we won! Now we're pushing to get this law adopted around the world! 10.We won an historic battle to make AI safer As the creators of AI warned of an "existential risk" to humanity, [a quarter million of us pushed the EU]( to ensure human rights were protected in its new AI law. After 3 years of campaigning by Avaaz and partner organisations, the EU has started working on safety regulations that will have ripple effects across the world! A lead EU negotiator told us that our work was instrumental in getting decision-makers to support the new protections. [I'LL DONATE $2]( [I'LL DONATE $8]( [I'LL DONATE $32]( [OTHER AMOUNT]( None of this would have been possible without the Avaaz community. Every time you opened an Avaaz email, signed a petition, sent a message to a minister, showed up at an action, or donated, you joined a powerful movement of millions demanding nothing less than transformational change. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being part of Avaaz. In gratitude and fierce hope, Bert, Nell, Adela, Kaitlin, Camille, Marigona, Jon, Barbara, Ana Sofia, Mike and the whole team at Avaaz PS. This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely on small donations from members like you? That's why we're fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1 million people who've donated to make Avaaz a real force for good in the world. ------ We send emails like this because they virtually guarantee our movement can have a direct impact in the world. We can't all be lawyers or frontline defenders fighting for the planet -- but we can fund direct impact at this crucial time. Here are 5 reasons to support Avaaz: - Your donations create real change in the world. Avaaz only raises funds through emails like this. It keeps our fundraising costs low, ensuring your donations are directly used in active campaigns that have proven impact in the world. - Avaaz is fiercely independent of any government or corporate funding. It means we can campaign on the most critical issues, without fear or favour. Everything we do is thanks to Avaaz members around the world. You. - Accountability is built into every single one of our campaigns. Annual member polls help to set our agenda, and we normally only run campaigns that receive a critical mass of support. You help to decide what we fight for, and how. We are fiercely democratic and people-power is in our DNA. - It works! We have an exceptional team, and operate in 21 languages to mobilise millions of people on the biggest challenges of our times. We strive for systemic change, not piecemeal solutions. For a dose of people-powered victories, follow us on [Twitter](, [Facebook](, and [Instagram](. - We punch way above our weight. With a global movement of almost 70 million people, from every country on Earth, we ensure our voices are in the room, impacting the decisions that will shape our collective future. Avaaz is a 70-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 campaigns [here](, or follow us on [Facebook](, [Twitter](, or [Instagram](. You became a member of the Avaaz movement and started receiving these emails when you signed "Join Avaaz!" on 2016-03-01 using the email address {EMAIL}. To ensure that Avaaz messages reach your inbox, please add avaaz@avaaz.org to your address book. 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