Avaaz
stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Indigenous
communitiesIndigenous
communities already defend and protect vast
areas of the planet -- their voices needed to be
at the heart of the negotiations… So Avaaz
members funded delegations of Indigenous leaders
to attend the talks. The result? The
strongest-ever international environmental
agreement protecting the rights of Indigenous
People, and putting them at the very centre of
the global biodiversity conversation. Here's
some of the team ahead of the talks:
We
lobbied governments to go all-out for the
planetWe deployed a team of
powerful advocates to work with governments and
the media to deliver our members’ demands into
the heart of the negotiations. After dozens of
briefings and countless meetings with
negotiators, we helped create critical
breakthroughs in the talks… and the final deal
has our fingerprints all over it.
"Over
the last four years Avaaz has been a key
independent voice in the debate. Avaaz's
integrity, rapid reaction, and global reach was
instrumental in influencing the policy
discourse. Avaaz is a recognised force in the
critical debate on biodiversity."
-
Basile van Havre, co-chair of the
negotiations of the post-2020 global
biodiversity framework
"Avaaz
has been very instrumental behind the curtains
to ensure that they drive the process to the
correct direction. We are where we are today,
because of such attempts. Congratulations, and
don't put down the reins now. Carry on, be the
driving force throughout the implementation
period."
-
Malta
Qwathekana,
South African
negotiatorOver 3.3 million people
signed our movement's call to protect half the
planet! They were joined by dozens of
award-winning celebrities who also signed,
tweeted, and even travelled to the talks to
amplify our voices!
"I
call on our world leaders to meet existing
targets to protect biodiversity, and forge a new
agreement so that at least 50% of our lands and
oceans are conserved, protected, and restored --
with the active support and leadership of
Indigenous peoples."
-
Joaquin Phoenix,
Actor
Over the months leading
up to the talks, we ran multiple media stunts to
put extra pressure on delegates -- then in
Montreal we teamed up with Jurassic Park actor,
James Cromwell, and a giant dinosaur to demand
urgent action on the extinction crisis!
We
pressured leaders on social
mediaThroughout the
negotiations, Avaazers from all over the world
joined nimble social media actions to show
delegates that the world was watching. Together
we amplified the voices of Indigenous leaders,
pushed EU governments to commit financing for
biodiversity conservation, and spread our ads
across social media. Our voices helped shape the
narrative at the talks!
"Avaaz's
activities certainly had a significant impact on
how negotiations turned out. A great example of
how civil society, working together with
governments, can make a real difference in
international environment
negotiations!"
-
Leonardo
Cleaver de Athayde,
Brazil's chief
negotiatorWe
were all over the media, from France to India,
as one of the most authoritative voices at every
step of the talks. Our campaigners helped set
the narrative, with dozens of journalists
following our real-time updates and press
briefings at key moments -- making media waves
around the world.
We
ran hard-hitting adsWhen France
emerged as a key player in financing the plan,
we took out hard-hitting ads in French
newspapers, and hand-delivered them inside the
talks. It clearly worked, resulting in a
breakthrough on funding that helped unlock the
rest of the deal!
Our
voices were deafening inside the
talksWe delivered the voices of
millions of Avaazers on the floor of the
negotiations, in a powerful speech to ministers
and delegates. And we followed it up with a
beautiful video in the final hours of the talks,
to help get the deal over the line, which you
can watch below:
