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Dear
friends around the world, |
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We
just couldn't end 2020 without sending each
member of this incredible movement a massive
THANK YOU!!! |
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In
one of the very darkest years of our shared
existence, we shone our brightest, together.
Feeding, caring, connecting, protecting, and
doing our best to make things better. Not just
for our families and neighbours, but for
hundreds of thousands of people around the
world. When Nareyio says we've saved lives...
she means it. |
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Just
look at the incredible work we got done
together, in twelve amazing
months: |
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January
-- 2020 was born in flames, scorching Australia
in wildfires so big you could see them from
space. Our movement didn't waste a second,
raising critical funds to help the forests
recover, rescue injured and starving koalas,
kangaroos and other wildlife, and support
climate champions across
Australia. |
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Rescued
wildlife safe in the hands of volunteer carers
and vets in New South Wales,
Australia. |
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February
-- As the world woke to the nightmare of the
Uyghur people, an ethnic minority locked up in
China’s brutal labour camps, Avaaz members
rallied to free them: pushing for sanctions,
pressuring the world's largest pension fund to
divest from a massive Chinese surveillance
company, and urging the UN Human Rights Chief to
start investigating. |
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March
-- As Covid cases soared, almost 800,000 of
us called on world leaders to cancel the debt of
the world's poorest countries, freeing up
precious funds to save lives. We joined forces
for a global day of action, and saw the call for
debt relief backed by the Pope, heads of state,
and over 150 former presidents. So far, 46
countries have been able to defer billions of
dollars in crippling debt payments -- and we're
not done yet! |
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April
-- As the world went into lockdown, Avaaz
members everywhere opened our hearts by creating
over a thousand ‘Viral Kindness’ groups to
provide help to communities as the pandemic
surged. But that wasn’t all! Over 2 million
of us backed the UN Chief’s call for a global
ceasefire -- and the Security Council went on to
adopt it, for the first time in history!
Whew! |
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May
-- As Covid unleashed an epidemic of poverty and
hunger, we didn’t look away! Over 130,000
Avaaz members funded life-saving aid in 23
countries. In India alone, we provided five and
half million meals to people in dire need.
FIVE AND HALF MILLION! We also published an open
letter from top doctors in the New York Times,
catching the attention of social media
executives -- and getting Facebook to show
corrections to dangerous health misinformation.
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“We
are not beggars. We collect garbage daily to
sell it, but due to lockdown and fear of
coronavirus we cannot sell it. This will help us
to feed our hungry
children.” |
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Akbar,
a garbage picker from the Pakhiwas community in
Pakistan (not
pictured) |
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June
-- Brazilian Avaazers have been fighting all
year for a groundbreaking law to protect
democracy and fight disinformation in their
country. After massive public pressure, a law
was approved by the Senate, despite vicious
lobbying from big tech companies. There’s a long
way to go, but 2021 could see us finally
winning a people's law against
disinformation -- and taking it
global! |
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July
-- When Covid crippled wildlife protection
funds, Avaaz members piled in to protect the
jobs of wildlife rangers and help power an
awesome team of undercover investigators.
They've exposed powerful poaching rings, leading
to 849 criminal investigations, and the
arrest of 50 major wildlife traffickers in
Cameroon, Gabon, Benin, and Senegal. And
they’re still going! |
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August
-- Then the unthinkable happened: a terrifying
blast tore through Beirut and 300,000 people
became homeless in an instant. Thanks to
Avaazers around the world, critical funding was
on the ground in days, aiding rescue operations
and providing emergency supplies and shelter for
thousands of families. Meanwhile, we continued
our investigations on health misinformation with
a groundbreaking report that made headlines
around the world! |
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September
-- By now, Amazon tribes deep in the rainforest
were being ravaged by Covid. Indigenous
communities were mobilising to save lives but
they needed resources that Amazon governments
refused to provide. That’s where we came in
-- providing life-saving funds so they could set
up clinics, purchase testing kits, and deliver
crucial medical supplies across the forest. We
supported over 35,000 families and helped save
unique cultures from disappearing.
Unbelievable! |
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This
is a map of the Amazon rainforest (dark grey),
each red dot is a Covid-19 hotspot, and the blue
are Amazon communities supported by the Avaaz
relief fund. |
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October
-- And we never took our eyes off the planet.
When Europe proposed a powerful new
anti-deforestation law, Avaazers flooded the
consultation, helping to make it the biggest
response the EU has ever had on an environmental
issue! We took on a killer oil pipeline in
East Africa, and pushed to ensure that a massive
new trade deal safeguards the Amazon. It’s not
won yet, but we're on our way! |
November
-- Throughout 2020, this movement worked
non-stop to defend American democracy from
disinformation. We launched over 32
investigations that uncovered vast networks
spreading toxic misinformation, and pushed
Facebook to take action against pages and groups
that have racked up some 3 BILLION views over
the last year. Our impact was widely covered
from the New
York Times to CNN,
the Washington
Post and the
Economist to name a few. |
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“I
believe that fighting against disinformation and
hate spread across social media is the next big
civil rights fight of our
lifetime.” |
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Joyce
Jones, US Mayoral Candidate, who joined
Avaaz and disinformation survivors around the
world to call on Facebook to ‘Correct the
Record’ on disinformation. |
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December
-- After months of painstaking climate
campaigning, EU leaders agreed to slash carbon
pollution by at least 55%. Avaazers across
Europe lobbied their governments and funded
hard-hitting ads to help ensure this major
climate breakthrough. Not sure if all the
public pressure made a difference? The EU
President personally thanked us for motivating
her! |
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Some
of the show-stopping climate ads in major papers
this year -- fully funded by Avaaz
members. |
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We
all did this -- and so much more! Our beautiful
movement of 65 million people, from every
country on this incredible
planet. |
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For
every time we're told that humanity is selfish
and broken, remember this: in a year of fear and
lockdown, we rose, opening our hearts with
compassion for hundreds of thousands of people,
everywhere.
That is who we are.
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And
that should give us hope like nothing else. Hope
that as each of us look to the future, we will
never doubt what we can achieve together --
because together we are capable of more
than we could ever
imagine. |
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From
the bottom of our hearts, thank
you, |
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Mike,
Noor, Sofia, Raul, Ine, Hui-Ting, Nana,
Christoph, Bert and the whole team at Avaaz
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