Dear Jack,

Exactly 55 years ago today, on February 23 1969, the UK’s Sunday Times Magazine shocked the world when it published Norman Lewis’ article "Genocide."

That shock motivated a group of activists to found Survival International. Today, we’re commemorating Survival’s birthday.

Lewis reported how thousands of Indigenous people in the Amazon were being massacred in their ancestral lands for commercial interests – from rubber to railroads and mines. Those who survived suffered atrocities including eviction from their lands, violence, sexual abuse, slavery and brutal evangelization.

A year after the article, Survival International launched its first campaigns. Since then, Survival has been working with Indigenous peoples to change public opinion in their favor. We’ve lobbied institutions from the UN to the US Congress, from multinational corporations to powerful individuals, to stop land theft and abuse.

Hundreds of thousands of you, from all around the world, have joined and helped sustain our campaigns.

On our birthday today, we’d like to ask you for another gift – our independence. By supporting us financially, you allow Survival to refuse funding from all governments as well as corporations that violate Indigenous rights. You are the reason why we can continue to speak out fiercely and freely, and to work with whichever threatened Indigenous peoples want and need our support.

Thank you for fighting alongside Survival and our Indigenous allies!

Simonas Bartulis
Supporter Services