John,

Before the year closes, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the Ekō
movement — a fierce, unstoppable community that keeps showing what’s
possible when ordinary people take extraordinary action together.

2025 was not an easy year: genocide, climate disasters, the rise of
oligarchs, and concentrated AI power. But through it all, this movement
rose to meet the moment, pushing for accountability, defending human
rights, and challenging the systems that put profit over people and
planet. So now, let’s look back on twelve months of resistance, courage,
and impact — a year powered by all of us, together.

The Year We Fought for Human Rights

Shifting Europe’s Political Landscape: At a moment of profound global
crisis, Ekō members united in solidarity. Across Europe, our movement
helped drive unprecedented pressure to suspend the EU–Israel Association
Agreement. Polling we commissioned in Italy showed overwhelming public
support, generating major headlines and prompting a shift in Prime
Minister Meloni’s stance. In Denmark, a full-page Ekō ad urging the Prime
Minister to “choose the right side of history” was followed days later by
Denmark announcing its support for trade suspension and new sanctions.
Thanks to Ekō members, these major breakthroughs have reshaped the
political debate.

Exposing Maersk’s Role in Genocide: Ekō members helped force a
breakthrough in corporate accountability by pushing Maersk to stop
shipping goods to illegal Israeli settlements. The UN had named the
company in an expert report on the “economy of genocide,” and Ekō members
amplified the pressure: filing a hard-hitting shareholder resolution,
sending thousands of emails, and funding bold ads during Maersk’s AGM,
making it impossible for Maersk to hide its role in genocide.

[1]A collage-style graphic showing protesters wearing large cut-out masks
of EU political leaders and holding a sign reading ‘We heart Genocide.’
Below, a hand holds a Palestinian flag. To the right, a red
Danish-language newspaper advert features a portrait of Denmark’s prime
minister calling for action to suspend EU–Israel relations, ban weapons
trade, and impose sanctions. Decorative paper textures and flowers frame
the image.

Challenging EU Leadership on Palestine: As public outrage grew over the
EU’s failure to act on Gaza, Ekō members mobilised at lightning speed.
Working closely with MEP Manon Aubry, we drove thousands of calls into
MEPs’ offices in under 48 hours, urging them to support a no-confidence
motion against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 72 MEPs
signed on, enough to formally submit the motion. While it ultimately
failed to pass, it showed von der Leyen how close she is to getting sacked
for her corruption and loyalty to war criminals and forced her to propose,
for the first time, the suspension of the EU-Israel trade deal.

Forcing AXA to Divest: After six years of sustained campaigning, Ekō
members helped win a monumental victory: AXA fully divested from weapons
manufacturers supplying Israel’s assault on Gaza. And Ekō's campaign
report on AXA was featured in the new UN special rapporteur's report. This
is one of the largest financial wins in the fight for accountability, made
possible by persistence and people power.

[2]A collage-style graphic showing a news article with a large Maersk
cargo ship stacked with shipping containers at sea and a newspaper
headline that reads: ‘Shipping giant Maersk divests from companies linked
to Israeli settlements.' Overlaid on the right side is a protest sign
shaped like a watermelon reading ‘Stop Arming Israel,’ held by a
demonstrator. In the foreground, several protesters hold signs including
one that says ‘Make War Not Peace’. Decorative torn-paper textures and
flowers frame the scene.

The Year We Built the Future, Responsibly

Protecting AI for the Public: This year, our movement made it clear: the
future of AI must serve people, not private greed. When Big Tech tried to
refashion OpenAI for profit, our community mobilised. We launched a bold,
superhero-themed ad campaign targeting Attorneys General in California and
Delaware, plastered flyers outside their offices, lit up Times Square with
a towering Sam Altman billboard, and ran a digital ad storm following
OpenAI’s board members wherever they went.

Even as OpenAI pushed ahead with its for-profit restructure, our member
pressure forced major concessions: an OpenAI board member must now meet
every six months with California Attorney General Rob Bonta to report on
progress toward the company’s non-profit mission, and board member Zico
Kolter, head of the safety and security committee, now holds the power to
halt new product launches if there are safety concerns—a direct check on
runaway tech before the damage is done.

And we’re not letting up. We’ve already begun holding OpenAI to account
post-restructure by exposing how its new video generation tool, Sora 2,
allows teens to generate and view violent and racist content. We sent
these findings directly to the Attorney General’s office and briefed the
press, including Rolling Stone, sending a clear signal: we are watching,
and OpenAI must prove it is putting humanity over profit.

[3]A collage-style graphic about AI accountability, featuring a Rolling
Stone headline warning about teens using OpenAI’s Sora to generate violent
content, a black-and-white protest poster addressed to the OpenAI board
about child safety, and a truck billboard calling on the California
attorney general to block OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit company,
framed by decorative paper textures and flowers.

Challenging Microsoft’s Role in Genocide: When Microsoft’s cloud and AI
systems became embedded in Israel’s military operations, we helped expose
the company’s role. Together with Microsoft workers, we co-filed a
shareholder resolution backed by 58 investors — an unprecedented number,
and then received about a quarter of the vote from shareholders, which is
exceptionally strong for a first-time resolution. We also advanced a
global legal strategy, submitting a GDPR complaint to the Irish data
protection regulator, and preparing avenues for International Criminal
Court complaints. Our movement made Microsoft a central target in the
fight against tech-enabled war crimes.

Exposing Tech’s Harm: In 2025, Ekō members pushed some of the world’s most
powerful tech companies to face the consequences of their actions. We
exposed how Meta and X profit from extremism and war — approving ads that
fund Israeli military gear tied to war crimes and allowing far-right
campaigns that spread genocidal rhetoric. We delivered our findings
directly to EU regulators, strengthening and expanding investigations into
Big Tech’s failures. And our pressure is already paying off: Elon Musk was
just hit with a €120 million fine under one of these investigations.

[4]A collage-style graphic with a headline reading ‘Microsoft Investors
Prod Company Over Work With Israeli Military.’ Below, protesters stand
outside a glass office building holding a large banner that says
‘Microsoft Powers Genocide.’ To the side, a bold comic-book–style ad
criticizes Sam Altman with speech bubbles accusing him of betraying the
public good and profiting at people’s expense. Decorative torn-paper
textures and flowers frame the image.

The Year We Protected the Wild

Saving Dolphins in Mexico: A heartbreaking video of Mincho the dolphin
collapsing during a forced performance sparked national outrage and
together with partners, Ekō members helped turn that outrage into real
change. We pushed authorities to shut the tank down and then we fought
for a national ban on dolphin captivity. Together, we helped win the
Mincho Law, ending dolphin torture across Mexico.

Putting an EU Octopus Ban on the Agenda: Ekō members helped make history
in Brussels by supporting the EU Parliament’s first-ever policy event
calling for a ban on octopus farming. Scientists, lawyers, researchers,
civil society groups, and MEPs came together to map the legal pathways to
stop this industry before it begins. We hand-delivered thousands of
signatures directly to the lawmakers leading the charge. This is a major
step toward a Europe-wide ban, and with our partners at Eurogroup for
Animals, we’ll keep going until it becomes law.

[5]A collage-style graphic announcing the reintroduction of the Ejiao Act
to protect donkeys from the gelatin trade, featuring a close-up photo of a
donkey in a field. To the right, a roundtable event at the European
Parliament shows an orange octopus placed on the floor of a legislative
chamber, with ‘Stop Octopus Farming’ signs visible behind participants.
Decorative paper textures, flowers, and an illustrated octopus frame the
image.

Defending Donkey Lives in the United States: Our movement helped
reintroduce federal legislation to ban the brutal donkey-skin trade in the
U.S. Together with our coalition of partners, Ekō members powered advocacy
days on Capitol Hill where our partners met directly with House
Representatives, and ran nationwide digital ads that lawmakers could not
ignore. Thanks to this collective pressure, the bill is back on the table
and gaining real momentum.

Challenging Horse-Blood Cruelty in Iceland: Ekō members helped shine a
global spotlight on Iceland’s horse-blood farms. Alongside the Animal
Welfare Foundation and our Icelandic partners, we staged a powerful
“bloody” protest at the Icelandic Parliament and met with the Minister of
Industries to urge the government not to renew Isteka’s licence. The
action was covered by major media outlets across Iceland. Together with
our partners, we are mobilising public outrage, amping up political
pressure, and forcing this cruelty into the open.

[6]A collage-style graphic with a Spanish headline announcing the approval
of Mexico’s ‘Ley Mincho,’ which bans dolphin captivity. Below it, a
dolphin rises from a blue pool with hoops on its snout. To the right, a
group of protesters hold signs calling to ban PMSG production and end
horse cruelty. At the bottom left, two donkeys stand together. Decorative
torn-paper textures and flowers frame the image.

The Year We Challenged Planet-Wrecking Power

Pressuring Swiss Re: Together with Public Eye, Ekō members pushed one of
the world’s largest insurers to strengthen its environmental and
human-rights safeguards in Brazil. Thousands of us signed the petition,
which we delivered directly at Swiss Re’s AGM in Zurich — even when
executives tried to avoid receiving it. Weeks later, Swiss Re confirmed
updates to its ESG risk processes for Brazil, integrating stronger
protections for Indigenous territories and conservation areas. It’s a
modest but meaningful shift — and a sign that even global financial giants
feel the pressure when people act together.

Taxing Luxury Pollution: Working with the Global Solidarity Taskforce, Ekō
members helped push governments to back a levy on private jets and luxury
flight tickets — a policy designed to make the world’s wealthiest
polluters finally pay. Ekō members flooded ministries with messages. And
days later, France, Spain, and others publicly backed this groundbreaking
proposal. 

Blocking Environmental Rollbacks in Brazil and Taking the Fight to COP:
When Brazil’s Congress passed a bill gutting environmental protections,
letting oil and gas companies self-approve drilling, the Ekō community
mobilised fast. We launched a rapid-response campaign and delivered our
petition straight to the Presidential Palace in Brasília. The pressure
paid off: President Lula da Silva vetoed key sections of the bill,
stopping some of its most dangerous provisions.

We then took the fight to the global stage. On the eve of COP30, Ekō lit
up the Rio de Janeiro skyline with a massive projection calling on world
leaders to defend the Paris Agreement. Alongside Indigenous leaders from
the Aliança pela Volta Grande do Xingu, we staged a powerful river action
on Guajará Bay demanding an end to the extractive industry in the Amazon.
And inside the negotiations themselves, we transformed COP’s massive globe
into a direct call on President Lula to reverse oil drilling in the Amazon
— backed by our poll showing 61% of Brazilians oppose drilling in the
Amazon basin. From Brasília to the Amazon to the heart of COP itself, our
movement forced this fight into the spotlight.

[7]A collage-style graphic featuring international climate and Indigenous
resistance protests, including a nighttime city building projection
reading “COP30 – Tax the Rich & Their Luxury Flights,” a group of
protesters holding a large red banner in Portuguese reading “A Volta
Grande do Xingu Resiste!” and “Não permita que matem o rio!” (Do not allow
them to kill the river), and a large banner draped over a globe reading
“No Oil Drilling in the Amazon – Phase Out Fossil Fuels,” all layered
together with decorative paper textures, flowers, and global imagery.

This has been a year defined by resistance, courage, and impact — month
after month, campaign after campaign. A year that shows how powerful a
global community can be.

As we step into 2026, we carry this momentum with us. The systems we’re
challenging are vast, but so is the force we’ve built together. If this
year proved anything, it’s that the Ekō movement is ready for whatever
comes next — and ready to win.



Thanks for all that you do,
Deborah and the team at Ekō


 

 

Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

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