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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!
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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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