Sunday Action: Act and Give Progressively Edition
Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 03:47:44 PM PDT
This week I'm incorporating some of the progressive holiday shopping links from last week and I've added in a few more really good ones as well. So, as you shop for your loved ones this holiday season, consider giving a donation to a group in someone's name, adopting an endangered animal, or just consider giving yourself a gift and donating to one of the many groups that is helping promote and protect a progressive agenda.
Also included below are several Darfur-related action items, some action you can take to help our troops, some labor and health related items, and of course some environmental, energy, and wildlife items (along with 3 pieces of GREAT news!!).
Please add your own action items in the comments below. This week's edition is fairly large, I think...and I had SO many that I just had to leave out because it was getting SO long and I didn't want to overwhelm people anymore than we already are. So, add your own items and do what you can to help below. Some of these items take money, some simply take a signature or a letter. Let's do our part to make the world a better place!
Human Rights & War Issues:
-- Urge Kofi Annan to appoint a Special Envoy for Darfur.
-- From Amnesty International:
"This week in Darfur, Janjaweed militiamen attacked a convoy of refugees and aid workers, and executed 30 people. Some of the victims were shot, and some were actually burned to death. As attacks continue in Darfur and the security situation continues to deteriorate, more and more Darfuris will need to seek safety by leaving the country. Some of them will make it to the United States to seek asylum from the U.S. government.
Unfortunately, the United States will say that many of the persecuted who manage to flee cannot be protected in our country. Why? Because they may have given "material support" to a violent group in Darfur. Women who were raped by rebels and then forced to labor for their rapists, and children who were forcibly recruited by rebel groups from the refugee camps, could be denied protection in the United States due to the sweeping definitions of terrorism that are currently in use in our refugee and asylum law.
Take action right now to protect refugees and asylum seekers who desperately need the protection the United States can offer."
-- From Tom Brokaw on behalf of the IRC:
The International Rescue Committee is the gold standard in refugee protection, assistance, and advocacy. I say this confidently because, first as a reporter and now as a member of the IRC Board, I have witnessed the courage and skill of IRC field staff —under nearly impossible conditions — delivering critical medicines, clean drinking water, and other vital services to malnourished families in refugee camps.
In Darfur, where more than 2.5 million people have been forced to flee their villages and run for their lives, the IRC is providing lifesaving aid to 740,000 displaced people. Despite horrific conditions in the region that seem to grow worse daily, the IRC is bringing relief to innocent victims in Darfur and across the border in Chad where many are fleeing from the violence.
-- Donate today and double your gift to the International Rescue Committee.
-- Tell Congress: No More Money for Iraq Occupation!
-- Silvercedes brings us a request in her November 19th diary, ACTION: Send my DH's Army Unit a Carepackage! Click the link to send a soldier a package through anysoldier.com
-- Skrp23's diary, Soldiers Call for Iraq Withdrawal spent some time on the rec list yesterday, but it should be added here as well so that more eyes see it and take action to help our soldiers. The diary gives the details about this petition to Appeal For Redress from the War in Iraq. Sign the petition and support our soldiers today! (Thanks to Peggy, who emailed this one to me!)
-- From Ms. Magazine:
Tragically, the proportion of women in U.S. prisons increased at a greater rate than that of men again in 2005. That’s because of such causes as mandatory drug sentencing, plus the fact that women often have less ability to "make deals" – due to poor legal help, or the women’s fear or love for the male partners they are punished for not testifying against.
It’s the job of Ms. Magazine to expose such facts to let women in prisons and shelters know they’re not alone – and we’re proud to do it. But this worsening reality has made us more determined than ever to reach out to women who are in prison now – and also women in shelters who are escaping domestic violence, perhaps also escaping a need to defend themselves that could put them in prison.
That’s why we started the Ms. Magazine Prison and Domestic Violence Shelter Program in 1999. Since then, we have done our best to supply free magazines to individual women in prisons who requested them, but only in the past few years have we been able to collect all the permissions necessary from criminal justice officials to expand this program into an organized initiative.
Our current resources only allow us to skim the surface of this new possibility. Of the tens of thousands of women in prisons in the U.S., Ms. is reaching currently only 27,608. Of the more than 2,001 domestic violence shelters nationwide, Ms. is sent to 1,281.
Please help us to empower and inspire more women in 2007 by making a tax deductible donation to the Ms. Prison and Domestic Violence Program today: Click here to help.
-- From UNICEF:
"According to UNICEF, 29,000 children die every day from preventable causes, like malaria, measles and diarrhea. It's an outrage, and it doesn't have to be that way.
Children have the right to live, and there are few issues in the world that are as important and as solvable as saving the world's children. We invite you to join UNICEF on the front lines of this fight by signing this petition.
Let your Members of Congress know that children around the world are dying needlessly, and that you want a dramatic increase in U.S. efforts to give those children a chance to enjoy their childhood!
Environment, Energy, and Wildlife Issues:
-- Nice to report on a victory every now and then! From Oceana:
"Late last Friday night, in Congress' last hours before the holidays and a new majority, the House passed a bill reauthorizing and updating the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), the key legislation governing our nation's fisheries.
Thank you for taking action in support of deep-sea coral protection. Your efforts, and the thousands of other WaveMakers like you, have helped make deep-sea coral research and protection the law of the land (and the sea)."
-- From the National Wildlife Federation:
More good news for the environment, this time for the Boreal Forest!
ForestEthics and Victoria's Secret just reached a landmark agreement, raising the environmental standard for the entire catalog industry. Limited Brands, Victoria's Secret parent company, has made a commitment that the company's catalog paper will not come from endangered forests.
The steps Limited Brands has laid out make up one of the strongest environmental policies to result from a corporate campaign. Thank them with a quick email!
-- From Earthjustice:
More good news!! Yay!!
"We just received exciting news about one of our most important cases -- a decision that can mean stronger clean water protections throughout the nation.
For years, the South Florida Water Management District has pumped billions of gallons of polluted water directly into Lake Okeechobee -- the state’s largest surface drinking water supply. The district had no permits to do this, and the results were massive toxic algae blooms, dramatic declines in fish and wildlife populations, and poisoned drinking water for communities that rely on the lake.
Earthjustice started fighting this problem in 1997, and on Monday a federal judge in Miami ruled that pumping such as this, without the required Clean Water Act permits, is illegal.
The decision has national implications. The court was clear: you need a permit to transfer polluted water. And that permit, of course, is going to have to impose pollution limits that meet Clean Water Act standards."
-- From Greenpeace:
The United States has long been a friend to whales and a strong opponent of commercial whaling. Now the whales need U.S. more than ever. Ask President Bush to lead the effort to encourage new pro-conservation countries to join the IWC, to aid existing pro-conservation members to attend this year's meeting, and urge pro-whaling nations to reconsider their positions.
Sign up or go read Green Tips, a monthly newsletter on being green from the Union of Concerned Scientists! If you need tips on how to be more carbon neutral, or want to spread this info along to others, I can't recommend anything more than this.
-- Join Greenpeace in telling Steve Jobs to make a "green" Apple
-- From the NRDC:
"A European energy company is now scheming to build massive
hydro-electric dams on every major river in Chilean Patagonia.
We need your immediate action to stop this proposed
"electrocution" of one of the wildest regions on earth."
Take some action here!!
Labor and Public Health Issues:
-- Tell Congress it's time to get farm worker input on e-coli outbreaks.
-- Tell Goodyear: Respect Workers, Keep Your Promises
Progressive Shopping Options:
-- From WWF: Adopt an endangered animal this holiday season! You can choose from 40 animals! This is a great way to teach younger people that they should value wildlife!
"
Each symbolic adoption includes: a formal adoption certificate, a full-color photo and Species Spotlight Card.
Gifts made online come with an Online Digipak, which includes: a personalized electronic adoption certificate, screensavers, wallpaper and AIM icons. The recipient must have a valid e-mail address to receive this benefit.
Adoptions of $50 and up include a plush likeness of your adopted animal for the gift recipient. And Fed Ex shipping is available for Adoptions of $50 or more!"
-- Visit HRC's Corner Store and find some gifts that would make great stocking stuffers. If you have a stocking...that is. You could also just give them as party favors!
-- From Human Rights First:
Human Rights First has helped secure a ban on cruel and inhuman treatment from Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Pentagon. The CIA's secret prison program is the exception. It is also a serious violation of human rights that we will relentlessly challenge in 2007.
Consider making a donation this holiday season to help put an end to human rights violations.
-- Know anyone with an interest in gardening? Birdwatching? Consider a gift from the National Wildlife Federation and help wildlife as you give gifts!
-- Consider an end of the year gift to Planned Parenthood! Give it in someone else's name as a present and help protect the rights of women as you give!
-- Shop at the Union Shop this holiday season! Order by Dec. 14th in order to get your gifts by Dec. 23rd!
-- Give a gift membership to the NRDC!!
-- From Working for Change:
"Support the veterans who've served our country by sending them a phone card so they can call their loved ones over the holidays.
Veterans Administration (VA) budget cuts in recent years have left many of our nation's veterans at VA hospitals without the means to call their families over the holidays. These long distance calls are generally not covered by the VA, and many vets just don't have the financial resources to call all their loved ones.
So Working Assets, Veterans for Peace, CODEPINK, Iraq Veterans Against the War and Gold Star Families for Peace have teamed up on a project to thank our veterans by sending them phone cards loaded with 125 minutes of domestic long-distance calling time. We'll purchase these cards and deliver them to VA Medical Facilities all over the country on December 18th. (If you want to join in delivering the cards to a VA hospital near you, just click on the link you'll see after making your gift.)
$10 will cover the cost of phone cards for three veterans. $20 will buy six phone cards. $33 will buy ten cards. $100 will buy phone cards for 30 veterans to call home over the holidays. 100% of your gift will go directly to buying phone cards -- so please give as generously as you can."
-- From the Women's Edge Coalition:
Treat yourself to something special, and help transform the lives of women. When you purchase any merchandise from World of Good, a percentage of proceeds will support the Global Opportunity for Women Campaign. It’s always more fun when you shop for good!
-- Give an honorary gift to Amnesty International this holiday season!
-- From American Jewish World Service:
Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights. Light a candle for global change and consider making a donation to this group. They are working hard for so many different progressive causes.
"Please consider devoting some time each night to one of these issues and sharing the work of AJWS with your family and friends.
You may want to highlight just a few achievements of the past year:
Raising awareness and calling on our leaders to end the ongoing genocide in Darfur
Teaching methods of community development to improve the lives of Afghani villagers in the areas of health care, education and women's empowerment
Promoting self-sufficiency and sustainable development for farmers in El Salvador
Fighting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children in Cambodia
Empowering communities in South Africa to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS
Thanks to your commitment, we are spreading light and hope to more people every day. Our work is rapidly expanding around the globe - in vulnerable communities that exist outside of the spotlight, where our efforts generate real change.
I hope these examples of our work remind you of our collective responsibility to all of those who are, too often, left behind. You may want to consider setting aside one night of Hanukkah for a special tzedakah project, replacing the exchange of gifts with a collective gift to AJWS. Not only will this enable us to expand our life-saving work around the globe, but it will reinforce and strengthen the tradition of tzedakah in the truest meaning of the word - commitment to acts of justice."
Join the ACLU and give yourself and other Americans help protecting our freedoms!
-- Give to the Center for Biological Diversity! This is a great group that works to protect many species. Due to a challenge grant, your gift today will be doubled!!
-- Give the gift of a Mercy Kit from Mercy Corps this holiday season. There are over 20 to choose from.
Other Issues:
-- Send Senator Johnson a Get Well Letter!
-- Tell the FCC- NO to more media consolidation!
This is crossposted at Street Prophets and at Action Alerts.
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