Hope in the Face of Destructive Power

Like for the peasants in feudal and colonial times, today the inequity between the classes causes anger, hopelessness, loss of self esteem or a sense of belonging which ultimately leads to anarchy which leads to revolution. To function at our best we need to have the opportunity to achieve our greatest aspiration, be rewarded for the effort and loyalty we demonstrate and have a sense of autonomy in our lives.

I go to www.AVAAZ.ORG to restore my faith in a world where individuals want to behave towards others in the way that they would like to be treated themselves. Where we help our neighbour and the world in which we live - as a whole - not just in the service of self. Ah yes, you say, one of those bleeding heart liberals. But social media is providing the hitherto silent conscious population with a voice and that voice is getting louder.

Avaaz was founded in 2007 by an ex pat Canadian in New York. I signed up then and remember when we reached the one million member mark. As I write this in the middle of January 2015 Avaaz has 40,819,740 members worldwide in 194 countries. There is no defined number of countries in the world but there may be between 196 and 206 depending on the criteria one uses. That is a pretty major world representation considering you need internet access and understand one of the 18 languages that the website offers.

So who are these people who sign partitions and believe in people power? The list is long but here are the first 10 by the numbers.

1.Teaching at a school or university - 11.25%

2.Student - 8.90%

3.Technology / computers - 6.46%

4.Medicine (doctor, nurse, etc) - 6.36%

5.NGO / non-profit sector - 4.99%

6.Clerical / office administration - 4.70%

7.Scientist 4.50%

8.Business management / sales - 4.01%

9.Writing - 3.82%

10.Engineering - 3.72%

So what are the values of these 40+ million educated people? In a 2014 poll members were asked to "Tick all the statements that you agree with, so we can see what values most strongly knit the Avaaz community together"

These are the values of the Avaaz community

Civic Responsibility - We have a responsibility to contribute to our communities, and to seek not just private interests but the common good

Courage, Compassion, Integrity, and Honesty - We are all imperfect, but we should seek to practice these virtues as much as we can

Ecology - Human beings are part of a web of interdependence with our natural world, and we must care for it

Personal Responsibility - We must seek to be the change we wish to see in the world

“Deliberative” Democracy - Democratic politics should be an honest deliberation among citizens about what’s best for the community, not a dirty power game among selfish interests

Equality - Every human being is of equal, precious worth, and deserving equal rights, regardless of our ethnicity, creed, gender, nationality, or sexual orientation

Animal Rights - Animals are beings worthy of compassion and deserving of rights

Democratic accountability - Government should be transparent and accountable to the will of the people.

Globalism/Humanism - As Gandhi said “I am a human being first, and a citizen of my country second.”

Avaaz is a truly global movement and members are evenly distributed by age: the community has roughly equal shares of young, old, and middle-aged people. Just over half of Avaaz members are women. The uniting force is a commitment to a better world.

"Since launching in 2007, Avaaz has grown into a powerful and unprecedented global democratic force.

Avaaz has a simple democratic mission: close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want. Our community is unique in its ability to mobilize citizen pressure on governments everywhere to act on crises and opportunities anywhere, within as little as 24 hours."

Priority challenges

Fighting political corruption, including corporate capture of our governmentsEconomic policy that benefits the common good over the elite few

Preventing catastrophic climate change

Tackling slavery and human trafficking

Safeguarding our health and food, including from GMOs

Protecting endangered species and biodiversity

Protecting rainforests and indigenous rights

Defending women's rights

Most of this text comes from the website but what excites me when I read it is that I share these values and ideals. I have a sense of belonging in a world wide group of 40 million people who feel the same way.

Many will say that signing petitions is a waste of time. But government and business leaders are influenced by lobbyists and negative publicity. How else would we know that Bayer and Syngenta, two of the world’s largest chemical corporations are suing the European Union for banning the sale of its pesticide which happens to kill bees? If you understand natural systems then you know that without bees, we grow no food. Trade agreements permit companies to sue countries for potential loss of profit. Canada has been signing lots of trade deals with other countries lately and all contain the clause that allow foreign companies the right to sue. With the support of petitions many politicians have changed the way they vote despite the inertia of so many of the population.

Avaaz, with other organizations led the climate march with over 400,000 people through Manhattan and hundreds of thousands more rallied in over 2,000 communities around the world.

I marched in Toronto on September 21 2014 . It was an expression of our love for all that climate change threatens and an expression of hope that we can build a world powered by 100% clean energy. It preceded the UN's climate change summit. Avaaz presented a 2 million signature petition to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Public pressure was palpable and historic commitments were made by major polluting countries. An issue where people power changed government policies despite the power of big business to maintain the status quo.

The Toronto People's Climate March began and returned to Nathan Phillips Square. It was upbeat and very much a family affair. One could see the families that had worked together making placards ahead of time. Surrounded by children, the group of friends I walked with had two in their 80's. It was about commitment to the earth we live in. It was a love march.

Hope is what keeps people going, engendered when one feels one has a small amount of control over one's life. I'm a gardener. I grew scarlet runner beans last year. I kept some of the beans so I can plant the next generation in my garden this spring. My beans. In the spring I check with my friends to see who have got potatoes in their cupboard which are growing shoots and roots. I cut up such a potato so there is a growing eye in each piece and plant. Yet there are corporations out there that want to control all seeds so that I would be breaking the law if I grew a second generation bean or potato. I would be forced to buy every year. Even if I lived in poverty and my only food came from what I could grow - I would be charged if I planted my own seeds.

But I have Avaaz on my side. It is now 12 hours since I started this draft. There are 40,833,821 members, 14,081 since I last looked. When I look at what Avaaz has achieved in 8 years I smile, I feel hope and I know I have nearly 41 million friends who are there for me as I am there for them. When one watches or reads the news each day, one needs that sort of support.

A path to walk on through this life which might not be a repetition of the past, but deliver us into something new - Avaaz's Principles for 2015

Show Kindness and Respect

We will show kindness and respect towards ourselves and others whenever possible. And it's always possible, because everyone we meet is fighting a battle we may know nothing about.

Strive for Wisdom

We will seek to be wise in our decisions, listening deeply to ourselves and others, and balancing our heads, hearts and intuitions in a harmony that feels right.

Practice Gratitude

We will regularly reflect on what we're grateful for, because it brings perspective, dissolves negativity, and grounds us in what's most important.