Think Globally, Act Globally

Some ideas are just so good that once you hear them explained, you wonder, Why hasn't anyone done this already? Avaaz is just such an idea, a new MoveOn-style group that will mobilize members all over the world to take action on global issues. Avaaz -- the word means "voice" in Urdu, Hindi, Farsi and several other languages -- launches its first campaign today, with a petition and TV adon climate change. The TV spot -- the first genuinely global political TV ad -- shows world leaders snoozing in their bedrooms, while climate disaster rages outside; it begins airing in Washington, D.C. today, and over the next few weeks will show in Paris, Berlin and Delhi. Avaaz begins with 900,000 members (combining the international lists of its two founding organizations, MoveOn and Res Publica, another global citizens' group), and will operate on four continents. The petition urges the global leaders to "set binding global targets" for carbon emissions.

Today I met two of the creative minds behind this project, executive director Ricken Patel and campaign director Tom Perriello (the only American on the team). Patel explains that Avaaz emerged out of "a sense that a real global consciousness is emerging." Founders are also excited by the idea of using technology to mobilize a global citizenry, with not only the Internet, but text-messaging proving to be a startlingly effective means of political communication, especially in the Third World. Of the team behind Avaaz, Perriello observes, "Most of us have policy or diplomacy backgrounds, as well as activist, so the hope is that we will be doing these things at key diplomatic moments." For instance, the climate change campaign is launching just in time for the G8 meeting.

Avaaz also expects to take up Middle East politics (war in Iraq, the need for an Israel-Palestine peace process, potential war with Iran, and Guantanamo), and global poverty. Like climate change, these are issues on which world leaders seem way out of step with most citizens, who are craving sensible solutions. "There is such a huge gap," says Patel, "between the world most people want, and the world we've got." Avaaz ambitiously aspires to narrow that gap.

Comments (18)

1. thanks divine liza...nice tip.

   global virtual democracy.

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/05/2007 @ 6:41pm

2. Well, Shabash......Move on is going global...taking the political approach to such burning issues (no pun intended)as global warming, and other lefty priorities.......And with a catchy globalist sounding name, at that......

   Truly, though, do any of the founders of these groups actually have to make a living, or are they all career activists?

   Not that there's anything wrong with that.........

   Posted by davebarlett at 02/05/2007 @ 6:44pm

3. Soon to become THEgreatest producer of CO2....

   how many times will the ad run on State run TV in...China???

   Posted by Mask at 02/05/2007 @ 6:52pm

4. The silver lining in the Bush Nightmare: just as he has served as a dream recruiter for the Bin Laden radical folks, so too has he motivated decent Americans on the left to stir from comfortable lifestyles of apathy-- where they (we) were formerly content to simply profess to a knowledge of "how things work," or "I know the government is lying and corrupt," but never doing anything about it. American history seems to confirm this approach of not responding to dire circumstances til we are bitten in the A.

   Posted by Oustbush at 02/05/2007 @ 6:57pm

5. While we're all debating the issue of CO2 and other chemical emissions in regard to global warming; the one crucial factor that is never addressed seriously is --- deforestation, the clearing of lands for whatever reason and especially in the tropics.

   With each cut down tree there is one less absorber of CO2 and one less tree to release fresh oxygen into our atmosphere.

   Posted by bohdan yuri at 02/05/2007 @ 6:58pm

6. where have all the trolls gone? the ones who used to come on here back when lots of people either believed the obverse democratic fascists or feared them, and dropped ugly little verbal turds? where are they, the faux anne coulters and scarborough wannabees? where are they?

   were they just bad dreams? and even a few who were gargantuanly obnoxious scant months ago now sound almost reasonable. the pack instinct conservatives, i suppose...

   we HAVE reached a "have you no decency" moment, it seems, or are in the process of experiencing a long drawn out version of such...

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/05/2007 @ 7:52pm

7. IBBLEDRIVEL, I thought the article was about the new and improved, global activist website with a trendy and catch new name, where did the Edward R. Murrow flashback come from?

   Posted by davebarlett at 02/05/2007 @ 8:28pm

8. while climate disaster rages outside

   Tell me about it. -18f this morning.

   I'm forwarding my gas bill to Uncle Al (Gore)

   Posted by Sliver at 02/06/2007 @ 12:39am

9. Posted by DAVEBARLETT 02/05/2007 @ 8:28pm

   technically, it's a Joseph Welch flashback.

   FYI

   Posted by Mask at 02/06/2007 @ 07:18am

10. Posted by DAVEBARLETT 02/05/2007 @ 8:28pm

    like it or not, this is the dawning of the age of aquarius, man! har har...

    but seriously, not much to be said about the content of ms. featherstone's posting. there it is. check it out, join it or criticize it, your choice.

    but a new zeitgeist has been born out of the neocon's discredited incompetance. whereas a few months ago many people held onto some kind of faith in the obverse democratic fascists' patriotism, competance, and honesty, the triad of discrediting evidence has finally broken the backbone of the rightwing bullshit machine...

    1. proof positive that the worse wmd's in the world are the incompetant petro fascists who occupy our own white house...(ie willingly lied us into a bloody waste of lives and riches...

    2. sure, there are corrupt dems, always have been and probably always will be, but compared to the level of hypocritical croneyism and corruption evinced by this pack of suited sociopaths on the right...p-nuts...

    3. GAY SEX!!!!! yay for gay sex, especially when it involves prominant figures on the right who badmouth the phenomenon and practitioners of such from the halls of government or the politically active pews! or when it invloves the daughter of a snarling "go fuck yourself" VP...

    like i've said before, go hide, controlls. most people have realized how deceitful your vile heroes are and once you lose that trust guys...its gone...aint never ever coming back...

    so take a couple of decades to lick wounds, await the coming of age of another generation (and surrender to selfish cynicism of the previous generation), rename yourselves something other than neocons, and maybe your wicked heroes or their intellectual/biological progeny will again ascend to the halls of power on the strength of lies, propaganda, and corporate money.

    i'm just tired of schmuk nation ending up footing the bill and bleeding for these guys stock portfolio's and bloated self images...

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/06/2007 @ 09:48am

11. Posted by RIO BRAVO 02/06/2007 @ 10:09am |

    think she needs a boy toy? i could be her foot massager for those long flights...not bad for a woman her age, though of course, power is the ultimate aphrodisiac...

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/06/2007 @ 10:31am

12. Posted by IBBLEBLIBBLE 02/06/2007 @ 10:31am | ignore this person

    Yeah not bad for a woman her age, who has had about a dozen face lifts.

    Posted by CPT at 02/06/2007 @ 11:18am

13. Global democracy???? lol

    To many national interests get in the way.....whats good for one nation is not necessarily good for another

    Posted by CPT at 02/06/2007 @ 11:20am

14. Ibbel

    "like i've said before, go hide, controlls. most people have realized how deceitful your vile heroes are and once you lose that trust guys...its gone...aint never ever coming back... "

    No all one has to do is be contrite and ask forgiveness. There is a wonderful quality to the Christian right when a follower or one its leaders sins, its called forgiveness.

    The problem in forgiving leftists wrongdoers is that more often than not, they do not feel that they have done any wrong. A key element in penance is that the penatent person must at least acknowledge the fault. But when they do, even they are forgiven by righties, not so the other way around.

    Take the Biden, "clean articulate" comment about Barack Huessein Obama, and contrast that when Trent Lott said about Thurmond in the 50s....the press hammered Lott daily and Biden??? not a word

    Posted by CPT at 02/06/2007 @ 11:34am

15. Posted by CPT 02/06/2007 @ 11:34am

    i do not consider you or rio or even LL as real trolls. you guys show evidence of rational thought and decency. i just disagree with you on some stuff and pull no punches when i get revved up...

    much of my hyperbole running up to the election was fueled by the desire to counter some of the more over the top silliness that was being passed off as truth by may on the right...now, honestly, i feel some difficulty going toe to toe with toe with some of you guys out of my innate decency and magnanimity (awww...)

    i think some things that some conservatives have linked in their minds to "conservatism" are not really so conservative, and likewise some things conservatives have percieved as socialist or liberal are a bit hyped and misrepresented...

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/06/2007 @ 12:07pm

16. Posted by CPT 02/06/2007 @ 11:20am

    Essentially my point.

    Ms Featherstone's friends' video will get shown in the US, Canada, some of Europe maybe....but that's it.

    It won't hit in India very strongly (another key CO2 producer) and it WILL NOT be appearing on State-run TV in the People's Republic of China (moving into the #1 spot of the Hit Parade, to channel Casey Kasem).

    All it is a "new, updated" version of the old "anti-nuke" films of the 80s, whereby the West is influenced (or an attempt is made to influence it) and the East (in that case the USSR, in this case India and China) is left alone.

    As with those anti-nuke things, it's essentially calling for....unilateral disarmament.

    Posted by Mask at 02/06/2007 @ 12:15pm

17. While we're all debating the issue of CO2 and other chemical emissions in regard to global warming; the one crucial factor that is never addressed seriously is --- deforestation, the clearing of lands for whatever reason and especially in the tropics.

    With each cut down tree there is one less absorber of CO2 and one less tree to release fresh oxygen into our atmosphere.

    Posted by bohdan yuri at 02/06/2007 @ 2:40pm

18. whats up with the wack astronaut? springer nation! cant make shit like this up...

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/06/2007 @ 6:37pm