All you (WE) need is love

I just posted a short clip on and a link to the Global MindShift community, a network of individuals who identify with a holistic and sustainable approach to solving the planet’s and therefore also our problems – from social to ecological to economic issues.

Global MindShift sends out a regular newsletter to those supporting its mission, and for me the latest one is worth mentioning because it addresses what I believe is the fundamental core of all change work: LOVE. It’s good to now and then be reminded of these insights …

All is one.

We are all part of one interdependent and interconnected whole; and what we do to others, we do to ourselves.

Love is the action.

In a world where all is one, love is the only rational response. Our challenge now is to discover how to love in every situation.

Becoming “present, authentic, inclusive and responsible” is an educational process for discovering how to love.

How we define and understand these words, however, is always evolving, enriched by each individual’s knowledge and experience.

It’s not about Nadya Suleman – what we need is an informed debate about sustainable population growth

Zero-Sum Game

By Richard Heinberg on February 12, 2009, Post Carbon Institute

Oops!—bad timing. The announcement that California taxpayers will have to pay most of the costs for raising the famous octuplets born recently near Los Angeles is provoking widespread indignation about what is often taken to be a fundamental human right—i.e., the right to reproduce ad infinitum.

The story might have raised eyebrows a year ago or five. But the fact that the 33-year-old single, unemployed mother’s plight is capturing headlines at the very moment when the State of California is in effect declaring bankruptcy (and laying off teachers and other state workers) not only provides grist for irate radio call-ins, it also highlights a profound shift taking place just beneath the surface of our collective awareness.

For most of the last century or two, economic growth has lifted all boats and temporarily increased Earth’s effective carrying capacity. Though the human population was growing relentlessly and at an unprecedented rate, few worried: every year there were more jobs, more opportunities, new careers. The pie was expanding, so the fact that there were always more people at the table was perceived as a plus. With more folks to talk to, life was becoming richer! Whatever area of skill you might be interested in, you could see records being broken, unheard-of achievements being made: there were better pianists and violinists than anyone had ever heard before, better athletes than anyone had ever seen, more brilliant mathematicians, surgeons—you name it—just because there were so many people competing with one another to develop excellence in their areas of expertise. What a time to be alive!

Now suddenly the game has changed. The pie has stopped getting bigger. As more people arrive at the table, everyone nervously eyes the remaining crumbs, anxious to avert a free-for-all but also keen to avoid being left out.

Welcome to the post-peak economic meltdown!

A lot is going to change due to the fact that we have reached the end of economic growth as we’ve known it. One non-trivial item concerns our attitude toward population.

Environmentalists like Paul Ehrlich have for decades been pointing out the obvious truism that the Earth can support only so many humans, and that the more of us there are, the more likely we are to undermine our planetary life-support systems, perhaps eventually triggering a humanitarian as well as an ecological crisis of apocalyptic dimensions.

Some listened; most did not. Efforts were made world-wide to reduce fertility through family planning; in China a one-child policy successfully reduced (but failed to end) population growth. However, on the whole our species continued to pursue its opportunities for expansion, and our numbers continued to grow (current total: 6.7 billion and counting).

Without more cheap energy, without cheap credit, and without economic growth, feelings will change. Are changing. Fewer people will want to bring a large family into the world knowing that economic opportunities are dwindling—but some will still do so. Attitudes toward parenthood are deep-seated, culturally sensitive, and controversial. But they are not immutable.

Here’s the rub: Unless previous beliefs about the sacredness of unlimited fertility (and the corresponding proof-of-masculinity afforded by the siring of many offspring) can be openly questioned and honestly discussed in these new circumstances, the cognitive dissonance between long-held beliefs and deep-seated biological urges on one hand, and the painful awareness of ecological and economic limits on the other, is likely to lead to a kind of societal explosion that will take the forms of heightened demographic competition and intercultural violence.

It doesn’t have to be that way. The discussion about the octuplets now taking place in the popular media is a good thing if it can help us collectively process new information and let go of old thinking. The point is not to blame the single mom; the point is to use this current news trivium as a mirror by which to see ourselves and reassess and change what we observe.

Will ‘peak food’ precede ‘peak oil’?

The following Market Skeptics article by Eric deCarbonnel assesses this year’s proposed global food shortages by looking closer at food production predictions for countries and continents around the globe – and the conclusion is grim: we’re heading towards a catastrophe. Does that mean we’re looking at a ‘Peak Food’ phenomenon, similar to ‘Peak Oil’?

Catastrophic Fall in 2009 Global Food Production

Market Skeptics, February 9, 2009
by Eric deCarbonnel

After reading about the droughts in two major agricultural countries, China and Argentina, I decided to research the extent other food producing nations were also experiencing droughts. This project ended up taking a lot longer than I thought. 2009 looks to be a humanitarian disaster around much of the world

To understand the depth of the food Catastrophe that faces the world this year, consider the graphic below depicting countries by USD value of their agricultural output, as of 2006.

Now, consider the same graphic with the countries experiencing droughts highlighted.

The countries that make up two thirds of the world’s agricultural output are experiencing drought conditions. Whether you watch a video of the drought in China, Australia, Africa, South America, or the US, the scene will be the same: misery, ruined crop, and dying cattle.

China

The drought in Northern China, the worst in 50 years, is worsening, and summer harvest is now threatened. The area of affected crops has expanded to 161 million mu (was 141 million last week), and 4.37 million people and 2.1 million livestock are facing drinking water shortage. The scarcity of rain in some parts of the north and central provinces is the worst in recorded history.

The drought which started in November threatens over half the wheat crop in eight provinces – Hebei, Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi and Gansu.

Henan
China’s largest crop producing province, Henan, has issued the highest-level drought warning. Henan has received an average rainfall of 10.5 millimeters since November 2008, almost 80 percent less than in the same period in the previous years. The Henan drought, which began in November, is the most severe since 1951.

Anhui
Anhui Province issued a red drought alert, with more than 60 percent of the crops north of the Huaihe River plagued by a major drought.

Shanxi
Shanxi Province was put on orange drought alert on Jan. 21, with one million people and 160,000 heads of livestock are facing water shortage.

Jiangsu
Jiangsu province has already lost over one fifth of the wheat crops affected by drought. Local agricultural departments are diverting water from nearby rivers in an emergency effort to save the rest.

Hebei
Over 100 million cubic meters of water has been channeled in from outside the province to fight Hebei’s drought.

Shaanxi
1.34 million acres of crops across the bone-dry Shanxi province are affected by the worsening drought.

Shandong
Since last November, Shandong province has experienced 73 percent less rain than the same period in previous years, with little rainfall forecast for the future.

Relief efforts are under way. The Chinese government has allocated 86.7 billion yuan (about $12.69 billion) to drought-hit areas. Authorities have also resorted to cloud-seeding, and some areas received a sprinkling of rain after clouds were hit with 2,392 rockets and 409 cannon shells loaded with chemicals. However, there is a limit to what can be done in the face of such widespread water shortage.

As I have previously written, China is facing hyperinflation, and this record drought will make things worse. China produces 18% of the world’s grain each year.

Australia

Australia has been experiencing an unrelenting drought since 2004, and 41 percent of Australia’s agriculture continues to suffer from the worst drought in 117 years of record-keeping. The drought has been so severe that rivers stopped flowing, lakes turned toxic, and farmers abandoned their land in frustration:

A) The Murray River stopped flowing at its terminal point, and its mouth has closed up.
B) Australia’s lower lakes are evaporating, and they are now a meter (3.2 feet) below sea level. If these lakes evaporate any further, the soil and the mud system below the water is going to be exposed to the air. The mud will then acidify, releasing sulfuric acid and a whole range of heavy metals. After this occurs, those lower lake systems will essentially become a toxic swamp which will never be able to be recovered. The Australian government’s only options to prevent this are to allow salt water in, creating a dead sea, or to pray for rain.

For some reason, the debate over climate change is essentially over in Australia.

The United States

California
California is facing its worst drought in recorded history. The drought is predicted to be the most severe in modern times, worse than those in 1977 and 1991. Thousands of acres of row crops already have been fallowed, with more to follow. The snowpack in the Northern Sierra, home to some of the state’s most important reservoirs, proved to be just 49 percent of average. Water agencies throughout the state are scrambling to adopt conservation mandates.

Texas
The Texan drought is reaching historic proportion. Dry conditions near Austin and San Antonio have been exceeded only once before—the drought of 1917-18. 88 percent of Texas is experiencing abnormally dry conditions, and 18 percent of the state is in either extreme or exceptional drought conditions. The drought areas have been expanding almost every month. Conditions in Texas are so bad cattle are keeling over in parched pastures and dying. Lack of rainfall has left pastures barren, and cattle producers have resorted to feeding animals hay. Irreversible damage has been done to winter wheat crops in Texas. Both short and long-term forecasts don’t call for much rain at all, which means the Texas drought is set to get worse.

Augusta Region (Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina)
The Augusta region has been suffering from a worsening two year drought. Augusta’s rainfall deficit is already approaching 2 inches so far in 2009, with January being the driest since 1989.

Florida
Florida has been hard hit by winter drought, damaging crops, and half of state is in some level of a drought.

La Niña likely to make matters worse
Enough water a couple of degrees cooler than normal has accumulated in the eastern part of the Pacific to create a La Niña, a weather pattern expected to linger until at least the spring. La Niña generally means dry weather for Southern states, which is exactly what the US doesn’t need right now.

South America

Argentina
The worst drought in half a century has turned Argentina’s once-fertile soil to dust and pushed the country into a state of emergency. Cow carcasses litter the prairie fields, and sun-scorched soy plants wither under the South American summer sun. Argentina’s food production is set to go down a minimum of 50 percent, maybe more. The country’s wheat yield for 2009 will be 8.7 million metric tons, down from 16.3 million in 2008. Concern with domestic shortages (domestic wheat consumption being approximately 6.7 million metric ton), Argentina has granted no new export applications since mid January.

Brazil
Brazil has cut its outlook for the crops and will do so again after assessing damage to plants from desiccation in drought-stricken regions. Brazil is the world’s second-biggest exporter of soybeans and third-largest for corn.

Brazil’s numbers for corn harvesting:

Harvested in 2008: 58.7 million tons
January 8 forecast: 52.3 million tons
February 6 forecast: 50.3 metric tons (optimistic)
Harvested in 2009: ???

Paraguay
Severe drought affecting Paraguay’s economy has pushed the government to declare agricultural emergency. Crops that have direct impact on cattle food are ruined, and the soy plantations have been almost totally lost in some areas.

Uruguay
Uruguay declared an “agriculture emergency” last month, due to the worst drought in decades which is threatening crops, livestock and the provision of fresh produce.
The a worsening drought is pushing up food and beverage costs causing Uruguay’s consumer prices to rise at the fastest annual pace in more than four years in January.

Bolivia
There hasn’t been a drop of rain in Bolivia in nearly a year. Cattle dying, crops ruined, etc…

Chile
The severe drought affecting Chile has caused an agricultural emergency in 50 rural districts, and large sectors of the economy are concerned about possible electricity rationing in March. The countries woes stem from the “La Niña” climate phenomenon which has over half of Chile dangling by a thread: persistently cold water in the Pacific ocean along with high atmospheric pressure are preventing rain-bearing fronts from entering central and southern areas of the country. As a result, the water levels at hydroelectric dams and other reservoirs are at all-time lows.

Horn of Africa

Africa faces food shortages and famine. Food production across the Horn of Africa has suffered because of the lack of rainfall. Also, half the agricultural soil has lost nutrients necessary to grow plant, and the declining soil fertility across Africa is exacerbating drought related crop losses.

Kenya
Kenya is the worst hit nation in the region, having been without rainfall for 18 months. Kenya needs to import food to bridge a shortfall and keep 10 million of its people from starvation. Kenya’s drought suffering neighbors will be of little help.

Tanzania
A poor harvest due to drought has prompted Tanzania to stop issuing food export permits. Tanzania has also intensified security at the border posts to monitor and prevent the export of food. There are 240,000 people in need of immediate relief food in Tanzania.

Burundi
Crops in the north of Burundi have withered, leaving the tiny East African country facing a severe food shortage

Uganda
Severe drought in northeastern Uganda’s Karamoja region has the left the country on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. The dry conditions and acute food shortages, which have left Karamoja near starvation, are unlikely to improve before October when the next harvest is due.

South Africa
South Africa faces a potential crop shortage after wheat farmers in the eastern part of the Free State grain belt said they were likely to produce their lowest crop in 30 years this year. South Africans are “extremely angry” that food prices continue to rise.

Other African nations suffering from drought in 2009 are: Malawi, Zambia, Swaziland, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tunisia, Angola, and Ethiopia.

Middle East and Central Asia

The Middle East and Central Asia are suffering from the worst droughts in recent history, and food grain production has dropped to some of the lowest levels in decades. Total wheat production in the wider drought-affected region is currently estimated to have declined by at least 22 percent in 2009. Owing to the drought’s severity and region-wide scope, irrigation supplies from reservoirs, rivers, and groundwater have been critically reduced. Major reservoirs in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria are all at low levels requiring restrictions on usage. Given the severity of crop losses in the region, a major shortage of planting seed for the 2010 crop is expected.

Iraq
In Iraq during the winter grain growing period, there was essentially no measurable rainfall in many regions, and large swaths of rain-fed fields across northern Iraq simply went unplanted. These primarily rain-fed regions in northern Iraq are described as an agricultural disaster area this year, with wheat production falling 80-98 percent from normal levels. The USDA estimates total wheat production in Iraq in 2009 at 1.3 million tons, down 45 percent from last year.

Syria
Syria is experienced its worst drought in the past 18 years, and the USDA estimates total wheat production in Syria in 2009 at 2.0 million tons, down 50 percent from last year. Last summer, the taps ran dry in many neighborhoods of Damascus and residents of the capital city were forced to buy water on the black market. The severe lack of rain this winter has exacerbated the problem.

Afghanistan
Lack of rainfall has led Afghanistan to the worst drought conditions in the past 10 years. The USDA estimates 2008/09 wheat production in Afghanistan at 1.5 million tons, down 2.3 million or 60 percent from last year. Afghanistan normally produces 3.5-4.0 million tons of wheat annually.

Jordan
Jordan’s persistent drought has grown worse, with almost no rain falling on the kingdom this year. The Jordanian government has stopped pumping water to farms to preserve the water for drinking purposes.

Other Middle Eastern and Central Asian nations suffering from drought in 2009 are: The Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Israel, Bangladesh, Myanmar, India, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, and Iran.

Lack of credit will worsen food shortage

A lack of credit for farmers curbed their ability to buy seeds and fertilizers in 2008/2009 and will limit production around the world. The effects of droughts worldwide will also be amplified by the smaller amount of seeds and fertilizers used to grow crops.

Low commodity prices will worsen food shortage

The low prices at the end of 2008 discouraged the planting of new crops in 2009. In Kansas for example, farmers seeded nine million acres, the smallest planting for half a century. Wheat plantings this year are down about 4 million acres across the US and about 1.1 million acres in Canada. So even discounting drought related losses, the US, Canada, and other food producing nations are facing lower agricultural output in 2009.

Europe will not make up for the food shortfall

Europe, the only big agricultural region relatively unaffected by drought, is set for a big drop in food production. Due to the combination of a late plantings, poorer soil conditions, reduced inputs, and light rainfall, Europe’s agricultural output is likely to fall by 10 to 15 percent.

Stocks of foodstuff are dangerously low

Low stocks of foodstuff make the world’s falling agriculture output particularly worrisome. The combined averaged of the ending stock levels of the major trading countries of Australia, Canada, United States, and the European Union have been declining steadily in the last few years:

2002-2005: 47.4 million tons
2007: 37.6 million tons
2008: 27.4 million tons

These inventory numbers are dangerously low, especially considering the horrifying possibility that China’s 60 million tons of grain reserves doesn’t actually exists.

Global food Catastrophe

The world is heading for a drop in agricultural production of 20 to 40 percent, depending on the severity and length of the current global droughts. Food producing nations are imposing food export restrictions. Food prices will soar, and, in poor countries with food deficits, millions will starve.

The deflation debate should end now

The droughts plaguing the world’s biggest agricultural regions should end the debate about deflation in 2009. The demand for agricultural commodities is relatively immune to developments in the business cycles (at least compared to that of energy or base metals), and, with a 20 to 40 percent decline in world production, already rising food prices are headed significantly higher.

In fact, agricultural commodities NEED to head higher and soon, to prevent even greater food shortages and famine. The price of wheat, corn, soybeans, etc must rise to a level which encourages the planting of every available acre with the best possible fertilizers. Otherwise, if food prices stay at their current levels, production will continue to fall, sentencing millions more to starvation.

Competitive currency appreciation

Some observers are anticipating “competitive currency devaluations” in addition to deflation for 2009 (nations devalue their currencies to help their export sector). The coming global food shortage makes this highly unlikely. Depreciating their currency in the current environment will produce the unwanted consequence of boosting exports—of food. Even with export restrictions like those in China, currency depreciation would cause the outflow of significant quantities of grain via the black market.

Instead of “competitive currency devaluations”, spiking food prices will likely cause competitive currency appreciation in 2009. Foreign exchange reserves exist for just this type of emergency. Central banks around the world will lower domestic food prices by either directly selling off their reserves to appreciate their currencies or by using them to purchase grain on the world market.

Appreciating a currency is the fastest way to control food inflation. A more valuable currency allows a nation to monopolize more global resources (ie: the overvalued dollar allows the US to consume 25% of the world’s oil despite having only 4% of the world’s population). If China were to selloff its US reserves, its enormous population would start sucking up the world’s food supply like the US has been doing with oil.

On the flip side, when a nation appreciates its currency and starts consuming more of the world’s resources, it leaves less for everyone else. So when china appreciates the yuan, food shortages worldwide will increase and prices everywhere else will jump upwards. As there is nothing that breeds social unrest like soaring food prices, nations around the world, from Russia, to the EU, to Saudi Arabia, to India, will sell off their foreign reserves to appreciate their currencies and reduce the cost of food imports. In response to this, China will sell even more of its reserves and so on. That is competitive currency appreciation.

When faced with competitive currency appreciation, you do NOT want to be the world’s reserve currency. The dollar is likely to do very poorly as central banks liquidate trillions in US holdings to buy food and appreciate their currencies.

Related articles

• China suffering worst drought in 50 years (cnn.com)
• China farmers struggling under severe drought (cnn.com)
• Argentina grapples with fierce drought (cnn.com)
• Argentina: drought has killed 700.000 cattle and delayed sowing (mercopress.com)
• Rising floods spread to second Australian state (Associated Press)
  
• Drought and fire here to stay with El Nino’s return (The Age)
  

Black history: Obama election is not the end of oppression and discrimination

The Significance of Black History in the Age of Obama

Feb 15, 2009 By Ron Daniels, Ron Daniels’s ZSpace Page / ZSpace

January 20, 2009, the day that Barack Hussein Obama took the oath of office as the 44th President of the United States of America, will forever be remembered as one of the great moments in the history of this nation and the world. Few can forget Nelson Mandela’s  release from prison and his subsequent journey from prisoner to president in South Africa, overcoming decades of oppression under the vicious system of apartheid. This was truly a hallmark of history. Similarly, Barack Obama’s ascension to the presidency marks a triumph over centuries of denigration of Africans in America, most often under horrific conditions. No one can deny the magnificence of this moment.

From the very inception of Obama’s improbable quest for the highest office of the land, however, questions surfaced about the validity and authenticity of his campaign. Early on there were questions about was he “Black enough,” which to some degree was rooted in his mixed race background and lack of history in the longstanding civic rights/human rights struggle of  Black people in this country. For others this question represented an earnest inquiry into the degree to which Obama was committed to responding to “Black interests.” And, as his campaign gained momentum with substantial votes from Whites in state after state, the question was does Barack Obama’s meteoric rise to prominence and the presidency signal the arrival of a post-racial, post-civil rights society?

For many conservatives, some liberals and a surprising number of Blacks, the answer to the latter question was affirmative; Obama’s astounding victory proved that race has been rendered a minor matter, an insignificant barrier to any Black person achieving the “American dream.” Consequently, as Black History Month begins, some might ask, what is the significance or value of recalling the achievements, tragedies and triumphs of African people now that a Black man and his family occupy the White House? Does the Age of Obama mean the end of Black History?

Those who would suggest devaluing the significance of Black History do so at the peril of Black people and the nation as a whole. First and foremost, it is imperative that we remember that President Obama is a product and beneficiary of Black History — the steady and unrelenting march of people of African descent from the horrors of the holocaust of enslavement and the free labor that built Wall Street and the White House, to being defined as 3/5th of a human being in the Constitution to becoming the person elected to “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”  The venerable Elder, Rev. Joseph Lowery, was courageous and correct to commence the benediction of the Inauguration with verses from the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing …” God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far on the way…”

Fannie Lou Hamer once said something to the effect that we should always remember where we came from and honor the bridges that brought us over … “we have come over the way that with tears has been watered. We have come threading the path through the blood of the slaughtered.” The teary eyes of elderly Black folks we witnessed on the National Mall, January 20th peering up at a son of the struggle, were consciously and sub-consciously remembering, reflecting and celebrating the tribulations and triumphs of Black History!

We must continue to study and learn from Black History because, we must understand from whence we’ve come and how far we have yet to travel even with a distinguished son of Africa in the White House. Malcolm X once said, “of all our studies, history is most qualified to reward all research.”  Like Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History Month, Malcolm understood that knowledge of self through an awareness of history had healing power for a people battered and despised by a racist, white supremacist nation, that within our unique worldview, culture and illustrious history is to be found the strength, courage and inspiration to triumph over adversity and our adversaries. The study of Black History should never be seen as an esoteric exercise. It is about the survival, sustenance and development of a people.

As we intensify our examination of Black History during the month of February, we must recognize that Barack Obama’s milestone achievement is a monumental stride forward along that path “through the blood of the slaughtered.” It will most assuredly have us dismiss as folly the notion that somehow we now live in a post-racial and post-civil rights society, that with the rise to the presidency of Barack Obama, the walls of structural racism/white supremacy have come tumbling down. The gaps and disparities between Blacks and Whites in America in health, education, economic well being and wealth are well documented as are the statistics on the casualties of institutionalized racism reflected in the criminal justice system and the prison-jail industrial complex.

Therefore, while we accept and celebrate the momentous accomplishment of the election of the first Black President, now more than ever we must be encouraged, motivated and inspired to finish the course. Now more than ever we must be determined to seize the moment to challenge America and our President to realize that the attainment of  “a more perfect union” means mounting an all out assault to finish the unfinished civil rights/human rights agenda of the sons and daughters of Africa whose blood, sweat, toil and tears have been the redeeming grace of this nation. Now more than ever, the study of Black History must fuel the determination to keep our minds “stayed on freedom” for Black people and all oppressed humanity!

Dr Ron Daniels is President of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century and Distinguished Lecturer at York College City University of New York. He is the host of An Hour with Professor Ron Daniels, Monday-Friday mornings on WWRL Radio 1600 AM in New York and Night Talk, Wednesday evenings on WBAI 99.5 FM, Pacifica New York. His articles and essay also appear on the IBW website www.ibw21.org and http://stateoftheblackworld.blogspot.com .He can be reached via email at info@ibw21.org

Further links:

• Black History
• InfoPlease
  

DONATE FOR PEACE, NOT HATE IN ISRAEL

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The following AVAAZ appeal to support the progressive elements in Israel in their fight against fascist Avigdor Lieberman becoming part of the next government. I guess Lieberman is the worst part of the choices of evil as he he presents a new popular move of the Israeli public to the far right. There’s little hope for Palestinians and Israeli Arabs from whoever will govern Israel soon, but Lieberman’s rise to power definitely draws comparisons to Hitler’s rise in the 1930’s. As little as $10 will help those movements in Israel in their attempt to stem this fascist tide. Please give freely!

It’s a dark day in the Middle East: the right-wing has won the most seats in Israel’s elections, and racist extremist Avigdor Lieberman is now the kingmaker in forming the next government.[1] Lieberman and his fellow leaders are promising to bomb Iran, re-invade Gaza and abandon any ceasefire, stop negotiations and crack down on Israel’s large Arab minority. This could kill all we’ve worked for in the Middle East. But many progressives in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) share our feelings — and they desperately need our solidarity today.

Wherever extremists have triumphed, we have to organise to beat them. Many thought all hope was lost in the USA after the neo-conservatives’ victory — then progressives used the internet to come back from the wilderness, and achieved the unthinkable by putting Barack Obama in the White House.[2] In Israel today, the despair of the old peace camp opens up a powerful moment to build a fresh new voice against hatred and for peace.

Just $10,000 could help two young Israeli activists use the Avaaz model of internet organizing to reach and mobilise tens of thousands of other Israelis this year — $5000 would buy billboards in Jerusalem to launch their first campaign with a splash. Follow this link to watch our shocking short video of Lieberman’s extremist agenda — and let’s donate now to help a new generation in Israel urgently speak out for peace and change:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/change_in_israel

We have a strong network in Israel to work with already, with almost 10,000 Avaaz members and contacts with promising young organisers who are hungry for change. They just need our support to organise across divides, uniting Israel’s scattered constituencies for peace and justice. Many Israelis supported our global campaign for a Gaza ceasefire and joined their voices with ours on climate change, Burma, Tibet and Zimbabwe — now it’s time for us to stand with them.

Even if they are in a minority at first, a strong progressive voice in Israel should make our efforts for the right kind of US and international diplomacy much more effective. We know the forces we’re up against. But beneath the surface we often find Israeli majorities for peace, social justice and pragmatism. Before these elections, when Israel’s government broke off talks and launched the Gaza offensive, a majority polled wanted to renew the ceasefire with Hamas instead, and we’ve seen broad support for a wider peace at many times.[3]

Lieberman’s rise itself demonstrates how effective, targeted organising can shape Israel’s path for ill — now a new generation of Israelis need solidarity from us to mobilise against this extremism, and to advance the values and causes we share. Everyone who donates to help fund this Israeli organising effort will be kept informed with reports on its progress. If you haven’t already done so above, please watch the short video of Lieberman’s savage campaign now at the link below, and help support a new generation in Israel to organise for change:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/change_in_israel

With hope and determination,

Paul, Graziela, Ricken, Ben, Alice, Paula, Iain, Pascal, Milena, Brett and the whole Avaaz team

Sources:

1. “Key to who will govern Israel: Avigdor Lieberman“, Christian Science Monitor (12 February 2009)

Ha’aretz: “Unite to block Lieberman’s march on Jerusalem” (1 February 2009)

2. See this report from MoveOn.org on the impact of the online organising efforts they pioneered

3. See this Hebrew University poll published in December 2008

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Netanyahu Nightmare (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)
• Arab press despair as Israel votes (news.bbc.co.uk)
• A toxic force rises in Israel (guardian.co.uk)