Congo Stop the Bloodshed‏

Dear friends,
The people of the Congo are pleading for European peacekeepers to protect terrified civilians. European leaders are wavering -- help launch hard-hitting ads to push them to respond:
Take Action NowThe brutal war in Congo is escalating, as a terrified Congolese people plead for Europe to send peacekeepers to protect them.(1) Today, two top experts warned that Congo looks frighteningly like Rwanda before the 1994 genocide and that only Europe can deploy a strong and neutral force fast enough to stop the bloodshed.(2) European leaders are wavering as their council meeting approaches - we have just one week to persuade them to act.We know how to do it -- last week, Avaaz ran a hard-hitting advertisement in The Times of London, pressing UK leaders to support a European force or risk responsibility for genocide -- their Africa minister called us immediately, and their position has shifted -- the UK has moved toward supporting a European force!Now we need to take this effective ad campaign Europe-wide -- placing ads in influential newspapers in key deciding countries. The Times ad was paid for by 300 small donations from Avaaz members. If just 3000 of us donate in the next 48 hours we can run ads across Europe before it's too late. A full page ad can cost just 6,000€ ($8,000) in a major newspaper. See the Times ad and watch a tense video demand for action we received today from a displaced woman caught in the conflict:https://secure.avaaz.org/en/congo_europe_must_act/There are only days left to influence decision makers in Europe. Next week the agenda and positions will be determined for the European Union's Council of Ministers meeting on the 8th and 9th of December. If they fail to act now, the people of the Congo will have to wait months before the EU considers the issue again.Our ad last week and a campaign by over 135,000 Avaaz members helped shift the British government, but we need another EU state to step up and lead the troop proposal. France will support it, but for historical reasons should not send troops.(3) We are being told that Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain are the key countries that tip the balance. We will start by placing ads in newspapers in those countries and in the European Voice in Brussels - the most widely read newspaper by European politicians - just as EU Ambassadors decide their positions on this issue. The UN says it will send more peacekeepers to the Congo, but the Congolese people and experts agree that UN forces have completely failed to protect civilians and require European reinforcement. This week, 44 Congolese organizations signed a letter to European leaders asking them to send peacekeepers. Their letter pleads: "We have been abandoned...We urge you to transform your kind speeches and messages into action... with each day that passes, more and more people die." Follow the link to help these desperate voices reach Europe's leaders: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/congo_europe_must_act/The Congo has languished for too long, with unspeakable suffering. It now has a brief window of the world’s attention – let’s seize that window to bring peacekeepers who can help achieve lasting peace.With hope,Ricken, Alice, Iain, Veronique, Paul, Graziela, Luis, Milena, Ben, Brett, Paula and the whole Avaaz teamPS: For a report on Avaaz's campaigning so far, see:https://secure.avaaz.org/en/report_back_2 PSS: Here are the sources for this alert:[1] http://www.avaaz.org/blog/en/w/pascal/2008/11/call_for_help_from_congo.php[2] http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2008/s2428031.htm[3] http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44605-----------------------------------------ABOUT AVAAZ Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in Ottawa, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Sydney and Geneva. Call us at: +1 888 922 8229. Click here to learn more about our largest campaigns. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace and Bebo pages!You are getting this message because you signed "STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF CONGO" on 2008-11-14 using the email address josefnsumbu@yahoo.se. To ensure that Avaaz messages reach your inbox, please add avaaz@avaaz.org to your address book. To change your email address, language settings, or other personal information, https://secure.avaaz.org/act/index.php?r=profile&user=b47617b031177af70b17475d4473ca70&lang=en, or simply go here to unsubscribe.To contact Avaaz, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to info@avaaz.org. You can also call us or send postal mail to our New York office: 857 Broadway, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10003 U.S.A. p: 1-888-YA-AVAAZ (1-888-922-8229) If you have technical problems, please go to http://www.avaaz.org .

Kwa hisani ya
Kahanga Dekula Vumbi
Sweden