CEDC partner Avaaz.org has a new campaign themed around the conclusion of the recent Presidential elections, calling for dialogue and cooperation to bring about "real and lasting change." A photo of part of their display made the front page of the Washington Post today, with a short mention in the article itself.
Here's the text of the campaign:
Dear President Obama:
As citizens across the world, we congratulate you on your election, and celebrate your campaign commitments to sign a strong new global treaty on climate change, close Guantanamo prison and end torture, withdraw carefully from Iraq, and double aid to fight poverty. No one country or leader can meet the world's most pressing challenges alone, but working together as one world in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation, yes we can bring real and lasting change.
Here's a clip from the article:
Some people celebrated by visiting the Lincoln Memorial. In silent clusters, they stood and read the words engraved on the wall that the slain president uttered at Gettysburg about the United States being "conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."
Some scrawled messages on a placard erected at the foot of the memorial by the grass-roots organization Avaaz.
"Congratulations, President Obama -- Best regards from Poland," one person wrote.
"With time and patience God said change would come," scribbled Sheretta Mitchell, 26, visiting from North Carolina.
Michael Wickham, 50, of Baltimore, who described himself as a McCain supporter, said he embraced Obama's victory as a moment unequaled in his lifetime.
"I felt drawn here like it was a magnet," said Wickham, wearing a baseball cap with the inscription "What if." He found it difficult to control his emotions, he said, as he read Lincoln's words and mulled the meaning of Obama's victory.
"They should have the inaugural here," he said. "This should be the place."
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"What you see here are images and messages from people all over the world," Brett Solomon said. He is Program Director for Avaaz. "From the four corners of the globe - who have been watching intently what has happened in the U.S. intently - who are extremely encouraged and hopeful about the future."
More than 163,000 people from 189 countries had contributed comments via the Internet to the global campaign group Avaaz, according to the movement.
"Yo B! Bring troops home now," reads one message.
"Please make the change for better," reads another.
Avaaz also posted a manifesto calling on Mr. Obama to sign a global treaty on climate change, pull U. S. forces from Iraq, close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and boost aid to the poor.