Archives: Endorsements

Access to COVID-19 treatments and vaccines will determine who lives and who dies. Who gets these life-saving goods — and when — will also determine how long this global health and economic crisis will continue to uproot our lives.

Many drug companies like Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Gilead are getting millions of taxpayer dollars and making sky-high profits but have so far refused to forgo monopoly control over their treatments and vaccines. While companies have committed to the idea of affordable access to all, they continue to use their political might to protect massive profits at the expense of public health. This is wrong and could have devastating consequences.

COVID-19 anywhere means COVID-19 everywhere. Treatments and vaccines will be useless if the people most affected can’t get them.

In this unprecedented crisis, we must ensure ALL drug companies put people over profits, and hold human rights above property rights.

ALL US pharmaceutical companies should make COVID treatments and vaccines a global public good by:
Committing not to profit from the COVID-19 pandemic, and cooperating with governments to make all treatments and vaccines free to all who need them here and around the world
Forgoing monopoly control over all COVID-19 treatments and vaccines to allow for worldwide, low-cost production to meet the unprecedented demand
Committing to support fair global distribution based on need, not price or nationality
Becoming fully transparent about all public subsidies and tax incentives received, the true costs of producing treatments and vaccines, and all lobbying activities here and around the world
Add your name to stand with Oxfam America to demand Big Pharma make all COVID-19 vaccines free and fair!

Sign here: https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/forms/big-pharma-make-all-covid-treatments-vaccines-free-and-fair?detail=emailaction&link_id=1&can_id=a4f488f42ad134d4357acc4bfa4bb613&source=email-urgent-demand-big-pharma-put-people-before-profits-sign&email_referrer=email_812130&email_subject=firstname-default-friend-sign-if-you-agree-big-pharma-should-not-have-monopoly-control-over-covid-19-treatments

Dear Ladies,
Dear Sirs,

1. We are experiencing an alarming health situation worldwide with the SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Today April 6, almost one million people are infected, with thousands of deaths in several countries. Nobody had prepared for a situation on that scale! Health systems in general were not prepared and few countries were able to minimally contain the initial number of infections and thus prevent the collapse of their own system.
3. The general reaction was to order quarantines and isolations to reduce the spread of the virus, measures that have catastrophic consequences for economies, which are not yet fully defined.
4. There is also an increase in xenophobic positions, blaming a culture or country for the emergence and spread of the virus.
5. In response to these positions, the Chinese government’s attitude was exemplary in cooperating with Italy and other European countries to help them contain the epidemic locally.
6. In the midst of these problems, some nations that have already been the victims of unilateral coercive measures have unsuccessfully requested the lifting of sanctions in order to purchase supplies, medical equipment and medicines for their health system.
7. Nicaragua has suffered these sanctions for years and now it does not even have the right to obtain humanitarian aid.
8. In Venezuela, the government was willing to buy supplies, but international companies refused to sell it for fear of suffering some kind of penalty or fine.
9. Cuba remains subject to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States, exacerbated by the current aggressive escalation of that country’s government, which constitutes the main obstacle to its development. In its constant example of humanity and solidarity, Cuba once again offered cooperation in the area of health to face the pandemic and, upon request, sent Medical Brigades to more than a dozen countries.
10. In view of the above, we, the undersigned, request that the blockade, the unilateral coercive measures and the sanctions applied against the countries be completely lifted.
11. We hope that our voices can represent that of millions of people who suffer unfairly in their daily lives the political persecution against their countries promoted by some governments.

To sign it you can go to the link below:

https://www.change.org/p/bloqueonosolidaridadsi-los-pueblos-en-contra-bloqueo-econ%C3%B3mico-en-medio-de-la-pandemia?recruiter=1071148203&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition

Sanctions are imposed by the United States and its junior partners against countries that resist their agendas. They are a weapon of Economic War, resulting in chronic shortages of basic necessities, economic dislocation, chaotic hyperinflation, artificial famines, disease, and poverty. In every country, the poorest and the weakest – infants, children, the chronically ill and the elderly – suffer the worst impact of sanctions.

US imposed sanctions, violate international law and are a tool of regime change. They impact a third of humanity in 39 countries. They are a crime against humanity used, like military intervention, to topple popular governments and movements. They provide economic and military support to pro-US right-wing forces.

The US economic dominance and its +800 military bases worldwide demands all other countries participate in acts of economic strangulation. They must end all normal trade relations, otherwise they risk having Wall Street’s guns pointed at them. The banks and financial institutions that are responsible for the devastation of our communities at home drive the plunder of countries abroad.

Many organizations have been fighting Sanctions and Economic War for some time. NOW is an opportunity to combine efforts to raise consciousness on this crucial issue.
This broad campaign will include protests and demonstrations, lobbying, petition drives and all forms of educational efforts.

As an initial step for this campaign we encourage mobilizations and educational efforts to be organized for the International Days of Action against US imposed Sanctions and Economic War on March 13-15.

Please add your endorsement and help spread the word.

BlackRock, the world’s largest investment firm, has more money invested in the fossil fuel and agribusiness industries – the biggest drivers of climate change – than any other company in the world. That means that BlackRock’s portfolio constitutes a huge liability for putting the planet on a path towards runaway climate change — in fact, BlackRock contributes more to climate change than almost any other company on Earth.

The Amazon rainforest and its Indigenous inhabitants are under acute threat from BlackRock, taking advantage of Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro’s removal of environmental barriers to economic activities in the Amazon.

And now they will have even more access to deforestation and destruction.

Bolsonaro has advocated for the opening of new areas of the Amazon rainforest to agriculture and industry. As a result, BlackRock announced plans to expand its operations in Brazil after Bolsonaro was elected. Moves like this signal strong support for Bolsonaro, whose toxic rhetoric is inspiring violence against indigenous communities in the Amazon and beyond.

As one of the largest investors in Brazil’s agribusiness industry, BlackRock could use its financial clout to curb, not encourage, further forest destruction. It must divest from companies that continue these horrendous practices.

Join us in this fight to protect the Amazon and curb climate change!

Sign the petition: Demand that BlackRock divest and stop financing Amazon destruction!
Participating Organizations:

Amazon Watch
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Climate Hawks Vote
Corporate Accountability
CREDO Action
Daily Kos
Friends of the Earth
Green America
Rainforest Action Network
Seeding Sovereignty
SierraRise
Stand.earth

PETITIONING
Larry Fink, CEO of BLK
SPONSORED BY
Daily Kos
ADDITIONAL SPONSORS
Amazon Watch
Oakland, CA
CCAN Action Fund
Takoma Park, MD
Climate Hawks Vote
Corporate Accountability
Boston, MA
Green America
Seeding Sovereignty
Rainforest Action Network
San Francisco, CA
Friends of the Earth Action
CREDO Action
SierraRise
Stand.earth

Our Message to Larry Fink, CEO of BLK:

BlackRock’s investments drive deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, and its financial backing helps embolden the destructive and violent agenda of President Jair Bolsonaro. We demand you cease financing the continued destruction of the Amazon rainforest. Humanity is counting on you.

Sign here.

Catastrophic, man-made wildfires are raging in the Amazon rainforest, the lungs of our Earth. It’s another massive climate emergency that the mainstream corporate media is ignoring.

Scientists say that if these fires continue, they will speed up the climate crisis.1 This destruction is being fueled partly by American investment firms that care more about their profits than the planet.2 That gives Americans the opportunity and responsibility to act. But Americans won’t even know there is a crisis if news media outlets fail to provide appropriate coverage. We need to demand that traditional media do better and start covering the Brazilian Amazon rainforest news now.

Sign the petition to major media outlets: Stop ignoring and glossing over the severity of Amazon rainforest wildfires.

The Brazilian Amazon is home to 300 different groups of indigenous people and millions of plant and animal species and takes in most of the world’s carbon.3 But Brazil’s, far-right, pro-business president has cut funding to environmental agencies, encouraged deforestation and turned away millions of dollars of aid for wildfire help.4

Meanwhile, traditional media is largely ignoring the issue. Indigenous people of the Amazon have been organizing, resisting and sounding the alarm about rainforest destruction for years.5 But the media has time and time again chosen sensationalism over coverage of issues that affect all of us and center Black and Brown people.

The Notre Dame cathedral fire had over 350 media segments in just the first week of coverage. Our friends at Media Matters for America found that the Amazon fires got only 25 mediocre segments, and not until weeks later. That’s 93% less coverage for a planet-wide crisis than for one historic building.6

Media outlets are doing the world a disservice by ignoring the severity of the situation in Brazil. They should not be allowed to determine who or what is good enough to get coverage. When Notre Dame burned, the media created the perfect environment for international outcry. We need that for the Amazon rainforest right now. It’s time for the media to give airtime to the Amazon rainforest fires and highlight the current resistance and need for support.

Add your name with CREDO to tell major media outlets: You have a responsibility to report on what affects us all. Give more airtime to the Amazon rainforest fires now.

References:

• Marcelo de Souza, “AP Explains: The causes and risks of the Amazon fires” Associated Press News, Aug. 23, 2019.
• Christopher Ingraham, “How beef demand is accelerating the Amazon’s deforestation and climate peril” The Washington Post, Aug. 27, 2019.
• Shannon Sims, “The Land Battle Behind the Fires in the Amazon” The Atlantic, Aug. 27, 2019.
• Bill Chappell, “Brazil Rejects G-7’s Offer Of $22 Million To Fight Amazon Fires” National Public Radio, Aug. 27, 2019.
• Shelby Brown, “Amazon rainforest fires: What’s happening now and how you can help” CNET, Aug. 26, 2019.
• Lis Power, “The Notre Dame fire garnered wall-to-wall cable news coverage. The Amazon fires are barely breaking through.” Media Matters, Aug. 23, 2019.

Sign here.

OMNIA has written an open letter to the Leaders of Religious and Spiritual Traditions in Sri Lanka as they work together to seek a peaceful and rational solution. We are asking you to review the letter below and add your signature to stand in support of a peaceful and faithful solution to this crisis.

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To: All the leaders of all religious and spiritual traditions of Sri Lanka

Cc: The President, Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers of the government of Sri Lanka, civic and community leaders, media organizations.

Honorable and esteemed colleagues,

Greetings of peace!

We, leaders of the global religious community and people of faith, write seeking ways to stand in solidarity with you in the context of the current interreligious tensions in Sri Lanka.

We appreciate the launching of the “Diyawanna Declaration on Religious and Communal Harmony” in Sri Lanka, on 26 April, 2019, which recommends “Inter-faith dialogue with relevant specialists to be regularly carried out at the urban and rural grassroots levels to voluntarily resolve differences.”

Although you experienced it most closely, we too were shaken by the devastating attacks on Easter Sunday. Our hearts go out to each person and family affected by the bombings of churches and hotels, to the specific churches that were bombed, and to the entire Christian community in Sri Lanka.

We are deeply troubled by the escalation of hateful rhetoric and the spreading of rumors against Muslim communities across the island that lead to the attacks on Muslim persons, the boycotting of Muslim businesses and creating an environment of fear and uncertainty.

We are aware of the historical roots of such conflicts, in particular, the devastating effects of four and half centuries long colonialism and its continuing after-effects. We, ourselves are working to address such injustices in our own contexts.

Nevertheless, we are at a loss to understand how some Buddhist monks could use hate speech and incite mobs to violence. We wish to declare that in the dhamma that the Lord Buddha taught, there is no place for hate, hate-speech and violence. In fact, the opening chapter of the Dhammapada states: “Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.”

We are also concerned that the government has thus far not been able to prosecute or hold to account those who incite violence, despite laws that prohibit hate speech, and that even in the midst of violent incidents, it is reported that the police have often been inactive observers without intervening to prevent escalation of the conflict.

Therefore, as global religious leaders we pledge to do the following:

· Demand that the government take steps to protect all vulnerable communities; that all hate speech, incitement, and hateful actions immediately cease; and that swift, meaningful legal action be brought against all those who engage in hate speech and violence.

· Encourage urban and rural grassroots level interreligious dialogue and peacemaking, with open and honest conversations of the issues that cause conflicts and to address them together.

· Bring a representative group of religious leaders to Sri Lanka to listen to, learn from and to stand in deep solidarity with you, leaders of the religious and spiritual traditions of Sri Lanka at this difficult time.

With our very best wishes for peace!

Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana
President, OMNIA Institute for Contextual Leadership

Other signatories include:

1. Rev. Dr. Larry Greenfield, Executive Director Emeritus, Parliament of the World’s Religions (Chicago, Illnois, USA)

2. Imam Malik Mujahid, Executive Director, Sound Vision (Chicago, Illinois, USA)

3. Jim Winkler, General Secretary and President, National Council of Churches of Christ (Washington, DC, USA)

4. Dr. Mohamad Elsanousi, Executive Director, Network of Religious and Traditional Peacemakers (Washington DC, USA)

5. Dr. Wesley Ariarajah, Professor Emeritus, Drew University (Geneva, Switzerland).

Please sign here.