06-25-2016, 02:22 PM
Dear Avaazers,
Today is a painful and shocking day for Britain, for Europe, and for our world.
But, in one way, it may have been what we needed.
The progress we have built in our world of openness, tolerance, and interconnection is not something we can take for granted, it must be continuously, vigilantly sustained. The institutions we build to connect us must live in our hearts and minds, not just as bureaucratically functional tools. We need an ethic, spirit and culture of human connection and unity to keep the dark forces of our past - nationalism, racism - at bay.
Much of the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU was fought on fear and dry self-interest - how much money someone stood to lose or make. Our community beautifully brought love and unity to the equation, but it was not enough, this time, to win. A couple of fear-mongering newspaper editors and opportunist politicians helped persuade 51.9% of the public to blame the EU for what ailed them.
But we must not falter now - this is one battle on a larger tapestry and the forces of fear and division are rising - from other nationalisms destroying Europe, to Donald Trump threatening generations of progress on racism and unity in the US, to much more. We must make Brexit a call to arms for our movement, a spark that reignites our passion to defend and renew the project of human peace and unity that our parents and grandparents wisely advanced from their painful experience.
The youth of Britain backed Europe by massive margins, as they also oppose Trump and his ilk. The future is with us, if we can carry the banner long enough to hand it off to the next generations. Let's gather our courage and commitment to fight for the world we all dream of. Click here to share a message of inspiration, solidarity and hope for the road ahead:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/love_will_wi...4f3df87e9d
Over the past weeks our community rose and let its light shine in a beautiful way -- hundreds of thousands of us around Europe met the politics of fear and division with love and unity -- donating for ads and actions that covered the front pages of the media, coming out for love on the streets, calling to remove the editor from a newspaper spewing fear, and making thousands of phone calls to citizens to vote Remain.
Many UK voters - especially older voters in rural areas of England - were persuaded that Europe and the immigration it brought was threatening their communities, freedom and prosperity. Some just wanted any change to the status quo. Much of this had to do with a section of Britain's unscrupulous media who turned themselves into naked propagandists for Brexit. But our broader movement also needs to do better on immigration - ensuring that policy choices about levels of immigration are backed up by hearts and minds. This is a weakness in many countries that movements of fear and division are keen to exploit.
New and serious battles are coming fast -- Trump in the US, Le Pen in France, and Farage in the UK.
But we are a rising and powerful movement. We will meet each of these crusaders trying to drive us apart with our love and determination. And to win we are going to have to get even bigger and better to address the spreading viral cocktail of fear, nationalism and racism.
It is out of these darkest moments that new dawns are born. Jo Cox MP, who was assassinated last week, said "we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us." We must now listen to each other, and not let the fear-mongering forces that killed her triumph. To honour her let’s commit to work together to carry her banner of love.
Click to share your own message of unity and power with others. Let’s refuel with solidarity and love for the fights ahead, and show that nothing will stop us.
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/love_will_wi...4f3df87e9d
With hope and gratitude,
Ricken, Alice, Emma, Christoph, Luis, Iain, Mia, Melanie, Fatima, Ben, Allison, Rewan, Adam, Dan and the whole Avaaz team.
Today is a painful and shocking day for Britain, for Europe, and for our world.
But, in one way, it may have been what we needed.
The progress we have built in our world of openness, tolerance, and interconnection is not something we can take for granted, it must be continuously, vigilantly sustained. The institutions we build to connect us must live in our hearts and minds, not just as bureaucratically functional tools. We need an ethic, spirit and culture of human connection and unity to keep the dark forces of our past - nationalism, racism - at bay.
Much of the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU was fought on fear and dry self-interest - how much money someone stood to lose or make. Our community beautifully brought love and unity to the equation, but it was not enough, this time, to win. A couple of fear-mongering newspaper editors and opportunist politicians helped persuade 51.9% of the public to blame the EU for what ailed them.
But we must not falter now - this is one battle on a larger tapestry and the forces of fear and division are rising - from other nationalisms destroying Europe, to Donald Trump threatening generations of progress on racism and unity in the US, to much more. We must make Brexit a call to arms for our movement, a spark that reignites our passion to defend and renew the project of human peace and unity that our parents and grandparents wisely advanced from their painful experience.
The youth of Britain backed Europe by massive margins, as they also oppose Trump and his ilk. The future is with us, if we can carry the banner long enough to hand it off to the next generations. Let's gather our courage and commitment to fight for the world we all dream of. Click here to share a message of inspiration, solidarity and hope for the road ahead:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/love_will_wi...4f3df87e9d
Over the past weeks our community rose and let its light shine in a beautiful way -- hundreds of thousands of us around Europe met the politics of fear and division with love and unity -- donating for ads and actions that covered the front pages of the media, coming out for love on the streets, calling to remove the editor from a newspaper spewing fear, and making thousands of phone calls to citizens to vote Remain.
Many UK voters - especially older voters in rural areas of England - were persuaded that Europe and the immigration it brought was threatening their communities, freedom and prosperity. Some just wanted any change to the status quo. Much of this had to do with a section of Britain's unscrupulous media who turned themselves into naked propagandists for Brexit. But our broader movement also needs to do better on immigration - ensuring that policy choices about levels of immigration are backed up by hearts and minds. This is a weakness in many countries that movements of fear and division are keen to exploit.
New and serious battles are coming fast -- Trump in the US, Le Pen in France, and Farage in the UK.
But we are a rising and powerful movement. We will meet each of these crusaders trying to drive us apart with our love and determination. And to win we are going to have to get even bigger and better to address the spreading viral cocktail of fear, nationalism and racism.
It is out of these darkest moments that new dawns are born. Jo Cox MP, who was assassinated last week, said "we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us." We must now listen to each other, and not let the fear-mongering forces that killed her triumph. To honour her let’s commit to work together to carry her banner of love.
Click to share your own message of unity and power with others. Let’s refuel with solidarity and love for the fights ahead, and show that nothing will stop us.
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/love_will_wi...4f3df87e9d
With hope and gratitude,
Ricken, Alice, Emma, Christoph, Luis, Iain, Mia, Melanie, Fatima, Ben, Allison, Rewan, Adam, Dan and the whole Avaaz team.