Avaaz

On the topic of funding, The Guardian newspaper noted that "Since 2009, Avaaz has not taken donations from foundations or corporations, nor has it accepted payments of more than $5,000 (£3,100)". The newspaper described Avaaz funding as follows: "Instead, it relies simply on the generosity of individual members, who have now raised over $20m (£12.4m)."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/20/avaaz-activism-slactivism-clicktivism|title=Avaaz: activism or 'slacktivism'?|date=20 July 2011|first=Patrick |last=Kingsley|newspaper=The Guardian}} Before 2009, various foundations had funded Avaaz's staff and start-up costs.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17199253 |title=Profile: Global campaign group Avaaz |work=BBC News |date=29 February 2012 |access-date=23 September 2016}}

Avaaz global campaigns are managed by a team of campaigners working from more than 30 countries, including the UK, India, Lebanon and Brazil. These campaigners communicate with members via email; they employ campaigning tactics including online public petitions, videos, and email-your-leader tools. In some cases, Avaaz also uses advertisements; solicits legal advice on how best to take a campaign forward; and stages "sit-ins, rallies, phone-ins and media friendly stunts".{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/48808533/The-Times-profile-of-Avaaz-and-Ricken-Patel-Feb-9-2011|title=The Times profile of Avaaz and Ricken Patel|date=9 February 2011|first=Sarah|last=Bentley|work=The Times}} One example of such a stunt is "taking a herd of cardboard pigs to the doors of the World Health Organization to demand an investigation into the link between swine flu and giant pig farms." Another example is "creating a three-mile human chain handshake from the Dalai Lama to the doors of the Chinese Embassy in London to request dialogue between the parties."

Suggestions for campaigns are contributed by members and supplemented by guidance from specialist teams. Once a suggestion has been identified as promising, tester emails are sent to 10,000 Avaaz members as a poll; if these emails receive a sufficient response, the campaign is opened to all Avaaz members. In 2010, The Economist suggested that "the way Avaaz bunches unlikely causes together may be an asset in a world where campaigns, like race and class, can still segregate people, not reconcile them".{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/16943875?story_id=16943875|title=A town crier in the global village|date=2 September 2010|newspaper=The Economist}}

Avaaz claims to unite practical idealists from around the world. Former director Ricken Patel said in 2011: "We have no ideology per se. Our mission is to close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want. Idealists of the world unite!"{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/apr/24/avaaz-activist-network-rupert-murdoch|title=Avaaz – the online activist network that is targeting Rupert Murdoch's bid|first=Ed |last=Pilkington |date=25 April 2011|newspaper=The Guardian}}

In practice, Avaaz often supports causes that are considered progressive, such as calling for global action on climate change, challenging Monsanto, and building greater global support for refugees.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/22/nyregion/new-york-city-climate-change-march.html?_r=0|title=Taking a Call for Climate Change to the Streets |first=Lisa |last=Foderaro |newspaper=The New York Times |date=21 September 2014 |access-date=28 September 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.eu/article/europes-weedkiller-wars-glyphosate-roundup-who-european-commission/ |title=How grassroots lobbying push blindsided Monsanto |first1=Jenny |last1=Hopkinson |first2=Giulia |last2=Paravicini |publisher=Politico |date=6 August 2016 |access-date=28 September 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/latest/2016/3/56fb98dc3/un-secretary-general-says-help-needed-syrian-refugees.html |title=UN Secretary General says more help needed for Syrian refugees |first=Karin |last=de Grujil |publisher=UNHCR |date=30 March 2016 |access-date=28 September 2016}}

During the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, Avaaz set up Internet proxy servers that allowed protesters to upload videos onto public websites.{{cite magazine |url=http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2109212,00.html |title=How a New York City-Based Activist Group Became a Player in Syria |first=Vivienne |last=Walt |magazine=Time |date=15 March 2012 |access-date=23 September 2016}}

Avaaz supported the establishment of a no-fly zone over Libya, which led to military intervention in the country in 2011. Avaaz was criticized for this pro-intervention stance in the media and blogs.{{cite news|last=Hilary|first=John|title=Internet activists should be careful what they wish for in Libya|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/10/internet-activists-libya-no-fly-zone|access-date=8 November 2016|work=The Guardian|date=10 March 2011}}

Avaaz supported the civil uprising phase of the Syrian Civil War. This support included sending $1.5 million of Internet communications equipment to protesters, as well as training activists. Later Avaaz used smuggling routes to send more than $2 million of medical equipment into rebel-held areas of Syria. Avaaz also smuggled 34 international journalists into Syria.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/02/avaaz-activist-group-syria |title=Avaaz faces questions over role at centre of Syrian protest movement |first=Ed |last=Pilkington |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2 March 2012 |access-date=23 September 2016}} Avaaz coordinated the evacuation of wounded British photographer Paul Conroy from Homs; thirteen Syrian activists died during this operation.{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/03/13/148542026/aid-groups-role-in-syria-pushes-limits |title=Aid Group's Role In Syria Pushes Limits |first=Deborah |last=Amos |publisher=National Public Radio |date=14 March 2012 |access-date=10 October 2016}} Some senior members of other non-governmental organizations working in the Middle East have criticized Avaaz for taking sides in a civil war. As of November 2016, Avaaz continues campaigning for no-fly zones over Syria, particularly over Aleppo. (Gen. Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, has said that establishing a no-fly zone means going to war against Syria and Russia.{{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmE9Jj-rEVs |title=No-fly zone would 'require war with Syria and Russia' – top US general}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}) Avaaz has received criticism from parts of the political blogosphere; up to nine percent of its users oppose the petitions, with a number of users ultimately leaving the network. The Avaaz team responded to this criticism by issuing two statements defending their decision to campaign.

During the 2016 United States presidential election, Avaaz campaigned against Donald Trump (using the slogan "Defeat Donald Trump") and developed a software tool to simplify overseas voter registration.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/16/online-activists-say-this-group-could-swing-the-presidential-election/ |title=Online activists say this group could swing the presidential election |first=Steven | last=Overly |newspaper=Washington Post |date=16 September 2016 |access-date=23 September 2016}}

Avaaz opposed 21st Century Fox's bid to take over the pan-European broadcasting company Sky plc. As part of this opposition, Avaaz brought Wendy Walsh—who alleges that she was sexually harassed at Fox News—to London in May 2017 to testify for British media regulator Ofcom.{{Cite web|date=8 May 2017|title='Block Fox bid for Sky', says ex-guest claiming harassment|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39849576|website=BBC}} In September 2017, Avaaz took legal action in the British High Court of Justice, by seeking a judicial review of Ofcom's decision not to recommend rejection of the takeover.{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/group-opposed-fox-sky-takeover-files-legal-challenge-against-regulator-decision-1202576255/ |title=Group Opposed to Fox-Sky Takeover Files Legal Challenge Against British Regulator |last=Mitchell |first=Robert |work=Variety |date=29 September 2017 |access-date=24 October 2017}} Bloomberg described Avaaz as "the fly in the ointment of Murdoch's Sky bid".{{Cite news|last=Hellier|first=David|date=14 September 2017|title=The Fly in the Ointment of Murdoch's Sky Bid|work=Bloomberg|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-14/murdoch-s-bid-delay-spotlights-role-of-little-known-activists|access-date=31 December 2020}} When Murdoch withdrew his bid for Sky, Ian Burrell commented that this "represents a victory for the civic activist group Avaaz, which has relentlessly campaigned against a takeover which seemed inevitable".{{Cite news|last=Ian|first=Burrell|date=17 December 2017|title=Fox Disney deal positions House of Mouse as major UK news player|work=iNews|url=https://inews.co.uk/news/media/fox-disney-deal-positions-house-mouse-major-uk-news-player-111357|access-date=31 December 2020}}

In January 2018, Monsanto requested Avaaz to hand over all documents that the organization held in connection with glyphosate.{{cite web |last1=Neslen |first1=Arthur |title=Monsanto demands Avaaz hands over all of its campaign data |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/23/monsanto-demands-avaaz-hands-over-all-of-its-campaign-data |website=The Guardian |date=23 February 2018 |access-date=8 September 2018}} Lawyers for the company said they planned to use the documentation for their own defence in an upcoming court case; this case involved two plaintiffs in the US state of Missouri, who claimed that their cancer was caused by exposure to Monsanto's Roundup herbicide.{{cite web |last1=Varshney |first1=Vibha |title=US court quashes Monsanto's 'undemocratic' plea to Avaaz to hand over internal documents |url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/governance/us-court-quashes-monsanto-s-undemocratic-plea-to-avaaz-to-hand-over-internal-documents-61551 |website=DownToEarth.org |date=7 September 2018 |access-date=8 September 2018}}{{cite news |title=Sieg gegen Monsanto |url=http://taz.de/Pestizidfirma-wollte-Papiere-von-Avaaz/!5533969/ |newspaper=Die Tageszeitung: Taz |date=7 September 2018 |publisher=taz.de |access-date=8 September 2018|last1=Maurin |first1=Jost }} Avaaz argued that a successful subpoena would have a "chilling effect" on the group's work. On September 5, 2018, a New York judge sided with Avaaz. The judge stated that the subpoena "risked 'chilling' free speech and political activity",{{cite web |last1=Newsham |first1=Jack |title=Monsanto Can't Round Up Chemical Docs From Advocacy Org |url=https://www.law360.com/lifesciences/articles/1080321/monsanto-can-t-round-up-chemical-docs-from-advocacy-org |website=Law360 |access-date=8 September 2018}} and he argued that Monsanto's request was "anti-democratic".

Some people question whether Avaaz's focus on online petitions and email campaigns may encourage laziness, transforming potential activism into clicktivism.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104302141|title=Foreign Policy: Brave New World Of Slacktivism|author=Evgeny Morozov|date=2009-05-19|publisher=NPR}} Malcolm Gladwell objects that petition tools do not create "close-knit, disciplined and tenacious" networks of activists.{{cite journal|url=https://www.1843magazine.com/content/features/robert-butler/man-behind-avaaz?page=full |title=The man behind Avaaz |journal=1843 |first=Robert |last=Butler |date=25 December 2013 |issue=May/June 2013 |access-date=4 February 2019}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/10/04/small-change-malcolm-gladwell|title=Small Change|first=Malcolm |last=Gladwell|date=4 October 2010|magazine=The New Yorker}} In February 2012, Avaaz raised money for the evacuation of Paul Conroy from Syria, a mission that led to the deaths of 13 activists in Syria.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/feb/28/syrian-activists-paul-conroy-mission|title=Syrian activists killed in Paul Conroy rescue mission|first=Peter|last=Beaumont|newspaper=The Guardian|date=28 February 2012}} A New Republic article accused Avaaz of making false claims about their own role in this evacuation.{{cite magazine|last=van Zuylen-Wood|first=Simon|title=The Great Escape: Has One NGO Been Lying About Its Role in Syria?|magazine=The New Republic|date=27 May 2012|url=http://www.tnr.com/article/world/103330/syria-avaaz-activist-group-journalism|access-date=9 September 2012}} Jillian York has accused Avaaz of arrogance and lack of transparency.{{cite web|last=York|first=Jillian|title=On Avaaz|date=29 May 2012 |url=http://jilliancyork.com/2012/05/29/on-avaaz/|access-date=9 September 2012}} The Defensor Da Natureza{{'s}} blog has accused Avaaz of taking credit for the success of the Ficha Limpa anti-corruption bill in Brazil; Luís Nassif reposted this post.{{cite web|title=Petições da Avaaz rendem milhões de dólares. As campanhas são sérias ou é golpe na internet?|url=http://ra-bugio.blogspot.com.br/2011/02/peticoes-da-avaaz-rendem-milhoes-de.html|publisher=Defensor da Natureza|access-date=16 January 2013}}{{cite web|last=Nassif|first=Luis|title=Avaaz, golpe ou verdade?|date=20 November 2011|url=http://advivo.com.br/blog/luisnassif/avaaz-golpe-ou-verdade|access-date=17 January 2013}}

In 2008, Canadian conservative minister John Baird labelled Avaaz a "shadowy foreign organization" tied to billionaire George Soros.{{cite news|url=http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/09/20/kevin-libin-the-third-party-no-one-talks-about/ |title=Kevin Libin: The third party no one talks about |first=Kevin |last=Libin |date=20 September 2010 |newspaper=National Post |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709093050/http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/09/20/kevin-libin-the-third-party-no-one-talks-about/ |archive-date=9 July 2012 }} A Canadian conservative-media personality, Ezra Levant,{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/billionaire-soros-threatening-to-sue-sun-media/article1711183/|title=Billionaire Soros threatening to sue Sun Media |first=Steven |last=Chase|date=17 September 2010|newspaper=The Globe and Mail}} tried to establish a link between Avaaz.org and Soros as an indirect supporter via MoveOn; Levant's article was later retracted as baseless, and an apology was offered to Soros.{{cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/09/01/15216861.html|title=Anti-Sun TV News campaign in U.S.|first=Brian|last=Lilley |date=1 September 2010|newspaper=Toronto Sun|quote=Avaaz is backed by MoveOn.org a lobby group that has taken millions of dollars from currency speculator George Soros.}}{{cite web|url=http://www.macleans.ca/tag/george-soros-controls-the-world/|title=Avaaz.ca vs. Baird: The Shadowy Foreign Organization strikes back!|author=kadyomalley|date=6 October 2008}}{{cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/comment/2010/09/17/15388356.html|title=Retraction and apology to George Soros|date=18 September 2010|newspaper=Toronto Sun}}

• Internet activism
• Slacktivism

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.avaaz.org/en/ AVAAZ home page]
• {{YouTube|u=avaazorg|{{PAGENAMEBASE}}}}
• {{cite web|url=http://www.vimeo.com/369614|title=Avaaz.org's Ricken Patel on BBC World's HARDtalk|date=3 November 2007}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avaaz.Org}}

Category:Organizations established in 2007

Category:Internet-based activism

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Category:International organizations based in the United States