Help me make a promise

Dear Tracy,

On Monday, I’ll be boarding a plane to start an Amnesty International human rights research mission and I need to know that you will support me.

I’m going where few go, to see people who are almost completely cut off from contact from the rest of the world, with nowhere to escape, facing hunger and living in fear.

This will be my 3^rd fact-find mission to South Sudan and the first since 2013 when I saw with my own eyes the devastation of aerial bombings on the rural, civilian population.  

Watch video and make a contribution right now

Our small team of Amnesty International researchers will be documenting the real human impacts of the Sudanese government's illegal bombing campaign. I’ll be meeting with men, women and children in refugee camps and displaced persons sites who have faced hunger, lost family members, and who live with a fear that’s difficult for you and I to understand: the dread of bombs being indiscriminately pushed out the back of airplanes.

On my last mission to this region of southern Kordofan, I saw the foxholes where people hid to escape the bombs. I saw how the Sudanese government deliberately destroyed crops so that people will suffer. We know the dreadful but real statistics behind this conflict: thousands of lives lost. (I invite you to learn more about the terrible human cost by reading Amnesty's most recent report on South Sudan)

Let me tell you why we must go on this research mission, and why we need your support


    Click to watch video

When Amnesty International commits its resources to the dangerous work of interviewing civilians affected by conflicts, decision-makers at the United Nations want to hear. Our reporting can lead to media interest. It can lead to mobilization of humanitarian aid to bring relief to the victims of this forgotten conflict. It can lead to peacekeepers being deployed to provide protection. And maybe –- and most importantly of all -- it can bring hope.

Next week, I will have to look elders and widows in the eye and say “we’re listening”. I will want to make a firm promise that I’ll do everything in my power to make sure the world knows they’re still there, trapped on the border, and need help. 

Please help me keep that promise.

Your financial support will contribute to the necessary cost of flying a small team to South Sudan, of providing us with the minimum tools needed to remain in contact, of having the logistical support from drivers and local people who can bring us safely where we need to go. An Amnesty International mission doesn’t cost a lot, compared to the lives it can save. The entire mission and cost of distributing our findings is about $25,000.  Your support for this mission - large or small - could mobilize resources and attention that can free up food supplies, reduce the vulnerability and isolation of civilians and ultimately stop the bombing. 

Can you make a gift of $50 or $100 or more, and encourage others with the means to give to support Amnesty’s life-saving human rights mission?

Thank you for standing behind me and helping Amnesty International shed light on this forgotten conflict.


Sincerely,
 

Alex Neve
Secretary General,
Amnesty International Canada

P.S. Where communication allows for it, I hope to send reports from the field into our staff who will post it to our website. Please donate generously now and follow our reporting from the field. 

Where can they go? Syria’s refugees need your voice

Syria's refugees need your voice

Dear Tracy, Syria and Sweden. These two countries don't share much in common — unless you've met Mahmoud, Jamila and their twin sons Mazen and Bilal. In 2013, this Syrian family fled their home after their lights had been cut out and they were overwhelmed by the horrors of war: Rockets everywhere, and dead bodies in the streets. The family took nothing with them and sheltered in an abandoned classroom crammed full of other displaced families before eventually making it to Lebanon. Life in Lebanon was still a constant struggle for survival - they couldn't afford a place to live or medical treatment for Mahmoud, who has a serious disability. Amnesty is calling global attention to these real stories of refugees who have fled Syria. We have released our report Hardship, Hope and Resettlement: Refugees from Syria tell their stories to encourage governments — like those of the U.S., Canada, E.U members and other countries — to help resettle them. So far, most of the 4 million refugees have fled to just five neighboring countries: Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Turkey. Please make an urgent donation to Amnesty so we can advocate that governments help families like Jamila and Mahmoud's regain their safety and reclaim their dignity. Many in the global community have turned their backs on children and families fleeing bloodshed in Syria. Only 80,000 spots have been offered for nearly 4 million people — that's just 2%. That is why we are increasing our efforts to advocate on their behalf — to ensure that more countries open their hearts and communities to people who have escaped the atrocities of the Syrian government, the Islamic State and other armed groups. This family's story ends well. Sweden offered them a chance of a new life through its resettlement program — a lifeline offered to the most vulnerable refugees like Mahmoud, who have serious medical conditions or have been tortured. The family is deeply grateful for the fresh start Sweden has given them, but they fear for their relatives who still face daily threats back home. We rely on people like you to support our actions to help provide hope for the people of Syria and people everywhere who face violence and government oppression. Please donate to support this work. Sincerely, Sunjeev Bery Advocacy Director, Middle East North Africa Amnesty International USA

Weigh in: What should we focus on?

Weigh in: What should we focus on?

Dear Tracy, As a supporter of Amnesty, your thoughts and opinions are tremendously valuable to us. We'd like to hear what international human rights campaigns are most important to you. Your feedback will help shape our priorities over the course of the next four years. Take this short survey. Your answers will help us focus our global campaigns on issues that matter most to you. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. This survey will only be open for a short period of time. Click on the link below or copy and paste the address into your Internet browser's address window to begin: http://www.amnestyusa.org/SupporterSurvey We look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas! In solidarity, Steven W. Hawkins Executive Director Amnesty International USA

Food for thought (Food Banks Canada)

  

Food Banks Canada / Banques alimentaires Canada
Dear Tracy, From April 12-18 Canada is celebrating National Volunteer Week. More than 30% of all food banks across the country are run solely by volunteers, and all food banks rely heavily on the work

 

Apr 16

Dear Tracy,   From April 12-18 Canada is celebrating National Volunteer Week.  More than 30% of all food banks across the country are run solely by volunteers, and all food banks rely heavily on the work of their volunteers to provide the support needed to serve almost 850,000  Canadians per month. Thank you for your support and for how you may volunteer to make a difference in your community.                                   More Tidbits:  Our Blog: Latest news from the team  Food Banks Teaching Kids About Nutrition: A program of the Agape Centre in Cornwall  Let's Check our Assumptions About People Who Access Food Banks The Impact of a Dollar READ MORE >> Every Plate Full  Thousands of Canadians face hunger every year and food banks across the country are unable to keep up with the demand. Especially in the summer months. This year, we're facing hunger head on. Canadians and the food banking community coast-to-coast across the country are coming together in the Every Plate Full Food Drive with an inspiring goal: to fill the plates of every hungry Canadian this summer. Look up your local food bank or provincial association and join their team to raise  meals or make a gift and see how it multiplies. Get involved and make a difference in the life of someone in need today!

The wait is over...Every Plate Full

Dear Tracy,  The wait is over. From May 2nd to May 8th food banks across Canada will come together to participate in the Every Plate Full Food Drive with an inspiring goal: To fill the plates of every hungry Canadian this summer...26.5 million plates in fact!  Here is another fact: 918,724. That is the number of neighbours across Canada who turn to a food bank each month.  This is especially true in the summer months, so please help keep the shelves stocked. How can you help? For each $1 donated you can provide 3 meals, $5 provides 15 meals, $10 provides 30 meals... you get the idea, now please take action. Help to make a difference in the life of a neighbour this summer. You can make your donation here and designate it to our national efforts or your provincial food bank association or local food bank - the choice is yours.  No matter what, please choose to do something. Why? Did I mention that 37% or 339,927 of the people you will help this summer are children? The most vulnerable in our society and you can make a difference with as little as a dollar. Donate today, be a plate-filler and help ensure every plate is full this summer.  Sincerely, Katharine Schmidt Executive Director

It's coming...Every Plate Full (Food Banks Canada)

Dear Tracy, Save the date… It’s coming, it's new and you can make a huge difference with just $1. May 1st, details will be sent to your mail or inbox.

Tens of thousands of children at risk after Cyclone Pam

On the evening of March 13, Tropical Cyclone Pam intensified into a Category 5 storm and hit the small South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu.

I’m writing to you today with an urgent appeal for your help. On the evening of March 13, Tropical Cyclone Pam intensified into a Category 5 storm and hit the small South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu. The storm caused significant damage, particularly in the central and southern parts of Vanuatu. At least half the population – including nearly 60,000 children – are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. In disasters like these, timing is crucial. Access to clean water is often restricted, putting children and their families at risk of life-threatening waterborne illnesses like diarrhea. And with poor living conditions, disease can spread rapidly. That’s why we need you. UNICEF was on the ground in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Our main priorities are to: Address the most urgent needs around water and sanitation, including the provision of hygiene kits, water tanks, soap for hand-washing, water containers and water purification tablets; Distribute health and nutrition supplies to children and their families, including basic health kits, oral rehydration salt sachets, zinc tablets, vitamin A capsules and de-worming tablets; Implement a measles vaccination campaign in an effort to control a recent outbreak; and Help maintain normalcy for the children affected by supporting temporary learning spaces and providing psychosocial support. Your donation today to UNICEF’s emergency fund will support our efforts to help children and families in Vanuatu in the wake of this devastating storm. Thank you.