March 26th: Buggy Bloc Against The Cuts!

When: 26 March · 11:30 - 15:30

Where: London

Meeting point: Victoria Embankment Gardens

Nearest tube station: Embankment (District and Circle lines)

Meandering from Embankment to Hyde Park

_______________________________

Babies and buggy boarders, spread the word... kids against cuts being seen
and
heard!

Joining the myriads to oppose the squandering of our future.

For details of the day visit marchforthealternative.org.uk

Prevent Millions of Women and Children Dying in Pregnancy and Childbirth

Millions of women and children can be saved from death in pregnancy or childbirth,
if world leaders, who are about to meet in New York, meet their promises and step
up their aid commitments for maternal health. Let's call on them to act now!

Millions of pregnant women and children die every year because of malnutrition or
inadequate health services. It's shocking, but if our governments meet aid promises
to women and children at the poverty summit later this month, it is avoidable.

Ten years ago world leaders committed to drastically reduce the disgraceful number
of maternal deaths by 2015, but in fact aid levels remain shamefully low. Now, some
governments could be prepared to boost aid for mothers and babies, but they need
massive public support to get all governments to step up.

In days our leaders meet in New York. Let's build a global outcry against needless
deaths. Sign the petition below to double aid for maternal and child health -- it
will be delivered to key government leaders at the New York meeting.

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_children_and_mothers/?vl

In the last 10 years, since the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were set,
significant advances have been made to tackle poverty -- one-third fewer mothers
have died during childbirth due to increased aid and investment in maternal health
care. But millions of pregnant mothers are still dying needlessly and every year 9
million children die before their 5th birthday.

There is already a specific mechanism to deliver aid for HIV/AIDS, Malaria and
Tuberculosis, but no similar system exists to support health for mothers and
children. Experts feel one of the best ways to have an immediate impact is to ensure
that aid is doubled and coordinated to effectively bring health care to the mothers
and children who need it the most.

But with only 5 years left to meet MDG targets, there’s a danger that our leaders
use the recession to shirk responsibilities to help the world’s poorest. It has
always been the world's citizens that have led the fight against poverty and pushed
our leaders to take critical action, and now it is up to us again. Sign the petition
to save mothers and children:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_children_and_mothers/?vl

Too often the poorest and most vulnerable communities are just statistics at
international summits. On the eve of this crucial summit, let's join together and
give the poorest women and children a voice. Sign the petition below:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_children_and_mothers/?vl

With hope for a fairer world,

Alice, Luis, Alex, Pascal, Maria Paz, Ricken, Ben, Iain, Graziela and the whole
Avaaz team


Sources:
Oxfam, "Minimal G8 Maternal Health Initiative sends disturbing message to women and
girls":
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/reactions/minimal-g8-maternal-health-initiative-sends-disturbing-message-women

The Countdown to 2015 Initiative tracks coverage levels for health interventions
proven to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality:
http://www.countdown2015mnch.org/

Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money
from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest
contributions go a long way.

Avaaz.org is a 5.5-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that
the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz"
means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of
the world; our team is spread across 13 countries on 4 continents and operates in 14
languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on
Facebook or Twitter.

To contact Avaaz write to us at www.avaaz.org/en/contact or call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US).

Global Protests Save Iranian Mother from Death by Stoning for Adultery

Yesterday an Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, was saved by global protests
from being stoned to death.

But she may still be hanged -- and, meanwhile, execution by stoning continues. Right
now fifteen more people are on death row awaiting stoning in which victims are
buried up to their necks in the ground and then large rocks are thrown at their
heads.

The partial reprieve of Sakineh, triggered by the call from her children for
international pressure to save her life, has shown that if enough of us come
together and voice our horror, we may be able to save her life, and stop stoning
once and for all. Sign the urgent petition now and send it onto everyone you know --
let's end this cruel slaughter NOW!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_stoning/?vl

Sakineh was convicted of adultery, like all the other 12 women and one of the men
awaiting stoning. But her children and lawyer say she is innocent and that she did
not get a fair trial -- they state her confession was forced from her and, speaking
only Azerbaijani, she did not understand what was being asked of her in court.

Despite Iran's signing of a UN convention that requires the death penalty only be
used for the "most serious crimes" and despite the Iranian Parliament passing a law
banning stoning last year, stoning for adultery continues.

Sakineh's lawyer says the Iranian government "is afraid of Iranian public reaction
and international attention" to the stoning cases. And after Turkey and Britain's
Foreign Ministers spoke out against Sakineh's sentence, it was suspended.

Sakineh's brave children are leading the international campaign to save their mother
and stop stoning. Massive international condemnation now could finally stop this
sickening punishment. Let's join together today across the world to end this
brutality. Sign the petition to save Sakineh and end stoning here:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_stoning/?vl

In hope and determination,

Alice, David, Milena, Ben and the whole Avaaz team


SOURCES:

Iranians still facing death by stoning despite 'reprieve', The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/08/iran-death-stoning-adultery

Britain condemns planned Iran stoning as 'medieval', AFP:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hjVdkvkzicGeInqw2R10rCKrqs3A


Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money
from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest
contributions go a long way -- donate here.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avaaz.org is a 5.5-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that
the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz"
means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of
the world; our team is spread across 13 countries on 4 continents and operates in 14
languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on
Facebook or Twitter.

To contact Avaaz write to us at
www.avaaz.org/en/contact or call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US).


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Petition for reuniting African mums and kids seeking asylum in UK

Dear Friends,

We are writing to introduce you to The Mothers’ Campaign of the All African Women’s
Group. We are mothers who have had to flee to the UK leaving our children behind in
our home country. We left our children when we saw they would be safer without us.
(We enclose our leaflet below.)

We are launching a petition with our demands for family reunion and invite you to sign it at:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/MumsKids/petition.html

We are gathering signatures between now and Mothers’ Day in March next year. We
would very much appreciate your support and hope you can initially help us by
circulating the petition amongst your friends, family and network.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require any further information.

Yours

Jeto Flaviah

The Mothers’ Campaign of the All African Women’s Group
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Mothers & children seeking asylum

We are mothers who have had to flee to the UK leaving our children behind in our
home country. Our lives were at risk – most of us have been through rape and other
torture; some of us have seen family members killed. We left our children when we
saw they would be safer without us. We didn’t know where we were going, or how, or
if we would survive.

When we claim asylum we are not recognised as mothers who are suffering separation
from their children. Even when we win the right to stay, we still face the pain of
being prevented from reuniting our family.

"We are consumed by guilt and worry. Every meal we eat we think of whether our
children have food. But our love for them is also what keeps us going. Sometimes you
feel so hopeless, you want to end your life but knowing your children need you is
what makes you keep fighting.”

We sometimes lose contact with children back home. Or we hear of them suffering
without our protection – living on the streets after caring relatives have died;
taken by the military; or even turning to pick-pocketing and prostitution to survive
and feed the younger ones.

We have hardly enough to feed ourselves but we do all we can to send money home for
them. And if we don’t know where they are, we raise money to search for them. We do
low-paid, illegal work or even sleep with men for money for them.

But if our kids turn 18 while we wait – often for years – for an asylum claim to be
settled, we lose the right for them to join us.

This government talks so much about the importance of families and claims that
“Every child matters”, yet our children are denied their mothers’ love and
protection. None of the media stories about missing children which highlight the
parents’ distress, even mention what we and our children are going through.

We demand...

• To be recognised as mothers, with dependent children
  
• That when the government grants amnesty to families with children here – their
  right to stay without having to establish a fear of persecution – that we, together
  with our children back home, must also have a right to family amnesty. Though we
  are divided, we are a family.

When we win our right to stay we demand...

• Unconditional right to family reunion to everyone who wins the right to stay in the
  UK (whether under the refugee convention, humanitarian protection, human rights act,
  legacy process or other grounds).
  
• The right of children to join their mother even if they turned 18 before her asylum
  claim was settled.
  

We urge British embassies/high commissions in our home countries to show their
commitment to families by helping to find our missing children and reunite them with
their mothers.

"Mummy, you are the only person I have to save me from everything I’m going
through. Thomas screams every night. . . . I don’t even know what to say about
Michael but he’s a baby boy who needs his mummy right now.” (Letter from a teenage girl whose mother was forced to leave her four children behind).

For more information, including how you can help, contact:

All African Women’s Group, aawg02@googlemail.com
Crossroads Women’s Centre, 230a Kentish Town Rd
London NW5 2AB, Tel: 020 7482 2496

All African Women's Group<>

Call to Boycott Popular Eco-Nappies

To all (and not just parents),

'Nature Babycare' disposable nappies, made by Naty, have been a popular choice amongst eco-conscious and ethical parents who have chosen not to use washable cloth nappies, or use the eco-disposables alongside their cloth nappies. This is due to the fact that they are biodegradable and mostly non-chemical/plastic, and also priced competively in relation to other throwaway nappies.

However, despite being promoted as the ethical choice, and promoted as a 'Swedish' nappy, the (very) small print reads: 'Made in Israel'.

Goods marked as 'made in Israel' have been subject to many boycott campaigns by those in support of Palestinian solidarity, due to the Israeli govenment's long-term inhumane treatment of the Palestinian people, and also the more recent attrocities committed in Gaza.

Boycotting goods campaigns have had a long and often successful history, from Nestle boycotts (due to babies milk products sold to African countries)to Coca-Cola (due to suppression of trade union activists in South America), and is one way in which we all can express our political choices in the consumer products that we buy. In addition to boycotting Israeli goods, there are Palestinian traders that you can support (www.zaytoun.org).

Please join us in contacting Naty (the company responsible for the nappies) to demand further information and explanation, and show that we, the consumer, will not be misled. : info@naty.se
See the example email to the company below:

EXAMPLE EMAIL:

To Naty,
I was shocked and saddened to see that your Nature Babycare nappies are made in Israel. As I'm sure you are aware, the plight of the Palestinians has been going on for the past 61 years. That the Palestinians are subject not only to disproportionate attack from the Israeli Government, but also the use of illegal weapons (e.g. white phosphorous) and that due to the blockades imposed, have limited to no access to food and medical supplies.Whilst your nappies may be environmentally-friendly, they are most certainly not ethical, and I cannot see how you can think that climate justice can occur without social justice. I'd also like to point out how misleading your packaging is: I initially thought the nappies were made in Sweden: your packet even has the Swedish flag depicted, and it is only when the packet is studied carefully that the tiny print stating Made In Israel is noted. In solidarity with the Palestinian people, I will not be buying Nature Babycare nappies again, and will be encouraging other parents to do likewise.
Yours sincerely,

PLEASE FORWARD THIS INFORMATION ON.