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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>this may be too huge a topic to research, validate
and support, but anyway, I am just forwarding fyi as it was sent to me by a
friend. Lori (Strothard)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=avaaz@avaaz.org href="mailto:avaaz@avaaz.org">Melanie</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=strothjkl@sympatico.ca
href="mailto:strothjkl@sympatico.ca">strothjkl@sympatico.ca</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, November 04, 2009 6:42 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Our gifts of love should not fund hate</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><SPAN style="COLOR: #999999; FONT-SIZE: 11px"><BR>You are
receiving this email because Melanie <A
href="mailto:ancientharp@gmail.com">ancientharp@gmail.com</A> sent it to <A
href="mailto:strothjkl@sympatico.ca">strothjkl@sympatico.ca</A> via the
"tell-a-friend" tool at Avaaz.org. Avaaz will not send you further messages
without your consent--although your friends could, of course, send you another
message. If you prefer to not receive further such emails, please <A
href="http://www.avaaz.org/act/never_email.php?me=c3Ryb3RoamtsQHN5bXBhdGljby5jYQ==">click
here</A> to add yourself to the list of people we would never
email.<BR></SPAN><BR>Hello, <BR><BR>Have you heard that Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe
is selling blood diamonds on the world market? His brutal army has seized
diamond mines, 200 civilians have been murdered, and profits are used to finance
political militias. <BR><BR>I've just signed an urgent petition urging
international regulators meeting in Namibia this week to ban Zimbabwe diamonds,
sending a clear message that we do not want our gifts of love to finance hate.
<BR><BR>We have just 24 hours to persuade regulators to act. Join me by signing
the Avaaz petition below and let's get a massive petition together that will be
delivered directly to the meeting in Namibia.
<BR><BR><BR>http://www.avaaz.org/en/diamonds_for_love_not_hate/98.php?cl_taf_sign=gYv47lr
<BR><BR>Thanks! <BR><BR>−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−− <BR><BR>Forward the original
alert below to your friends: <BR><BR>Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe has
brutally seized control of his country's diamond fields and is using the profits
from our precious wedding rings and jewelry to finance a vicious political
militia. <BR><BR>The group of countries that regulate the global diamond trade
are right now meeting in Namibia to decide whether to suspend Mugabe and stop
him selling his blood diamonds on the world market. <BR><BR>We have just two
days to persuade these countries to act − let's get a flood of signatures on a
petition and deliver it directly to the meeting in Namibia. Sign at the link
below and forward this email to anyone who doesn't want our gifts of love to
finance hate:
<BR><BR>http://www.avaaz.org/en/diamonds_for_love_not_hate/98.php?cl_taf_sign=gYv47lr
<BR><BR>All diamond producing countries know that their profits are dependent on
the brand reputation of diamonds, and that increasing awareness of "blood
diamonds" threatens that brand. A massive global petition will show them that
the diamond−buying public is demanding action. <BR><BR>Zimbabwe's diamonds used
to be mined by local people. But in the last several months, Mugabe's thugs have
brutally taken over, murdering up to 200 civilians. An international
investigation in July found "horrific violence against civilians". <BR><BR>The
profits from these blood diamonds are being used to finance a political militia
that has already killed thousands of Zimbabweans, and threatens the fragile
unity government in the country. Letting Mugabe keep these diamonds could
finance a whole new war. <BR><BR>All of us are learning the ways in which our
decisions about what we buy and do can affect the lives of our fellow human
beings half a world away. An engagement ring should be something given and worn
out of love, let's tell diamond regulators to keep it that way:
<BR><BR>http://www.avaaz.org/en/diamonds_for_love_not_hate/98.php?cl_taf_sign=gYv47lr
<BR><BR>With hope, <BR><BR>Ricken, Alice, Benjamin, Graziela, Luis, Milena,
Paul, Ben, Paula, Pascal and the whole of the Avaaz team <BR><BR>PS:
<BR><BR>Once you've taken action, vote for Avaaz on the influential Huffington
Post "New Media Game−Changers" poll! http://www.avaaz.org/huffpo (vote 10 for
Avaaz as the ultimate game changer) <BR><BR>Sources: <BR><BR>A Human Rights
Watch report on the Zimbabwe mines:
<BR>http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/06/26/diamonds−rough−0 <BR><BR>The
Kimberley process report:
<BR>http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=5303 <BR><BR>Articles on
the possible ban this week: <BR>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8337385.stm
<BR><BR>http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009−11−02−zim−faces−possible−suspension−from−global−diamond−trade
<BR><BR>More from Global Witness, a member of the Kimberley Process:
<BR>http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/861/en/campaigners_call_for_urgent_action_on_zimbabwe_blo
<BR><BR>More on Zimbabwe's political crisis:
<BR>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6896171.ece<IMG
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