Flashmobs: the solution to make leaders listen on climate change?

Are flashmobs a passing trend or the new way to campaign and tackle global issues on a matching global scale?

“There is a huge appetite for fun, peaceful, creative forms of activism on issues that matter,” says Paul Hilder of Avaaz on flashmobs’ growing global appeal, “it’s very 21^st century!”

Indeed Avaaz, which means noise or voice in a number of languages including Hindi and Persian, is an international civic organization that promotes activism on issues such as climate change, human rights, and religious conflicts and a mass organiser of such events.

Avaaz’s mission is to “ensure that the views and values of the world’s people inform global decision-making,” and the team mainly functions through a vast online global community of members to whom they send out regular emails with up-dates on latest campaigns, initiatives and petitions.

Last September 21 2009, it organised a “Global Wake Up Call” which aimed to raise awareness amongst world leaders about the urgent need to deliver at the up-coming Copenhagen UN summit on climate change in December. 

Emails went out to the 3.6 million Avaaz members inviting them to take “5 minutes out of their day to change the world” – to either create a flash event in their area in the world or at least participate in one.  Phone numbers of ministries and governments around the world were also sent out so that people everywhere could call up their leaders and demand participation and commitment to the December meet.

The day proved to be a huge success.  Paul Hilder, campaign director at Avaaz.org, answers Vita Europe’s questions.  

 

What made you decide to concentrate Avaaz’s energy on climate change?

We held a poll of Avaaz’s 3.6 million members worldwide and 94% of respondents voted to make this our community’s number one priority until the UN Climate Summit in December. There is unprecedented global public alarm about the climate crisis, and the solutions are clear. Scientists, experts, and people everywhere are agreed – we need a deal that is ambitious enough to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, fair enough to get developing countries on board for a truly global deal with money on the table – and absolutely binding and legally enforceable. To get all that, we need world leaders to personally commit to go to Copenhagen and avert climate catastrophe.

 

Your Wake Up Call video looks great!  Have you had any positive feedbacks from leaders/important people?

We love the Wake Up Call video too! And it shows only a fraction of the amazing pictures and videos that came in from all over the world. There were tears among the team as we watched – we were completely overwhelmed by the creativity, commitment and passion of countless participants in over 2600 cities, towns and villages in 134 countries from Taiwan to Trinidad and Tobago.

Ministries from Australia to Argentina, Spain to South Africa accepted Wake Up Calls from their citizens directly. Many ministers gave responses or indicated support, including the EC Environment Commissioner. UK PM Gordon Brown committed to go to Copenhagen on the phone to one of our flashmobbers – a major development. Now, the multitude of organisations and individuals participating in the TckTckTck campaign are determined to ensure other leaders follow suit.

 

What do you think is the advantage of these kinds of modern day flash mobs?

There is a huge appetite for fun, peaceful, creative forms of activism on issues that matter. The Wake Up Call flash mobs snowballed in just a few weeks, demonstrating the massive public energy around averting climate catastrophe and unleashing a new green economy. We’ll see a lot more rapid mobilisation of this kind in the coming weeks and months – it’s very 21st century!

 

What are the next steps before December? 

Our friends at 350.org are leading a worldwide day of climate action on October 24 and there will be a massive global outcry on December 12, targeting world leaders coming together in Copenhagen to sign a deal. These are just two of a host of other climate actions planned by us and our partners. 

 

Hugh Jackman is gorgeous – how did you get him on board!?

He’s great at delivering the video Wake-Up Call, isn’t he? Hugh is just one of the inspiring and growing group of celebrities, ordinary citizens, NGOs and business leaders who are adding their voice to the call for climate justice. Nobel prize winning activist from Kenya, Wangari Maathai, is also in the video – delivering the Global Wake Up Call message directly to world leaders at the United Nations. And a host of actors and music artists endorsed the campaign and asked their fans to ‘make some noise’ for climate action.  

 

What made you want to work for Avaaz?

I’d been dreaming and talking about something like Avaaz since 2004 – so it was thrilling to join up with the rest of the team in 2006 and get Avaaz launched at the start of 2007. We were inspired by the fact that technology and the internet have allowed citizens to connect and mobilize like never before, as well as by the past successes of many great campaigns and movements. The rise of a new model of internet-driven, people-powered politics is changing countries everywhere. Avaaz.org has started to take this model truly global, connecting people across borders to bring people powered politics to international decision-making. 

Too often international decisions are shaped by political elites and unaccountable corporations, not the views and values of the world’s people. Our shared mission is to close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want. We’ve got a mountain to climb, but together we are making amazing progress. I can’t wait to see what kind of better future we can build together!

 

What other campaigns is Avaaz organising at the moment?

As well as stronger protection for the environment, our members and most people everywhere want greater respect for human rights, and more concerted efforts to end poverty, corruption and war. Avaaz members are taking a stand on all these issues. This week alone, we’ve launched powerful campaigns to help prevent further rape and bloodshed in Guinea, to pass an anti-corruption law in Brazil to help make the Rio 2016 Olympics a success, and to urge US President Obama to change course in Afghanistan.

 

www.avaaz.org