AVAAZ.org is an international civic organization that promotes political action on issues such as climate change, human rights, and religious conflicts.[1] Its stated mission is to "ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making." The organization operates in thirteen languages, and claims more than one million members from every country in the world.[2]
Avaaz, which means "voice" or "song" in Hindi, Dari, Persian, and other languages, is managed by a team of campaigners working from Switzerland, Brazil, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. They communicate with members via email, and employ campaigning tactics including online public petitions, videos, and email-your-leader tools.
At the 2007 G8 conference, Avaaz.org protested against the "U.S. administration (for its) 'wrecking tactics' and failure to agree to specific, binding global goals" when it came to the mitigation of global warming. At the event, Avaaz.org presented a petition signed by 355,000 people from 193 countries that supported its position. [3] Avaaz is also a co-organizer of the Global Day of Action for Burma along with Burma Campaign UK and Amnesty International. It has registered more than 750,000 signatures to a petition to the Chinese President Hu Jintao and the UN Security Council, urging them to "oppose a violent crackdown on the demonstrators" and "support genuine reconciliation and democracy".[4] Avaaz delivered this petition to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown on October 15, 2007.[5] The Avaaz video Stop the Clash of Civilizations, created with Agit-Pop Productions, is the all-time second most discussed video in the YouTube "News and Politics" section.[6][7]
AVAAZ.org was co-founded by Res Publica, a global civic advocacy group and non-profit organization, and MoveOn, an online community that has pioneered internet advocacy in the United States. The organization is also supported by Service Employees International Union, a founding partner, and GetUp.org.au.