MADRE Acts: Last Call: A Mother's Day Gift that Nurtures Women, etc..

[james m nordlund]

Last Call: A Mother's Day Gift that Nurtures Women
Dear MADRE Supporter ,

It's not too late! Give your mom, or any special woman in your life, a
Mother's Day gift that will make her feel good, inspire great
conversations, and help bring about your shared vision of a better world.

Make a gift to MADRE in honor of someone great, and we'll send her a
stunning gift card by mail (a real card, not an electronic one) that will
tell her about the important programs she's helping to support. (Please
visit our website if you have trouble viewing the card below.)

Requests placed by 4pm (EST) on Wednesday, May 10th, will be mailed right
away, and should reach your loved one by Mother’s Day.

Your gift of $50, $100, $250, or more will help to meet urgent needs and
promote long-term social change for women—in Sudan, Iraq, Peru, and many
other places around the world where women have come together to improve
their lives and those of their communities. Visit our website to learn
more about the groundbreaking programs, by women and for women, you and
your honoree can help make possible.



Photo © Elizabeth Rappaport

Make a gift donation now.

On behalf of all of us at MADRE and our sister organizations around the
world, we wish you a Happy Mother’s Day!


Sincerely,

Vivian Stromberg
Executive Director


P.S. If you can give a gift of $250 or more, MADRE will send a custom card
to your honoree, featuring your personal photograph instead of MADRE's.
Instructions for sending us your photo are on the donation page.

P.P.S. Your contribution to MADRE is fully tax-deductible.





Urgent Action: Women in Sudan Need Our Help

"If we don't get to work on it today, there's a few thousand people who
will be dead by the end of the week."
– George Clooney

“If people are aware of the facts, I believe many will be driven to
action.”
–Angelina Jolie


Dear MADRE Supporter ,

People in Sudan need our help—the situation is urgent. The UN World Food
Program reported today that it is cutting food rations to Darfur by 50
percent due to a lack of funding. Our partner in Sudan, Zenab, a Sudanese
women’s organization, works in these camps. Zenab knows the women and
children directly affected by the crisis, and is ready to respond. They
will:

provide programs to prevent gender-based sexual violence (including rape);
create spaces where women can have privacy—for example when they use the
toilet; and
provide counseling and play therapy to traumatized children who find
themselves in refugee camps, many of them without their grown-ups.
They will bring food, clothing, toys, and more. Last year, with the help
of supporters like you, we sent $500,000 worth of emergency aid to El
Sieref and other camps.

We know you care, please send your contribution today. The children need
us. The women need us. Your contribution of $50, $100, $500, or more
will make a difference. The faster we respond, the more difference we can
make.

Please help us make sure that women and children in Darfur are not
forgotten by us.

Sincerely,

Vivian Stromberg
Executive Director



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

You can also send your contribution to MADRE by mail or over the phone to:

MADRE
121 West 27th Street, Room 301
New York, NY 10001
[phone]

Contribute online by visiting http://madre.kintera.org/darfur







Travel to Kenya with MADRE, June 10-18, 2006
We are pleased to invite you to join MADRE's Voyages with a Vision
delegation to Kenya, June 10-18, 2006 .

Visit with inspiring Indigenous Samburu and Maasai women and youth working
to make human rights a reality for themselves and their communities.

TRIP OVERVIEW
• Meet with members of MADRE's sister organization, the Indigenous
Information Network, and learn about their work to combat threats to
women's health and human rights such as HIV/AIDS and FGM; promote the
collective rights of Indigenous Peoples; and encourage the environmental
preservation and sustainable development of Indigenous Peoples' lands.
• Travel to rural Indigenous Samburu and Maasai communities, including
UMOJA, a unique community created and led by Samburu women who have
declared their village a violence-against-women-free zone.
• Learn from and participate in community-based trainings and workshops to
promote political participation, sexual and reproductive health, and the
rights of women and youth in Indigenous communities.
• AND—Join MADRE's partners for a special safari on their ancestral lands!

TRIP DETAILS
Dates: June 10-18, 2006
Accommodations: Hotels in Nairobi and Samburuland
Estimated Cost: $3,500 per person (double-occupancy)
Cost Includes: Round-trip airfare between New York City and Nairobi, Kenya
on Sabena Airlines*; hotel; breakfast daily; lunch and dinner in
Samburuland; celebration meal on final day; ground transportation for all
planned activities; experienced guides; translators; and a memorable
program.

*If you would prefer to fly American Airlines/British Airways with MADRE
representatives, the cost is an additional $225.

TO JOIN MADRE’S KENYA DELEGATION
Because space on these trips is limited, please send us a deposit of $200
($100 of which is non-refundable) as soon as possible to save your place,
along with a completed registration form (pdf). To register with a credit
card by phone, please call 212-627-0444. Reservations will be on a
first-come, first-serve basis, so hurry! Full payment is due on May 12,
2006.

For more detailed information about the trip, please visit MADRE's website
or contact Irene Schneeweis at 212-627-0444 or travel-***@public.gmane.org .

We hope that you can join MADRE for this exciting trip! Please share this
information with friends and colleagues whom you think might also like to
join us. We look forward to hearing from you very soon.

__________________________________________________
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[james m nordlund]

Greenpeace: Commercial Whaling Comeback?
Dear James M,

Just a few months ago, I wrote to you from onboard the Greenpeace
ship Esperanza in the Southern Ocean. I spent two months driving an
inflatable boat (better known as the Billy G) between the harpoons
of Japanese whalers and whales. I witnessed some of the most
horrific and painful deaths you could imagine, and I will never
forget what I saw.

In just over three weeks, the next International Whaling Commission
meeting will take place, and the fate of the world's whales will
rest in the hands of a few individuals. Unfortunately, some of those
hands are covered in blood money. That's because the Japanese
government has been buying votes on the Commission, and after years
of political maneuvering, they may have the votes they need to take
over and push to reopen commercial whaling. We need YOUR help to
make sure that doesn't happen.

Take Action >> http://usactions.greenpeace.org/action/start.php?
action_id=102
Write the U.S. State Department NOW and demand intervention!

On June 16, when the meeting begins, many of the votes will already
be decided by the delegates attending. That's why it's so important
that the nations who are undecided today, are influenced by YOU, and
not by Japan's financial incentives.

Another Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise, will be in St. Kitts to
witness the events of this meeting. My friend, Ocean Campaigner
Buffy Baumann, will be onboard. You'll be hearing from her soon, and
she will keep you posted during the week-long meeting.

The images of the whales I saw during my time on the Esperanza are
burned into my heart and mind. Please, don't let our efforts be in
vain. Take Action now, and follow this story as it develops over the
coming weeks. We'll need your help again, and I hope you'll be there
for us and for the whales.

Your friend,

Nathan Santry
Actions Director

p.s. If you want to do even more to help, download our new whale
action kit:
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/assets/binaries/whaleactionpack.

FOREST FRIENDLY 500

Last month, we upped the anti in our campaign against Kimberly Clark
when more than 20 of our activists blockaded a Kimberly Clark
factory in Canada. Now we want you to block their business in
another way: by recruiting business owners and managers across the
country to take the Forest Friendly 500 Pledge. That's a pledge NOT
to purchase or sell Kimberly Clark products, and so far, more than
289 businesses have taken the pledge. That means we're more than
halfway to our goal, but we need you to help us get to 500.

Here's how YOU can help:

1. Download your Forest Friendly 500 Action Kit today and take it to
the streets:
http://www.forestfriendly500.org/files/ff_500_toolkit.pdf
2. Visit your favorite neighborhood stores, let them know that
Kimberly Clark is destroying ancient forests, and get them to sign
the pledge and stop using Kimberly Clark products.
3. Visit http://www.forestfriendly500.org and add the businesses you
recruited to the growing list.

You can keep up the pressure on Kimberly Clark by recruiting
businesses to join the Forest Friendly 500.

Thank you,

Pamela Wellner
Forest Campaigner

~~~~~
3 Ways to Help

1: Help Greenpeace Take a Stand. Become a Member Today.
https://secureusa.greenpeace.org/securedonate/index.php?from=05232006

2: Take Action. Visit our Action Center and take action today.
http://usactions.greenpeace.org/

3: Tell a Friend. Forward this message to a friend. Help spread the
word.
http://hq.demaction.org/dia/organizations/greenpeace/tellafriend.jsp?
tell_a_friend_KEY=823
~~~~~
The Greenpeace ship Esperanza has continued its journey from the
Southern Ocean and is touring the world, Defending Our Oceans:
http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/. We'll be keeping you updated along
the ship's journey. If you want to learn more about our year-long
voyage and how you can help, sign up to become an Ocean Defender
today.
~~~~~
Greenpeace
702 H Street, NW
Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20001
[phone]
~~~~~
We value your privacy. If you have any questions about how we use
your information please read our privacy policy.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/footer/privacy
~~~~~
Don't forget about Lonnie and Eric:
https://secureusa.greenpeace.org/securedonate/?from=thin_ice.

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[james m nordlund]

LaMarche Submits Checks to Qualify for as much as $1.4 Million of Maine's
Clean Election Funds

Pat LaMarche, the Maine Green Independent Party Candidate for Governor,
has
handed in more than 2500 qualifying checks to the Maine State Ethics
Commission. The checks, accompanied by thousands of corresponding
signatures, qualify her campaign for up to $1.4 million in Clean Election
funds to support her bid for Maine Governor.

"This is an important milestone in any campaign," said LaMarche, "it shows

the people of Maine are not only willing to sign petitions to support my
candidacy, but they are willing to donate their hard earned money."

Each candidate running under Maine's landmark Clean Elections Law is
required to submit a prerequisite number of $5.00 checks to illustrate
they
have popular support. For Governor, the number of checks is 2500. The
campaign will receive $200,000.00 for the primary and up to $1.2 million
in
matching funds for the general election, assuming her two corporately
funded
opponents spend that much.
In thanking her volunteers and campaign workers, LaMarche said, "there are

literally hundreds of people who worked for the past several months, first

to circulate nominating petitions, then to secure the needed checks so I
can
run as a clean candidate. Those volunteers gave their fellow Mainers a
sensible and respectful choice for Governor this year. Those people have
already made a difference in Maine this year. And that difference is just
the beginning."

LaMarche also acknowledged the work of local officials, "There are unsung
heroes in every race for public office, the many town clerks and election
officials who must certify tens of thousands of signatures every election
cycle. My hat is off to these fine public servants for the spectacular job

they do."

LaMarche supporters are justifiably overjoyed at the progress and momentum

of the campaign. "While getting these signatures and checks for us little
guys is both daunting and intimidating, it is also invigorating," said
Doug
Emerson. "While we were out there meeting people and talking to our
neighbors - we are making our communities stronger, giving our communities
a
voice. I am proud to have been a part of this clean elections task.
Getting
five bucks from thousands of people from all over the state, unified in
their support, is what campaigning ought to be about."
"As exciting as this is," said Communications Director Maribeth Stuart,
"it
will be even more exciting when Maine voters elect the first Green
Governor
on November 7th".

Welcome to the Green Party!

Check out the new welcome page at www.gp.org:
http://www.gp.org/welcome.shtml. This is a great resource for friends and

family members to learn about our candidates, register green, and help
build
a powerful and progressive green party!
Green Party National Meeting to be Held in Tucson, AZ

There will be a lot to do at the conference. Along with the National
Committee meeting, there will be plenty of skills-building workshops to
learn the ins and outs of running for office, organizing successful ballot

drives, effective community organizing and tools for fundraising, outreach

and media relations. We'll also offer a number of issue based workshops,
with a particular emphasis on border and immigration issues. Most of all,
we
will have fun! Expect to listen to great music, enjoy the lively 4th
street
neighborhood; and to have the chance to hang out with folks from all over
the country. To Register click here.

The Green Party of the United States is holding our annual national
meeting
in Tucson Arizona, on the edge of the border, in the Sonoran desert. In
many, ways Arizona is a hub for some of the most important activism of the

day. This spring, the state saw the largest demonstration in it's history,

when hundreds of thousands of immigrants and their allies marched for
justice -the Arizona Greens proudly participated. Arizona is seeing some
of
the most rapid development in the country -during an ongoing draught. The
politics of water privatization, sustainable development, and justice are
omnipresent. These are burgeoning issues, not just for Arizona, but
increasingly so for the rest of the country.

Arizona also has a great progressive history. The early days of statehood
were rife with populist fervor: Wobblies at the mines, women voting before

national suffrage, recall, initiatives, workman's comp, when they were all

radical concepts. Arizona has a tradition of the people leading in ways
that
no one expects. Arizona has the best Clean Elections laws in the country,
and Greens helped set it up. Ballot measures here legalized medical
marijuana twice, and expanded healthcare for the poor, and brought us
clean
elections.

We invite you to experience the rich cultural and ecological diversity of
the region; learn about Arizona's progressive past and present; and help
build a sustainable, peaceful just future. El Futuro es Verde - The Future

is Green!

Dining on 4th Avenue: Nowhere in Tucson can one find so many great places

to eat in such a concentrated area! Pizza, traditional Greek food, Mexican

food influenced by several different regions, Italian food, burgers,
sandwiches, you name it and it is here on the Avenue! Of course the Avenue

also features those quirky, totally original spots that give Tucson its
distinct flavor.

Shopping on 4th Avenue: There are over 100 merchants selling everything
from glass works to southwest merchandise.

Nightlife on 4th Avenue: Fourth Avenue is where it happens! Whether you
are
looking for a quiet neighborhood bar, live music venues, sports bar, wine
bar, or specialty spots, Fourth Avenue has it. Celebrate your 50th
wedding
anniversary or search for that special someone to start counting the years

with on the Avenue. When it is party time it is time to head down to the
Avenue!

The latest, coolest item in the wallets of progressives is the
personalized
Green Party Card.

For $36.00 a year* you can be a card-carrying Green. When you become an
active supporter of the Green Party of the United States, you'll receive
our
spanking-new card, which shows the world that you stand committed to
time-honored progressive values like liberty, equality, democracy, social
justice, personal responsibility and focus on the future. In addition,
you
will receive a Green Party button and bumper sticker, a one-year
subscription to Green Pages, plus all of the information you need to get
involved and active as a Green. Half of your contribution will be shared
with your state's Green Party. The Future is Green!

Order Your Green Party Card Online Today go to http://www.gp.org and click

on "Join the Revolution" button.

-------------
Federal law requires political committees to use their best effort to
collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and employer for
each individual whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year.
Contributions form the following individuals and entities are prohibited:
corporations, labor organizations, national banks, government contractors,

people under 18 years of age, and foreign nationals.

*$36.00 is roughly equivalent to the $1.00 paid for a one-year membership
in
the Populist Party of the 1890s. The Populist Party was a multiracial,
progressive, grassroots third party of working people which agitated for
many popular progressive reforms. The Green Party of the 21st century
continues the Populist's fight for citizen empowerment and progressive
reforms at all levels today.

Register Green. Vote Green. Give Green.
The Green Party does not accept corporate donations. We depend entirely
on donations from people who are committed to building a powerful and
progressive alternative to the two corporate parties.

We ask you to challenge corporate influence in politics by supporting the
Green Party of the United States! Show your resistance to the status quo
by
enabling us to continue organizing and mobilizing for real change. Please
help us get out our positive, progressive values to new communities, and
to
deepen our involvement where we're already anchored.

Support us today and please consider becoming a sustainer (look for the
recurring donation option).

Green Party online shopping just got easier! Visit our improved online
store.

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[james m nordlund]

Join Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, Willie Nelson & Many More...
June 15, 2006
Dear james m,

President Bush makes a stealth visit to the Green Zone in Baghdad for a
quick photo op with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, while Iraqis are
plagued by ongoing violence PROVOKED by the very presence of the US
troops. Hillary Clinton, the most likely Democratic presidential candidate
in 2008, supports the war and believes we shouldn't set a timetable for
withdrawal. And when elected officials finally make a positive move, in
both the House and Senate, by passing an amendment against permanent bases
in Iraq, the amendment is simply yanked from the bill in the conference
committee. If we don't do more to stop the US occupation of Iraq, we will
be there for DECADES to come, and our children and children's children
will live is a state of perpetual war.

US soldiers have been forced to put their bodies on the line; the lives of
the Iraqi people are at risk every day. It's time for us to do something
to show the depth of our commitment to bring our troops home and allow the
Iraqis to rebuild their own nation. That's why CODEPINK and Gold Star
Families for Peace, together with activists across the country, will be
starting an open-ended hunger strike, called Troops Home Fast,

http://codepinkalert.org/article.php?list=type&type=144

on July 4th, in front of the White House and around the country.

"We've marched, held vigils, lobbied Congress, camped out at Bush's ranch.
We've even gone to jail. Now it's time to do more," says Cindy Sheehan.
"While others are celebrating July 4th with barbeques and fireworks, we'll
be showing our patriotism by putting our bodies on the line to bring our
troops home."

As a sign of solidarity with Cindy, CODEPINK and the other long-term
fasters, we are asking you to join us by fasting for at least one day. It
could be on July 4, our launch date, or any other time during the summer.
You can fast from wherever you are, or better yet, join us in Washington
DC. We've already received commitments from hundreds of people, including
Susan Sarandon, Willie Nelson, Danny Glover, Dick Gregory, Dolores Huerta,
Eve Ensler, as well as military veterans, religious leaders, students, and
women's groups. Go to our new website www.troopshomefast.org to see who's
fasting and to sign up.

Diane Wilson, who has engaged in several other hunger strikes in her
history as an environmental activist, says she will not set an end date to
her fast. "My goal is to bring the troops home. I don't know how long I
can fast, but I'm making this open-ended," she says. "I plan to take this
as far as I've ever taken anything in my 58 years. I fear our future is at
stake, and I'm ready to make a major sacrifice." Click here

http://www.codepinkalert.org//article.php?id=1015

to read more about Diane's reasons for making this commitment.

Throughout history, fasts have been used to end wars, gain the right to
vote, free political prisoners, improve conditions for workers (click here
to read more).

http://www.codepinkalert.org//article.php?id=1025

With your help, this fast will awaken the public, pressure elected
officials and move us closer to peace. Please join us for a day or more as
a show of support for the Iraqi people and our soldiers, and your
commitment to bring our troops back home-FAST!

In peace,

Allison, Dana, Farida, Gael, Jodie, Katie, Medea, Nancy, Rae, Samantha and
Tiffany

P.S.

Join with us this summer in one of our many travel opportunities, from a
New Orleans work camp to Camp Casey in Crawford to a retreat/spa in
Austin. Click here for info.

http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?list=type&type=124

Also check out our summer reading list with books to inspire your summer
activism.

http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=1022

Sign the Voter's Pledge affirming your dedication to vote for peace
candidates by clicking here.

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/codepink/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=295

Don't forget to forward this message to friends, and please consider
making a donation towards our campaigns here.

https://secure.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/codepink/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=191

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