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Please review and sign the AVAAZ call for reform in Spain.
Dear friends across Spain,
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Un unstoppable people-powered movement is emerging to fight against economic injustice and democratic deficit in our institutions. If enough of us raise our voices now, we can push our political leaders to drive real reforms that benefit all citizens, not just powerful elites. Sign the petition and our message will be delivered to all parliamentary groups next week:
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An unstoppable surge of people-power has sent shockwaves through our country over the past weeks, with hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens joining peaceful protests across the country demanding genuine democratic reform and a fair economic system.
Then the 22M elections delivered a landslide victory for conservative forces, and dozens of candidates charged with corruption won key seats across the country. It was a sobering ending to an amazing public demonstration of discontent. But often the most challenging moments like this also provide the greatest opportunities for reform.
Our political leaders know they need citizens' active support. If we now stay together and strong, we can pressure them to take steps to usher in a new era of democracy. Sign the petition for real reforms and effective action against corruption and spread the word. Avaaz will deliver the message to all parliamentary group leaders before the Congress of Deputies meet in plenary next week.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/spain_people_power/?vl
Despite the outcome of the elections, a powerful people's movement is already rising to meet the challenges of economic injustice and democratic deficit in our institutions. And the Avaaz community is making an important contribution.
Since March, over 100.000 of us have taken action against corruption triggering a nation-wide torrent of media coverage and catapulting the issue to the top of the electoral agenda. Avaaz "Imputado Deluxe" awards generated massive online participation, culminating in a memorable event (see details below). And last week, following the ban on the protests by the electoral board, we triggered a huge wave of public pressure on key ministers by flooding their offices with messages urging them to safeguard our freedom of assembly before, during and after election day.
Still, it's going to be a long road ahead. The combination of a weak government and the overwhelming control of local and regional government by conservative forces threaten to deepen the erosion of our economic and economic, political and social rights.
But together we can fight back! Online, in the streets, in the media, in local, regional and national parliaments, in the courts, and in upcoming elections. We know that building a better and more inclusive democracy will require a long, sustained effort. But we are also learning what we're capable of, when we all come together. If we stay together, nothing can stop us. Sign the petition and forward it widely.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/spain_people_power/?vl
We are witnessing something unprecedented. Hundreds of thousands of citizens from all ages, origins and political backgrounds have joined to take to the streets and squares and protest peacefully. Conservative financial and political elites cannot ignore this massive wave of democracy in action. Our time has come, and together we can become an unstoppable force able to win real gains for people and for our democracy.
With hope and determination,
Luis, Laura, Alice, Iain, Benjamin, Emma, Ricken and the entire Avaaz team.
Huffington Post, "Spanish Revolution" of 2011 Explained:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martin-varsavsky/spanish-revolution-of-201_b_867156.html
El País, "La ola de protestas sacude el 22-M" (in Spanish):
http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2011/05/21/actualidad/1306009412_323114.html
El Mundo, "Más de 100.000 firmas contra los candidatos imputados" (in Spanish):
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/04/12/espana/1302623758.html
'Imputado Deluxe' awards ceremony for Spain's most corrupt politicians:
http://www.demotix.com/news/701479/imputado-deluxe-awards-ceremony-spains-most-corrupt-politicians
AlJazeera, Spanish Anti-Corruption Goes from Online to Mobile:
http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/spanish-anticorruption-goes-from-online-to-mobile?quicktabs_1=0
Avaaz, "Los Ganadores de los premios 'Imputado Deluxe":
https://secure.avaaz.org/es/spain_corruption_final_round/
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Queridos amigos y amigas,
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Un imparable movimiento ciudadano está emergiendo para luchar contra las injusticias económicas y el deficit democrático en nuestras instituciones. Si somos suficientes los que alzamos nuestras voces, podremos presionar a nuestros dirigentes para que emprendan reformas genuinas que favorezcan a la mayoría, y no a las élites dominantes. Firma esta petición urgente y entregaremos nuestro mandato ciudadano a todos los grupos parlamentarios:
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Durante las últimas semanas, una imparable oleada de poder ciudadano ha hecho temblar nuestros cimientos políticos y sociales, impulsada por la acción de cientos de miles de ciudadanos que hemos tomado las calles de manera pacífica para exigir genuinas reformas democráticas y un sistema económico más justo.
Aun así, nos seguimos enfrentando a enormes retos. Las elecciones del 22M han arrojado una aplastante victoria conservadora, mientras docenas de imputados por delitos de corrupción se han asegurado cargos públicos. Pero a menudo estos vuelcos en el sistema también abren grandes oportunidades para impulsar reformas.
Los partidos políticos saben que necesitan del apoyo activo de los ciudadanos. Si logramos permanecer y luchar unidos, podemos forzarles a tomar medidas que permitan el paso a una nueva era de democracia en nuestro país. Haz click abajo para firmar la petición exigiendo reformas reales y medidas contundentes contra la corrupción y compártela con todos tus conocidos. Entregaremos nuestro mensaje a todos los líderes de los grupos parlamentarios antes del comienzo del pleno del Congreso de los Diputados la próxima semana.
http://www.avaaz.org/es/spain_people_power/?vl
A pesar del alarmante resultado de las pasadas elecciones, un potente movimiento ciudadano está emergiendo para luchar contra las injusticias económicas que golpean a la ciudadanía y el deficit democrático en nuestras instituciones. Y desde la comunidad de Avaaz estamos aportando una importante contribución.
Desde el pasado mes de marzo, hemos sido más de 100.000 los que hemos emprendido acciones contra la corrupción, desencadenando un verdadero torrente de cobertura en los medios nacionales y locales, y catapultando este tema a lo más alto del debate electoral. La votación para elegir a los premios Imputado Deluxe" de Avaaz generó una participación masiva, culminando en una gala memorable (ver detalles abajo). Y durante los últimos diez días, hemos ayudado a crear una avalancha de presión pública dirigida hacia ministros clave inundando sus oficinas con mensajes pidiéndoles que respetasen nuestras libertades de reunión y derecho de protesta frente a los intentos de silenciar las voces ciudadanas disolviendo las acampadas pacíficas en varias ciudades.
Sabemos que nos enfrentamos a un duro y largo camino. La combinación de un gobierno débil y el abrumador control de los gobiernos locales y autonómicos por parte del principal partido conservador amenaza con agudizar la erosión de nuestros derechos económicos, políticos y sociales.
¡Pero juntos podemos darle un vuelco a estas batallas! Por internet, en las calles, a través de los medios, en las instituciones locales, autonómicas y nacionales, en los tribunales de justicia, y en el marco de las elecciones venideras. Sabemos que construir una democracia más justa e inclusiva va a requerir de un esfuerzo sostenido a largo plazo. Pero también estamos aprendiendo durante estos días de lo que somos capaces cuando juntamos nuestras fuerzas. Si nos mantenemos unidos, nada puede pararnos. ¡Firma la petición y corre la voz!
http://www.avaaz.org/es/spain_people_power/?vl
Estamos siendo testigos de algo sin precedentes. Cientos de miles de ciudadanos de todas las edades, origenes y posiciones políticas se han unido para tomar las calles y plazas de manera pacífica. Las élites financieras y políticas conservadoras no pueden ignorar esta ola masiva de democracia real. Ha llegado nuestra hora, y juntos podemos convertirnos en una fuerza imparable, capaz de luchar hasta obtener logros concretos para la ciudadanía y para nuestra democracia.
Con esperanza y determinación,
Luis, Laura, Alice, Iain, Benjamin, Emma, Ricken y todo el equipo de Avaaz.
Más información:
El País, "La ola de protestas sacude el 22-M":
http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2011/05/21/actualidad/1306009412_323114.html
Público, "15-M: La nueva utopía tiene los pies en el suelo":
http://www.publico.es/espana/378927/15-m-la-nueva-utopia-tiene-los-pies-en-el-suelo
El Mundo, "Más de 100.000 firmas contra los candidatos imputados":
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/04/12/espana/1302623758.html
Avaaz, "Los Ganadores de los premios 'Imputado Deluxe":
https://secure.avaaz.org/es/spain_corruption_final_round/
El Mundo, "La noche en la que el movimiento 15M desafió a la Junta Electoral":
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/05/20/madrid/1305870583.html
Democracia Real Ya, Página de Facebok:
https://www.facebook.com/democraciarealya?sk=wall
20 minutos, "El transcurso del movimiento 15-M y los gérmenes de las protestas":
http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1066304/0/spanish-revolution/15-m/extranjero/
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Just what we need... more Left wing claptrap. Maybe the UK could send Ken Livingstone & Bob Crowe to show solidarity with their brothers against the "Conservative elites"
Strange how the Democracy mentioned here doesn't seem to recognize the democratic election that just took place........or doesn't that count because they lost?
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no need now for expensive elections,lets just demonstrate.never mind the people who voted and down with democracy,it'll never catch on
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I like that Haydn. LOL
"and down with democracy,it'll never catch on."
Just imagine, I've lived in Spain for decades and only now do I discover it is not a democracy. Wonder what all those elections were about over the years.
Patricia
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Maria has observed interestingly:
There is a citizenship movement called " Democracia Real Ya", inspired by Hessel´s Time for Outrage.
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Manifesto (English)
We are ordinary people. We are ordinary people. We are like you: people, Who Get Up Every Morning to study, work or find a job, people Who Have family and friends. We are like you: people, who get up every morning to study, work or find a job, people who have family and friends. People, Who work hard Every Day to Provide a Better Future for Those around us. People, who work hard every day to provide a better future for those around us.
Some of us Consider ourselves progressive, conservative Others. Some of us consider ourselves progressive, others conservative. Some of us Are believers, Some not. Some of us are believers, some not. Some of us Have Clearly defined ideologies, Others Are apolitical, But We Are All Concerned and angry about the Political, Economic, and social outlook Which we see around us: corruption Among Politicians, businessmen, bankers, Leaving us helpless, Without a voice. Some of us have clearly defined ideologies, others are apolitical, but we are all concerned and angry about the political, economic, and social outlook which we see around us: corruption among politicians, businessmen, bankers, leaving us helpless, without a voice.
This situation has Become normal, daily Suffering, Without hope. This situation has become normal, a daily suffering, without hope. But if we join forces, we can change it. But if we join forces, we can change it. It's time to change things, time to build together a Better Society. It's time to change things, time to build a better society together. Therefor, we Strongly Argue That: Therefore, we strongly argue that:
- The Priorities of Society Must Be Any advanced Equality, progress, Solidarity, freedom of culture, sustainability and Development, welfare and people's happiness. The priorities of any advanced society must be equality, progress, solidarity, freedom of culture, sustainability and development, welfare and people's happiness.
- These Are inalienable Truths That We Should Abide by In Our Society: the right to housing, employment, culture, health, education, Political Participation, free personal development, and consumer rights for a healthy and happy life. These are inalienable truths that we should abide by in our society: the right to housing, employment, culture, health, education, political participation, free personal development, and consumer rights for a healthy and happy life.
- The current status of Our Government and Economic System Does Not Take Care of These rights, and in Many Ways is an obstacle to human progress. The current status of our government and economic system does not take care of these rights, and in many ways is an obstacle to human progress.
- Democracy Belongs to the people (demos = people, kratos = government) Which Means That Government is made of Every one of us. Democracy belongs to the people (demos = people, krátos = government) which means that government is made of every one of us. However, in Spain MOST of the Political class events not does listen to us. However, in Spain most of the political class does not even listen to us. Politicians Should Be Bringing Our Voice to the Institutions, facilitating the Political Participation of Citizens Through direct channels That Provides the Greatest Benefit to Society The Wider, Not to get rich and prosper at Our expense, Attending only to the Dictatorship of major holding and Economic Powers Them in power through to bipartidism Immovable headed by the acronym PP & PSOE. Politicians should be bringing our voice to the institutions, facilitating the political participation of citizens through direct channels that provide the greatest benefit to the wider society, not to get rich and prosper at our expense, attending only to the dictatorship of major economic powers and holding them in power through a bipartidism headed by the immovable acronym PP & PSOE.
- Lust for power and Its Accumulation in only a FEW; create Inequality, tension and injustice, Which Leads to Violence s, which we reject. Lust for power and its accumulation in only a few; create inequality, tension and injustice, which leads to violence, which we reject. The obsolete and unnatural Economic fuels the social model in a growing spiral machinery consume That Itself by Enriching a few and sends the rest Into Poverty. The obsolete and unnatural economic model fuels the social machinery in a growing spiral that consumes itself by enriching a few and sends into poverty the rest. Until the collapse. Until the collapse.
- The will and purpose of the current system is the Accumulation of money, NOT regarding efficiency and the welfare of Society. The will and purpose of the current system is the accumulation of money, not regarding efficiency and the welfare of society. Wasting resources, Destroying the planet, and unhappy paro Creating Consumers. Wasting resources, destroying the planet, creating unemployment and unhappy consumers.
- Citizens Are the gears of a machine Designed to Enrich a minority Which Does Not Regard our needs. Citizens are the gears of a machine designed to enrich a minority which does not regard our needs. We are anonymous, pero Without Us Would none of this exist, Because We move the world. We are anonymous, but without us none of this would exist, because we move the world.
- If we as a Society Not learn to trust our future to an abstract economy, Which Benefits for never returns the most, We Can Eliminate the abuse That We Are All Suffering. If as a society we learn to not trust our future to an abstract economy, which never returns benefits for the most, we can eliminate the abuse that we are all suffering.
- We Need an Ethical Revolution. We need an ethical revolution. Instead of Placing money Above Human Beings, Shall we put it back to Our Service. Instead of placing money above human beings, we shall put it back to our service. We are people, NOT products. We are people, not products. I am not a product of what i buy, why I buy and who I buy from. I am not a product of what I buy, why I buy and who I buy from.
For all of the above, I am Outraged. For all of the above, I am outraged.
I think I can change it. I think I can change it.
I think I can help. I think I can help.
I know That together we can.i think I can help. I know that together we can.I think I can help.
I know That together we can. I know that together we can.
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You have an ideal Ads and so do I but human nature will not allow your ideal. 90% of humans are greedy thats why your ideal will not come about. It's dog eat dog world and thats a fact of life. I very much hope I'm wrong.
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I would highly encourage you to read Hessel´s Time for Outrage...... it is delicious!
_______________________
Maria L. de Castro, JD, MA
Lawyer
Director www.costaluzlawyers.es
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I've just added two more signatures.
Socialist or Conservative, when the politicians are corrupt they are working for no-one but themselves. Whilst keeping up a facade of government and occasionally making a song and dance about passing some new legislation, they are secretly (and some of them quite openly) systematically milking the system. They care not a jot for the electorate until election time comes around, and then they work b****y hard to ensure their continued access to the gravy train.
It is this wide spread ingrained corruption that is ruining the country and it's reputation, and the youth of Spain deserve a voice in tackling the problem and not accepting the status quo.
More Power to Them!!
_______________________
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Just occasionally you come across something that touches your soul. And the courage and desire to improve their lot, to hopefully learn from our mistakes and strive for a better future, is of great credit to the youth of today and I for one wish them well. In fact I would go so far as to say we owe it to them. 
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Oh do leave it out ads!!! Makes me want to puke.
43.5% youth unemployment means there's loads of young people with nothing to do. So let's all go to the "down with" party in Madrid and Barcelona and everywhere. Youth has always moaned about the older generation. Certainly I did in the sixties. And youth always thinks it has the answers. And what happens to these young people? They get older. They become the middle-aged and elderly politicians they criticised 20 and 30 years previously. And do they know the answers that they thought they knew? Do they heck as like! Of course not. Demonstrating is easy. Solving the problem is a little bit more difficult. So let them have their party. But don't for sanity's sake take them as a serious political movement with anything meaningful to say.
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I think you do them a disservice Jek, especially as the current system sadly perpetuates the abuse and does little to provide them with hope for the future, so long as this level of unaccountability continues. It is an ethical revolution that is required. But that's just my personal opinion.
Have good weekend.
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I agree with you, Jek. Down through the ages youth has always protested, and as you say, then the same young people grow older and take up where their elders left off. It is the way of the world.
Somewhere long ago I read this remark:
"I'm a socialist until I earn my first million."
Patricia
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and so the abuse continues......... no matter which political persuasion you follow.
I don't hear your thoughts on how to counter this problem of unaccountability?
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Who has the answer, Ads? Do you?
I would be famous and no doubt very wealthy if I had the magic formula for rectifying the governments of the world by whipping them into line.
Patricia
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Just don't write off the young people's attempts to strive for accountability under the guise of left or right or whatever ........
It's all too simple to discount an alternative way of thinking, but at least they are aware and not in denial of the facts. I think it requires courage, intellect, an open mind, commitment, honesty, oh all manner of aspects, to discuss and debate for a practical and effective solution. That's what I think the youngsters are providing here as a starting point, and we should not try to scupper their attempts to bring this to the forefront of citizens debate. I credit them with that at least.
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The young people will do as they see fit, the same as we all did at that age. I don't think anyone wants to scupper them.
I can certainly remember discussing and debating all manner of things in those days. WE wanted to change the world - radically! But there you are...same old, same ole.
I think it takes courage, honesty, intellect and an open mind just to get through each day.
Patricia
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ads, the politicians are accountable to the youth. And to the middle-aged and to old folk - through the ballot box. Ask Gordon Brown. He lost an election and his job because of the effects of the economic crisis. Ask Zapatero. He got a bloody nose in last months' elections because of it. And no, I don't know the answer to the world economic crisis. Neither do you. Neither does the youth of today and leaders of tomorrow. But accountability is not a problem. The solution is called democracy. It's not perfect but it's the best anyone's come up with so far. Do you have a better solution? How about being constructive rather than the destructive that you've been up to now? Stop telling us what you're against and start tellling us what you're for.
You make two basic errors. First you assume that the politicians don't know there's a problem and you believe that they are indifferent to the problem. Totally wrong. They know their future in government depends on it. And secondly you assume that today's youth have something new to say and have found the elixir of permanent happiness. Totally wrong. Campana and I each found it some time ago. Same message. Same song. My sympathies go to today's youth if only because they don't even have Bob Dylan or Joan Baez.
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Precisely, Jek. The place to protest is at the ballot box. Yes to democracy. And aren't we fortunate we are allowed to vote!
Of course, of course, in times of exasperation don't we all let out the "rebel yell"!
There is no utopia. I agree with you Jek. Maybe this universal recession will convulse the world and change society irrevocably. Wouldn't be too sure though...
Troubled waters, for sure.
Amazing I often muse how people don't give a hoot about corruption when times are good, when money is coming in, and stress is low.
The Romans got it in one. They called it "bread and circuses".
I wish better times and peace fo mind for everyone.
Patricia
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I'm for an independent uncorrupted system of justice that implements the laws of the land in a proper and fair manner and provides adequate consumer protection against those who abuse the law.
So long as consumer rights remain unprotected, corruption and abuse will always have free reign in Spain.
But you know all of this..... so I'll leave it there.
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