<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" xmlns:p="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:powerpoint" xmlns:a="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:access" xmlns:dt="uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882" xmlns:s="uuid:BDC6E3F0-6DA3-11d1-A2A3-00AA00C14882" xmlns:rs="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:rowset" xmlns:z="#RowsetSchema" xmlns:b="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:publisher" xmlns:ss="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet" xmlns:c="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:component:spreadsheet" xmlns:odc="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:odc" xmlns:oa="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:activation" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:q="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:rtc="http://microsoft.com/officenet/conferencing" xmlns:D="DAV:" xmlns:Repl="http://schemas.microsoft.com/repl/" xmlns:mt="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/meetings/" xmlns:x2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel/2003/xml" xmlns:ppda="http://www.passport.com/NameSpace.xsd" xmlns:ois="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/ois/" xmlns:dir="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/directory/" xmlns:ds="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#" xmlns:dsp="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dsp" xmlns:udc="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:sub="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/2002/1/alerts/" xmlns:ec="http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#" xmlns:sp="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/" xmlns:sps="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:udcs="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/soap" xmlns:udcxf="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/xmlfile" xmlns:udcp2p="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/parttopart" xmlns:wf="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/workflow/" xmlns:dsss="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/digsig-setup" xmlns:dssi="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/digsig" xmlns:mdssi="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/digital-signature" xmlns:mver="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns:mrels="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/relationships" xmlns:spwp="http://microsoft.com/sharepoint/webpartpages" xmlns:ex12t="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:ex12m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages" xmlns:pptsl="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/SlideLibrary/" xmlns:spsl="http://microsoft.com/webservices/SharePointPortalServer/PublishedLinksService" xmlns:Z="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" xmlns:st="" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<title>Avaaz.org - The World in Action</title>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=WordSection1>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Luis Morago - Avaaz.org
[mailto:avaaz@avaaz.org] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> 24 November 2010 13:09<br>
<b>To:</b> Wodak, Ruth<br>
<b>Subject:</b> EU vs Democracy?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Dear friends,<o:p></o:p></p>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0 align=right width=220
style='width:165.0pt;background:white'>
<tr>
<td style='border:solid black 1.0pt;padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-element:frame;mso-element-frame-hspace:2.25pt;
mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:
column;mso-element-left:right;mso-element-top:middle;mso-height-rule:exactly'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><a
href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_citizens_initiative/?cl=840891271&v=7623"><span
style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=200 id="_x0000_i1025"
src="https://avaazimages.s3.amazonaws.com/eci_email.jpg"></span></a><br>
<br>
Right now, the EU is deciding the fate of <b>a ground-breaking new democratic
reform</b> that could change the way Europe is run, and counter the influence
of powerful vested interests. But some officials are trying to pass <b>rules
that would undermine citizen participation. Sign the petition</b> to protect
our rights to shape EU policies that affect us all: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;mso-element:frame;
mso-element-frame-hspace:2.25pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:
paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-element-left:right;
mso-element-top:middle;mso-height-rule:exactly'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><br>
<a href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_citizens_initiative/?cl=840891271&v=7623"><span
style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=200 id="_x0000_i1026"
src="http://avaazimages.s3.amazonaws.com/sign_english_pink.png"
alt="Sign the petition!"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Right now behind closed doors,
European officials are deciding the fate of <b>a ground-breaking democratic
reform</b> that could change EU politics, up to now dominated by an elite of
governments, powerful companies and lobbyists. <br>
<br>
<b>The European Citizens' Initiative</b> (ECI) requires the EU commission to
act when it receives a request from over 1 million citizens. It's a radical
innovation in EU governance, but it <b>has some officials scared. They're
trying to bury the ECI in a mountain of red tape</b> - throwing up damaging
barriers to citizens' participation. <br>
<br>
Several members of the European Parliament are passionately fighting to protect
the ECI. <b>We urgently need a massive citizen outcry</b> to weigh in on their
side and shame the blocking governments and officials into creating the direct
democracy that citizens want. Sign the petition below -- <b>MEP
Gerald Häfner, who is at the forefront of the negotiations, will present
our petition in every Brussels back room meeting</b> where it can make a
difference: <br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_citizens_initiative/?cl=840891271&v=7623">http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_citizens_initiative/?vl</a><br>
<br>
For decades the European Union has been accused of suffering from overly
complex, undemocratic decision-making processes that make EU politics
inaccessible to citizens. But now, the ECI, introduced by the Lisbon
Treaty last year, <b>could be a real turning point in efforts to
address the EU's democratic deficit</b>. <br>
<br>
Some member states, who fear greater citizen participation in the legislative process,
are <b>insisting that each ECI signer should provide the number of their ID
card or passport number</b> - a requirement that would radically decrease
participation. Independent data protection bodies in Europe say ID numbers are
not necessary for verifying signers -- in fact gathering this data is <b>intrusive
and can lead to identity fraud</b>. <br>
<br>
The European Commission has also proposed a short timeline and unnecessary
country quotas for signatures that would de facto exclude many citizens’ groups
from using the ECI. The Parliament has countered these with citizen friendly
requirements -- a 18-month deadline for signature collection, and country
quotas in just one fifth of all EU Member States. <br>
<br>
Avaaz is already using the ECI to improve European democracy -- we've gathered
over 1 million signers and are submitting <b>the first ever ECI</b> to
freeze all genetically modified crops from entering Europe. But this and every
other future initiative we build could be crippled if the officials manage to
railroad through their stringent conditions. <br>
<br>
Negotiations are at the critical last phase -- let's make the ECI work, and
make European governance work for us. <b>Sign the petition now, and
forward this message to everyone</b>:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_citizens_initiative/?cl=840891271&v=7623">http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_citizens_initiative/?vl</a>
<br>
<br>
With hope,<br>
<br>
Luis, Benjamin, Alice, Paula, Alex, Ben, Pascal, Ricken and the entire Avaaz
team.<br>
<br>
<b>SOURCES:</b><br>
<br>
European Voice, "MEPs look to make it easier to launch citizens' initiatives":<br>
<a
href="http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/meps-look-to-make-it-easier-to-launch-citizens-initiatives/69310.aspx">http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/meps-look-to-make-it-easier-to-launch-citizens-initiatives/69310.aspx</a><br>
<br>
Initiative for the ECI, "Parliament can still prevent member states
weakening ECI":<br>
<a href="http://www.citizens-initiative.eu/?p=374">http://www.citizens-initiative.eu/?p=374</a><br>
<br>
More information about the "Campaign for a citizen-friendly European
Citizens’ Initiative (ECI)":<br>
<a href="http://www.citizens-initiative.eu">http://www.citizens-initiative.eu</a><br>
<br>
Democracy International promotes direct democracy, and is the umbrella
organisation sponsoring the ECI-Campaign:<br>
<a href="www.democracy-international.org">www.democracy-international.org</a><br>
<br>
---------<br>
<br>
<img border=0 id="_x0000_i1027"
src="http://www.avaaz.org/act/open/840891271.gif"><br>
<b>Support the Avaaz community!</b> We're entirely funded by donations and
receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures
even the smallest contributions go a long way -- <a
href="https://secure.avaaz.org/en/donate_to_avaaz/?cl=840891271&v=7623">donate
here</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:#404040'><br>
Avaaz.org is a 5.5-million-person global campaign network</span></b><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;color:#404040'> that works to ensure that the views and
values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz"
means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members
live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 13 countries on 4
continents and operates in 14 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns
<a href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/highlights?footer">here</a>, or follow us on <a
href="http://www.facebook.com/Avaaz">Facebook</a> or <a
href="http://twitter.com/Avaaz">Twitter</a>.<br>
<br>
This message was sent to r.wodak@lancaster.ac.uk. To change your email address,
language, or other information, email us at info [@]t avaaz.org. Click here to
unsubscribe.<br>
<br>
To contact Avaaz, please <b>do not reply to this email.</b> Instead, write to
us at <a href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/contact?footer">www.avaaz.org/en/contact</a>
or call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US). </span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>