Freedom Forward

Freedom Forward is creating people-powered change, and they need your help. Please read below to learn more about the issues they're working on and how you can get involved. Thank you!

Campaigns

  • Restore full funding to the World Health Organization now!
    On April 14th, the Trump administration announced that it would cut funding to the World Health Organization (WHO). This is a horrible move: The WHO coordinates initiatives to improve the health of communities around the world. President Trump is criticizing the WHO in order to distract the U.S. public from his own profound failure to address the Coronavirus pandemic. President Trump has repeatedly disregarded the advice and counsel of public health experts. The United States now has more infections and deaths than any other country on the planet. Tens of thousands of people in the U.S. have died. By cutting funding to the WHO, we're putting millions of people worldwide at risk to contract this deadly disease. And as long as health resources are underfunded, this Coronavirus will continue to spread, and our country and its people will remain in grave danger. Instead of spending vast amounts of money on wars and weapons for dictators, we should invest in the WHO and ensure our national security by protecting the health of all people. Tell the Trump administration and leaders in the US Congress: Restore full funding to the WHO now!
    168,083 of 200,000 Signatures
    Created by Sunjeev Bery
  • The United States must stop selling weapons to Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E.!
    We are deeply disturbed by recent reports that the Trump administration is moving forward with a $478 million arms sale to Saudi Arabia’s monarchy, which would provide 7,500 precision-guided missiles to a government that has already bombed thousands of civilians in Yemen, often with U.S. weapons. We are also troubled by the Trump Administration’s prior announcement of a $556 million arms sale of 4,569 MRAP vehicles to the U.A.E., a government that has also brought misery to both Yemen and Libya. Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. pose significant threats to U.S. interests, regional democracy, and global security. Here are eight primary reasons: ** Using U.S. Weapons to Drive War and Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. have used U.S. weapons in their devastating wars in Yemen and Libya, which have contributed to the spread of the Coronavirus across the Middle East and North Africa by decimating local healthcare systems. ** Supporting Terrorist Networks, Including with U.S. Weapons: Officials from the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia have been caught supporting terrorist networks, such as Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups across the Arabian peninsula. ** Jailing and Killing Human Rights and Democracy Advocates: Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. have both jailed reformers and advocates for democracy within their borders. Saudi Arabia has also assassinated and executed nonviolent reformers and dissidents, of whom Jamal Khashoggi is only the most famous example. ** Exporting Dictatorship: Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. both intervene across the Middle East and North Africa to stop democracy and promote dictatorship, including in Bahrain, Egypt, Sudan, and Libya. ** Violating Women’s Rights: Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. both violate women’s rights through systems of discrimination and repression, as well as through imprisonment and torture of women activists. Two notable Saudi women’s rights activists who are still imprisoned are Loujain al-Hathloul & Samar Badawi. ** Modern-Day Slavery: Both Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. maintain the kafala system, an abusive labor system that robs foreign workers of their human rights. Under kafala, workers are often trapped, unable to leave abusive employers without their permission, in circumstances that can amount to forced labor. ** Global Kidnapping, Espionage, and Murder: Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. have both worked globally to silence critics and forcibly stop those attempting to escape state repression, including through espionage, armed kidnappings, and assassination. ** Driving the Climate Crisis: Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. are major contributors to the global climate crisis through their massive fossil fuel export economies, which are responsible for a significant share of the world’s fossil fuel emissions. In addition, Saudi Arabia has repeatedly undermined global climate negotiations.
    12,933 of 15,000 Signatures
    Created by Sunjeev Bery, Freedom Forward Picture
  • Support the People’s Vaccine!
    Coronavirus is wreaking havoc across the entire world. Hundreds of thousands of people have already died (nearly 100,000 Americans alone), and the disease is spreading by the day. As long as vaccines and treatments remain unattainable, people will continue to get sick and die. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Oxfam has called on world leaders to come together, and take concrete steps to ensure that we find a vaccine for Coronavirus as quickly as possible. The leaders of South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, and Pakistan have already pledged their support to a People’s Vaccine, as has the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown. We are now calling on the White House and U.S. Congress to sign on and pledge full support for a People’s Vaccine. As per Oxfam’s People’s Vaccine campaign, the commitments include the following: ***A mandatory worldwide pooling of patents and sharing of all COVID-19-related knowledge, data and technologies in order to ensure that any nation can produce or buy affordable doses of vaccines, treatments and tests. ***The rapid establishment of an equitable global manufacturing and distribution plan for all vaccines, treatments and tests that is fully funded by rich nations and which guarantees transparent “at true cost prices” and supplies in accordance with need rather than the ability to pay. This would include urgent action to massively increase manufacturing capacity to produce the vaccines in sufficient quantities and train and recruit millions of health workers to distribute them. ***A guarantee that COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests are provided free of charge to everyone, everywhere, with priority given to frontline workers, vulnerable people, and poor countries with the least capacity to save lives. If U.S. leaders signed onto this agreement, the impact would be felt worldwide: It would open the door for more leaders of Western countries to support this agreement, as well. We will undoubtedly quicken the process of finding treatment for Coronavirus by all coming together and pooling together resources and knowledge -- hundreds of thousands of lives (and possibly more) would be saved, and immeasurable pain and suffering will have been prevented. More information: "World leaders unite in call for a people’s vaccine against COVID-19,” May 14, 2020. https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/world-leaders-unite-call-peoples-vaccine-against-covid-19 "OPEN LETTER: Uniting Behind A People’s Vaccine Against COVID-19," Oxfam International, Medium, May 13, 2020. https://medium.com/@Oxfam/uniting-behind-a-peoples-vaccine-against-covid-19-87eec640976
    11,467 of 15,000 Signatures
    Created by Sunjeev Bery, Freedom Forward Picture
  • Release Trump's Dictator Transcripts!
    According to CNN, Trump has wrongly hidden or classified his records of conversations with dictators. This would help Trump hide his corruption from the American public. Congress must investigate Trump's corrupt conversations with dictators and publicly release all wrongly classified notes and transcripts. Source: "White House restricted access to Trump's calls with Putin and Saudi crown prince," CNN, September 28, 2019, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/27/politics/white-house-restricted-trump-calls-putin-saudi/index.html
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  • Biden: Put Sanctions on Saudi Dictator Mohammed Bin Salman. #SanctionMBS
    The Biden Administration has just released a U.S. intelligence report that clearly states that "Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi." (1) But while the U.S. government has placed sanctions on many of the assassins involved, the Biden Administration has not placed sanctions on the man who ordered the assassination -- Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman. (2) Under the U.S. law the Global Magnitsky Act, the U.S. government can place property sanctions and a U.S. travel ban on human rights violators. (3) By not placing sanctions on Saudi Arabia's brutal ruler, the Biden Administration is sending the terrible signal that the U.S. will maintain its relationship with Saudi Arabia's dictatorship instead of standing up for human rights. President Biden should immediately place a travel ban and sanctions on Mohammed bin Salman. It is time for the U.S. to end its alliance with the Saudi monarchy. (1) https://freedomforward.org/2021/02/26/u-s-intelligence-report-on-saudi-monarchys-murder-of-jamal-khashoggi-pdf/ (2) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/26/jamal-khashoggi-mohammed-bin-salman-us-report (3) https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/09/13/us-global-magnitsky-act
    17,693 of 20,000 Signatures
    Created by Sunjeev Bery, Freedom Forward Picture
  • #USOpen: Reject Dictator Dollars! @USOpen
    It upsets me deeply that the UAE monarchy abuses and kills thousands while sponsoring glamorous sporting events like the US Open. The United Arab Emirates is a brutal monarchy that has killed thousands of civilians in Yemen. The monarchy also imprisons human rights activists, opposes labor rights, and discriminates against women. 11 organizations are calling on the US Open and US Tennis Association to drop the UAE and reject the sponsorship dollars of the UAE-owned Emirates airline. Read our letter: https://freedomforward.org/2019/07/23/usopen-uae/
    12,229 of 15,000 Signatures
    Created by Sunjeev Bery, Freedom Forward Picture
  • Stop Funding Insurrection
    On January 6th, 2021, a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to block the U.S. Congress from certifying Joe Biden's election as President of the United States. Thanks to poisonous right-wing propaganda from Fox News and others, millions of Americans now believe the total lie that Donald Trump won the 2020 elections. There is zero evidence to support this propaganda, and U.S. courts have repeatedly rejected such claims. It is time to hold corporate advertisers and right-wing donors publicly accountable. We must stop their support for insurrectionist politicians and propaganda platforms that threaten the survival of our democracy.
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  • Biden / Harris: Reject Mitch McConnell’s Handcuffs
    President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have won the 2020 presidential election with more popular votes than any other presidential ticket in U.S. history. Despite this, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has threatened to block Biden / Harris appointees from being confirmed in the U.S. Senate. Biden and Harris can get around McConnell's threats by using recess appointments and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act to build a strong cabinet that is unafraid of facing America's challenges. Unfortunately, reports have indicated that the Biden team may be considering a number of conservative appointees, citing Republicans’ current control of the Senate. The Biden transition team must reject McConnell’s antidemocratic threats and fulfill its mandate. The Biden / Harris administration should select a bold, visionary cabinet that can fulfill the trust and will of the millions of people who voted for them. The Revolving Door Project and Demand Progress have put together a clear memo demonstrating how Biden and Harris can build a cabinet free from McConnell's handcuffs. https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/no-mitch-mcconnell-is-not-the-46th-president/ America needs a presidential cabinet that has the courage to solve our country's problems -- not a team undermined by Mitch McConnell.
    7,873 of 8,000 Signatures
    Created by Sunjeev Bery, Freedom Forward Picture
  • Boycott the Saudi Dictator's #G20
    The G20 is the annual gathering of representatives of the world's largest economies. It is shocking that the Saudi dictatorship is hosting the G20 summit this year. Saudi Arabia is using this year's G20 to hide its horrible record of war, repression, and climate destruction. No one should participate in the Saudi G20 or any other Saudi-led event until the Saudi dictatorship fully embraces the following demands: 1. Freedom at home: Saudi Arabia must free women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul, end all internal repression, and release all prisoners of conscience. 2. End the Yemen war: Saudi Arabia must stop killing Yemeni civilians, lift the blockade on Yemen, and endorse a full ceasefire. 3. Cease its global repression: Saudi Arabia must stop targeting global dissidents and allow a full investigation of Saudi crimes, including the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. 4. Stop creating Middle East instability: Saudi Arabia must stop pushing for war with Iran, end its war in Yemen, and stop opposing democracy movements in the Middle East. 5. Climate crisis: Saudi Arabia must stop driving the global climate crisis through its destructive fossil fuel exports. No one should participate in the Saudi G20 or any other Saudi-led event until the Saudi dictatorship endorses and implements these demands.
    9,925 of 10,000 Signatures
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  • We are not Saudi Arabia's army.
    This is insane. After Saudi Arabia's oil facilities were attacked, Trump tweeted that the U.S. military is "locked and loaded" and "waiting to hear from the Kingdom ... under what terms we would proceed!" Sorry Trump, but we are not Saudi Arabia's army. No U.S. soldier—nor anyone else in the region—should die in a dumb and disastrous war to defend Saudi Arabia's dictatorship. ---------- Source: @realDonaldTrump tweet, Sep 15, 2019, 6:50 PM: "Saudi Arabia oil supply was attacked. There is reason to believe that we know the culprit, are locked and loaded depending on verification, but are waiting to hear from the Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed!" https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1173368423381962752
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