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
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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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  • Cancel Saudi Dictator Event in New York
    On September 23, 2019, Saudi Arabia's brutal crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman is holding a preposterous event in New York City. No one should attend. The Saudi dictator's personal charity will host U.N. officials, VIPs, and several hundred youth at the New York Public Library. Attending youth will supposedly learn how to "balance purpose with profit." (1) This is the same Saudi dictator who has: - slaughtered thousands of people in Yemen, - murdered dissident Jamal Khashoggi, and - imprisoned and tortured women's rights activists. Why should anyone be learning about "purpose" from a charity run by Saudi Arabia's dictatorship? To make matters even more ridiculous, VIP attendees include: - the granddaughter of Jacques Cousteau, Alexandra Cousteau; - Paul Polman, the former CEO of Unilever; - Bart Houlahan, cofounder of B Lab; - Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth; - Andrew Corbett, Professor at Babson College; and - Ann Rosenberg , Senior Vice President for UN Partnerships at SAP. (2) (3) How did any of these people think this was a good idea? Were they paid to participate? If so, how much? All UN officials and VIP guests should drop out immediately. No one should be helping a Saudi dictator use charity events to wash away their crimes. Journalist James Reinl has written extensively about this event in articles for Middle East Eye, Inter Press Service, and Inside Over. More information: (1) https://miskglobalforum.com/osgey/ (2) https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/advocates-bash-un-partnering-mbs-led-foundation (3) https://insideover.com/politics/new-khashoggi-scandal-over-un-ties-with-saudi-prince-mbs.html (4) http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/09/u-n-criticised-link-saudi-prince-mbs/
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  • Saudi Arabia: Stop blocking fuel to Yemen!
    In Yemen’s brutal civil war, Saudi Arabia’s dictatorship has used U.S. weapons to bomb and kill thousands of civilians. The Yemeni faction backed by the Saudi dictatorship is now blocking fuel transport ships from delivering their cargo to Yemeni society. As a result, new fuel shortages are threatening even more Yemeni lives. The Saudi-backed faction in Yemen is requiring exorbitant amounts of money as taxes before this fuel can be delivered. As a result, the cost of fuel in Yemen has doubled since September 2019. Multiple ships have been blocked from delivering their fuel. Without fuel, life is now even more miserable for Yemeni civilians. The problems now include: - New food and medicine shortages. - Fuel shortages for hospital generators. - Unprocessed sewage amidst a cholera epidemic. - Garbage that isn’t taken to landfills. - More unemployment for people desperate to work. The Saudi dictatorship and its allies in Yemen must stop blocking the delivery of fuel and end their exorbitant taxes on fuel imports to Yemen. The rival Houthi faction has also contributed to the humanitarian crisis, but this fuel tax was specifically created by the Saudi-backed government in Yemen. Yemeni people are facing a humanitarian catastrophe. Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-backed faction in Yemen must cancel the new fuel tax. Saudi Arabia and its military allies must end their horrible attacks on civilians in Yemen. Let the Yemeni people live. -- SOURCES -- “Cabinet Decree No. 49 of 2019 was successfully implemented,” Economic Committee of Yemen, September 13, 2019. https://ecyemen.com/announcements/1830/ “Lines as far as the eye can see: new fuel shortage hits Yemen,” Reuters, September 29, 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-economy-fuel/lines-as-far-as-the-eye-can-see-new-fuel-shortage-hits-yemen-idUSKBN1WE0BF “Yemen fuel shortage: health concerns rise as rubbish piles up,” Al Jazeera, October 9, 2019. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/yemen-fuel-shortage-health-concerns-rise-rubbish-piles-191009061650943.html "Fuel Shortages Deepen Crisis in Yemen,” Save the Children, October 9, 2019. https://www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/media-and-news/2019-press-releases/fuel-shortages-deepen-crisis-in-yemen-save-the-children
    5,993 of 6,000 Signatures
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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
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  • President Biden: Don't Shake Hands With Saudi Arabia's Oil Dictator
    It is total hypocrisy for the U.S. to oppose Russia's oil dictator Vladimir Putin while supporting Saudi Arabia's oil dictator Mohammed bin Salman. But according to news reports, President Biden is about to travel to Saudi Arabia to restore U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia's brutal oil dictator, Mohammed bin Salman. Biden may travel to Saudi Arabia later this month in order to shake the Saudi dictator's hand. Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco, is the world's largest corporate climate polluter. Meanwhile, the Saudi dictatorship has used billions of dollars in U.S. weapons to starve and kill thousands of people in Yemen. Tell President Biden not to shake hands with Saudi Arabia's dictator. SOURCES: 1. "Biden to Travel to Saudi Arabia, Ending Its ‘Pariah’ Status," The New York Times, June 2, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/02/us/politics/biden-saudi-arabia-trip.html. 2. "What do we know about the top 20 global polluters?" The Guardian, October 9, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/09/what-we-know-top-20-global-polluters 3. "Yemen: US-made weapon used in air strike that killed scores in escalation of Saudi-led coalition attacks," Amnesty International, January 26, 2022, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/01/yemen-us-made-weapon-used-in-air-strike-that-killed-scores-in-escalation-of-saudi-led-coalition-attacks/
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  • 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.
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  • 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
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  • 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.
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  • #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/
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