iphone: Monster pipeline

My friends at Avaaz,

I write from Uganda, from the farm that used to feed my family.

Now it's being ripped open -- oil giant Total is building one of the biggest pipelines in the world, tearing through forests, farms, and right through my land.

They say the pipeline will help Africans, but I wonder who they mean. 100,000 of us are about to lose our homes so oil bosses can get even richer. I'm a single mother, and without my farm, I can't afford food for my children.

Over 1 million of you signed a petition to stop this monster pipeline, and helped convince Total's biggest bank to walk away -- thank you. Now we have a small window to defeat this pipeline for good.

This month, one of Africa's highest courts will finally hear our case -- their decision could stop this pipeline in its tracks! The judges want to hear our stories of harassment and the destruction of our farms, but the court is far away, and many of us can't even afford the bus. I'm humbly asking for your help.

If we raise enough, small farmers like me could travel to court and our legal teams can prepare for the hearing. We could provide support for the dozens of people who've been arrested for peacefully protesting this pipeline, and Avaaz could hire international media experts to make sure judges know the world cares about our case.

Help us reclaim our land, and all of our futures. Donate what you can now:

I'LL DONATE R$15

I'LL DONATE R$25

I'LL DONATE R$35

I'LL DONATE R$55

I'LL DONATE R$90

OTHER AMOUNT

The 1440-km long pipeline will cross 200 rivers and 12 protected forests, and one big oil spill could poison the drinking water for 40 million people. Bulldozers have already started ripping up Uganda's biggest national park, home to endangered giraffes, elephants, and more. But we have a chance to help stop it, right now.

Some people think Uganda needs oil to develop, but this is a trap. My own village has used solar power for years. As a farmer, I have already seen how a hotter climate has changed rainy and dry seasons, killing our crops. Anything that makes this worse can never be good for our country.

Over 80 people have been arrested for trying to stop this pipeline -- some abducted and beaten. Even our lawyers have had to hire security for protection. With your help, Avaaz could:

Challenge the huge crude oil pipeline ripping through our land -- bring our voices into the courtroom and support the legal teams as they prepare for the upcoming hearing at the East African Court of Justice;
Fund an emergency 'lawyers' brigade' -- help free activists in custody and get justice for those wrongfully detained, respond to future arrests, and set up a hotline and training for activists;
Bring international attention to these injustices -- hire media experts to cover the hearing, land grabs, and arrests, and let the judges know the world is watching; and
Empower Avaaz campaigners to defend land rights alongside Indigenous and frontline communities, and continue the fight to protect life on Earth.

Together, we can stop these oil giants and get justice for families like mine -- donate what you can now:

I'LL DONATE R$15

I'LL DONATE R$25

I'LL DONATE R$35

I'LL DONATE R$55

I'LL DONATE R$90

OTHER AMOUNT

I know that Avaaz is no stranger to using the power of the law. Right now, you are helping to stop the forced eviction of Maasai communities -- and your support was crucial in the historic ruling that protected 500,000 acres of Amazon rainforest from oil extraction. Now, I'm asking you to stand with farmers like me in Uganda and Tanzania as we fight to protect our lands, and with them the futures of all our children.

With hope and determination,

Rachael Tugume with the whole team at Avaaz

More information:

Uganda: Oil Pipeline Project Impoverishes Thousands (Human Rights Watch)
An Oil Rush Threatens Natural Splendors Across East Africa (The New York Times)
Uganda: Crackdown on activists protesting against large-scale oil projects (International Federation for Human Rights)
Major African pipeline project leaves Ugandan farmers at the mercy of climate change (El País)

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