BLOG
90 Seconds to Change the World
07 March 2007


This morning's email contained a link to a 90 second video: 'Stop the clash of civilizations' www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_clash , with an invitation to sign a petition urging real Middle East talks.

The video is actually rather well done - first challenging the stereotypes of fat decadent Westerners and repressed, backward Muslims - then pointing to our common humanity, and then asking 'why are we in conflict?' The answer is given: 'we are afraid and they [politicians] are playing on our fears'. The video concludes with a call for people-power to send a message that we want peace, and an invitation to sign the petition.

Actually I'm a bit cynical about online petitions, (although I sign them just the same). But I think the real value of this kind of thing is the opportunity it gives to raise people's awareness of the issues. I know that a lot of the time it is preaching to the converted. But there will still be some who have not thought about these issues before, and who will be prompted to think differently about them. So I am forwarding this to my friends.


Unless stated otherwise, all content on this site falls under the terms of the Creative Commons Licence 3.0