28 February 2015

Huge Victory With Benetton!


The following is an email from Avaaz.org that we have recently received regarding one of their campaigns (the one about Benetton and Rana Plaza - for more info, click here...) and its splendid result. 

There is still a little bit more work needed to make the campaign even more successful, but it's definitely a brilliant result already...

Stay safe!

Loup Dargent


The Email
Dear incredible Avaazers,

Fantastic news -- Benetton reversed its position and will pay compensation for the victims of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh! 


This is a huge win for people power and the victims of the disaster, who are now one big step closer to receiving what they are owed! Huge love to Avaazers everywhere for making this happen!

Benetton’s announcement spread across media all over the world -- check out just some of the coverage in the BBC, Reuters and The Guardian -- but the story of how our incredible community got there is even more inspiring.

In just 2 weeks we went from launch to victory — here’s how:

  • More than a million of us signed a mega-petition asking Benetton to pay up.
  • Avaaz members around the world flooded Benetton’s Facebook and Twitter accounts with thousands of comments.
  • We hit Benetton at home, driving a mobile billboard around their Italian HQ for days.
  • We developed a high-level lobbying strategy to make the case for contribution both directly and working with important influencers.
  • And crucially -- recognising that for decades, Benetton has publicly advocated for justice and fairness -- the Avaaz team engaged with them in direct, constructive communications, not as an enemy, but as a potential partner.
Our community can be incredibly proud of this amazing result. Groups have been calling for Benetton to pay for over a year, and with the power of the Avaaz community’s passion, solidarity and strategic action, we did it! 

So what’s next?  
While Benetton have committed to join the fund after resisting for over a year, they won’t say how much they’ll give until they complete an internal process. The ground-breaking compensation scheme needs $9 million USD to able to give victims & survivors the minimum compensation they're owed.

So let's applaud Benetton for their commitment so far, and ask them to really bridge this gap.  

>> Click here to add to the stream of messages going to Benetton from around the world now!

With deep appreciation to you for being a part of our wonderful community,

Dalia, Oli, Emily, Oscar, Ricken, Risalat and the rest of the Avaaz team