I’m starting a new monthly activity this year, and I hope you’ll join me. On the first Friday of each month, I’m going to write a letter or email that will do one of the following:
- Ask an awkward question
- Protest about something that’s important to me
- Register my opinion on an issue
I’ll be writing to corporations, politicians and similar, and will give the details here, updated with any response I eventually get.
Public opinion really can effect positive change, and it would be fantastic if some of you want to join in this venture and let us know what you’re protesting about, either on your own blog with a link to this post, or in the comments. Feel free to use the envelopes picture above (just right click, and “save picture as” onto your own PC).
Let’s see how many letters and emails on our different causes we can clock up between us by this time next year.
To kick off, I’ve chosen the issue of Tibet, and have emailed my local Member of Parliament as follows:
With the Beijing Olympics this year getting closer, the difficult question of continuing Chinese human rights violations takes on more urgency. As one of your constituents, I hope you will feel able to raise your voice on my behalf against their actions.
I admire His Holiness the Dalai Lama enormously. He is one of the few individuals on the world stage who preaches peace. The Chinese occupation of Tibet, which led to his exile, and their suppression and torture of Tibetans is one of the most egregious examples of Chinese brutality.
I don’t know whether you are aware that the second most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism, the Panchen Lama, was taken into “protective custody” by the Chinese authorities at the age of six in 1995. He came of age at 18 last year, but the Chinese authorities have consistently refused to reveal his whereabouts, and have named their own “puppet” Panchen Lama in his place.
If pressure could be put upon China to release the Panchen Lama, who is in effect a political prisoner, that would be a huge step forward.
I understand there is an all-party group on Tibet in the House of Commons. Would you be prepared to commit some of your time and energy to this group?
I look forward to hearing from you.
With kind regards…
So let’s see what happens. I’ve never written to him before and it will be interesting to see if I get the brush-off or a personal response.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I love it. What a great start.
i’m with you in spirit. this is a new thought for action to me so i will see where my pondering leads as far as joining in. you go girl!
Thanks Jules and Lucy. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve been really bad about putting my intentions into action as far as protest letters etc go, so I thought if I committed to it publically there’d be no going back!!
I will try to participate as often as I can.
Yolanda, that would be great, but don’t get hung up about it if you can’t!
The response I got after a week, which I thought was fairly balanced, although doesn’t take us forward:
Dear Tess,
Thank you for the email, I agree with many of your sentiments, indeed as the shadow Minister for International Development I have been recently
asking the Govt why we are continuing to offer Aid to China.
I cannot join the group as there are only so many hours in the day and I will not join these groups unless I can give my time completely to them,
it is however an issue that I am happy to raise in my shadow ministerial role,
Thank you again for writing and I am sorry for the slight delay in replying.
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