ITR - Join the Queue To Link the Dalai Lama Royal Albert Hall to Chinese Embassy London UK 22.5.2008

Paul Hilder, Avaaz.org to michael

show details 1:19 AM (5 hours ago)

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Dear friends in the UK, This isn't a petition - it's an invitation to participate in a unique creative event on the streets of London next Thursday 22nd May, involving the Dalai Lama on his UK visit. To help send the message of our 1.66 million-strong petition for Tibet-China dialogue peacefully around the world, we're mounting a 3-mile-long human chain handshake connecting the Dalai Lama to the Chinese Embassy, just after his speech at the Royal Albert Hall. The Metropolitan Police have given us the green light for up to 2000 participants – but the event can't happen without you. Not everyone can travel or be free at this time (late afternoon/early evening next Thursday), so think about it for a minute -- but if you can, please sign up now to participate in person in the handshake event in Central London -- just click here: http://www.avaaz.org/en/give_peace_a_hand_london/?cl=89598337 Please include your email and phone number so that we can be in touch with all the details of where you need to be and when. Here is the plan for the event, called "Give Peace A Hand": On Thursday 22nd May, the Dalai Lama will be in the UK to meet with Gordon Brown – an event which will result in worldwide media coverage. He will also give a speech at the Royal Albert Hall, finishing at 4.30pm. One of the people who shakes hands with the Dalai Lama will turn to shake another person's hand, that person will turn and shake someone else's, and so on. The handshake will flow out through the streets of London, along a spontaneously forming human chain – around Hyde Park Corner, up to Marble Arch, along Wigmore Street and up to the Chinese Embassy. People power on the streets of London will reach out to the Chinese leadership, and to the world. No national symbols, no flags or banners – just a simple message of positive connection and dialogue. The global media will be alerted to this novel event, which will be filmed from end to end. We could reach millions. Tentative contacts have resumed between the Dalai Lama's representatives and the Chinese government, so there's hope -- but as documented in a new film, The Unwinking Gaze, previous talks went on for years without progress. We are still a long way from meaningful dialogue, and the danger is that the situation will only become worse after the Olympics. We need to do all we can to encourage real talks, before it's too late. We will assign you to a place in the handshake, which will begin at 4.30pm at the Royal Albert Hall. If you aren't free until 5.30pm or later, we can put you on the final route between Marble Arch and the Chinese Embassy in Portland Place. It will finish around 6.30/7pm. But if you want to participate, it's very important to click this link and sign up now -- we have a limited number of places and we need to organise things precisely! http://www.avaaz.org/en/give_peace_a_hand_london/?cl=89598337 Some of us will be in London anyway, others will want to travel in and bring friends -- but many will have prior commitments. So don't worry if you can't participate – and thanks for all you do. But if you can, we'd love you to join us -- it'll be a great experience, and it could make a real difference. Look forward to hearing if you can be involved - With hope, Paul, Pascal, Rob, Maria and the whole Avaaz team PS if you have any questions about the event, feel free to email Rob Bolton now at handshake@avaaz.org. The Unwinking Gaze tells the story of the frustrated Dalai-China dialogue efforts so far - you can view the film trailer at this link: http://www.theunwinkinggaze.com ------------ ABOUT AVAAZ Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva. Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace and Bebo pages! You are getting this message because you signed "Stand with Tibet - Support the Dalai Lama" on 2008-03-19 using the email address michael@intouchradio.net. To ensure that Avaaz messages reach your inbox, please add avaaz@avaaz.org to your address book. To change your email address, language settings, or other personal information, https://secure.avaaz.org/act/index.php?r=profile&user=cb1c45aa5bcdde00fc537a2279d312e6&lang=en. , or simply go here to unsubscribe. To contact Avaaz, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to info@avaaz.org. You can also send postal mail to our New York office: 260 Fifth Avenue, 9th floor, New York, NY 10001 U.S.A. If you have technical problems, please go to http://www.avaaz.org.