Georgia: Ceasefire Now

Hi - I just signed a global petition for a ceasefire between Russia and Georgia.
This dangerous and escalating conflict is threatening thousands of civilian
lives - please read the email below and sign the petition --

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Dear Friends,

The conflict in Georgia is spinning out of control. Russian troops have now
moved deep into the country and all out fighting is threatening tens of
thousands of civilians, many of whom have become refugees overnight.

Diplomats are scrambling to find a solution, and the European Union has proposed
a ceasefire and withdrawal of all forces to their previous positions. China has
also called for an "Olympic Truce", an ancient tradition that asks all countries
to cease hostilities during the Olympic Games.

Georgia has agreed to the ceasefire, and French and Finnish foreign ministers
are bringing the proposal to Moscow. In the next 48 hours, a massive global
public outcry would show Russian and Georgian leaders that the world wants a
ceasefire, and that a full scale invasion of Georgia would seriously damage
Russia's international reputation. Click below to sign our emergency petition
and then forward this email to your friends and family. We'll publicize the
petition in the media and deliver it the UN Security Council and Russian
government:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/georgia_ceasefire_now/98.php?cl_tf_sign=1

Russia and Georgia have a long history of tensions, but the recent hostilities
were sparked over a small region called South Ossetia, which is seeking
separation from Georgia. For years South Ossetia has had de facto autonomy, but
after clashes between Ossete militia and Georgian troops, Georgian President
Mikheil Saakashvili ordered the army to occupy the small province. The Russian
army immediately responded by driving the Georgian army out, bombing targets and
attacking towns deep within Georgia.

History teaches us that small wars easily spark larger ones. Saakashvili has
applied to join NATO, angering Russian Prime Minister Putin, who may be using
the invasion to forcibly remove the Georgian leader from power. If Russia tries
to remove a democratically elected President by force, the conflict could
escalate dangerously, as Georgia is a close ally of the United States. The
Georgian and South Ossetian people could become victims of a great global
contest for power in the oil rich region.

Wars get more vicious and harder to end the longer they last. The best time to
stop this one is right now -- let's act now, and help make a ceasefire the first
step in a peaceful, negotiated solution to the root causes of conflict in this
troubled region.

With hope,

Ricken, Iain, Veronique, Graziela, Brett, Paul, Pascal, Milena and the whole
Avaaz team

PS - here are some links for more information on this conflict, and a link to
learn more about Avaaz campaigns:

For more information about Avaaz campaigns:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/report_back_2

For more background on the conflict in Georgia:
International Crisis Group: “War in Georgia” --
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5623&l=1
BBC: “Georgia-Russia Conflict” --
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/europe/2008/georgia_russia_conflict/default.stm
Financial Times: “Russia is forfeiting its world standing” --
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/90c9bd3c-6805-11dd-8d3b-0000779fd18c.html

The European Union proposes a ceasefire:
Moscow Times: “Europe takes lead in bid to resolve conflict” --
http://www.moscowtimes.ru/article/600/42/369718.htm
IHT: “ Europe taking a diplomatic approach to Caucasus conflict” --
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/11/europe/diplo.php

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Gotthard Killian wrote:

> Hi - I just signed a global petition for a ceasefire between Russia and Georgia. This
> dangerous and escalating conflict is threatening thousands of civilian lives - please read the
> email below and sign the petition --

Hey, I've had enough of these. What does this have to do with tuning? I can't see any reason why messages like this should appear here.

Petr

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Petr Parízek <p.parizek@...> wrote:
>
> Gotthard Killian wrote:
>
//
>
> Hey, I've had enough of these. What does this have to do with
> tuning? I can't see any reason why messages like this should
> appear here.
>
> Petr

Moderators should have caught it.

-Carl