Dear All on Kenyabirdsnet,

The petition to stop the slaughter of our migrant birds is doing well
and in its third day. We decided to monitor the first 500 signatories,
not to see who they are, but to get some idea of the geography of
support. In the last day we have written to all of the major and
regional Bird Tour companies, requesting that they advise all of their
clients of the existence of this movement to show Egypt that there are
more people against what they are doing than they seem to think (or
even care about).

I am sure that you will be interested in the results in this first
wave of support.

Kenya you have shown the true spirit that Kenyans are renowned for, in
greatly supporting this movement you show you really care. Thank you,
and thank you in advance for what you are going to do to spread the
word further.

Other great regional support comes from Israel, thanks to all those
who have shown your condemnation of the heinous act, and again advance
thanks for taking it further.

Considerable support has come from South Africa, and all this is so
much appreciated to encourage change in favour of the birds.

Apart from the regions that you would expect to support  the petition,
surprises have been an unprecedented backing from the Philippines,
scattered votes throughout eastern Europe, encouragement from other
bird-slaughtering nations Cypress, Malta, the Middle East and Egypt
itself.


We can recommend the July 2013 issue of National Geographic, possibly
the finest edition that they have circulated. Very interesting
articles covering the Solar System, the last known individual of a
once numerous frog, a riveting look at geneology and evolution, and
the most gripping of all… “The Last Song,”  giving horrifying graphic
detail of what is taking place to progressively exterminate our
migrant birds.

Jonathan Franzen and David Guttenfelder are the unsung heroes of the
day. The Franzen style of explicitness is very hard hitting, whilst
reading it shivers were travelling down the spine, thinking that “you
know, the next generation may never know what pleasures a fall of
Eurasian migrants can bring, or hear the cheerful chirrups as flocks
of Bee-eaters announce that they are back, or see parties of fluting,
gaudy Golden Orioles collect in fruiting fig-trees.”

David Guttenfelder is a conflict photographer. That means that he
spends his life spanning the globe travelling from human misery to
even more human misery. Whilst he is enormously moved by what he sees,
he states that nothing has affected him as much as seeing what is
happening to the Eurasian migrants, and…. He is not a birder.

We have attached the extremely moving text from the National
Geographic issue, as little can compare with Franzen’s ability to get
the message across, move you to a state of despair and yet also give
some insight as to the people that are doing this, those to survive,
those to make huge profits commercially and those that are callous and
wealthy and kill the small birds just for the sheer pleasure of doing
it.

Let’s get more people to show this disapproval, condemnation and share
the disgust against what these people are doing to the future of
Africa.

Thinking of means of spreading the word, here are a few ideas how you
can assist with further support;
placing this article on your Facebook and Twitter accounts will
exponentially assist in spreading the word further, and showing a
stronger solidarity towards ending the current and impending horrors.

And, if you can add details of this petition to your blog, website,
any social media platform that you use, that would be really great!
Further still, if you like to post images on web forums, such as
birdforum, surfbirds, birdguides (among many others), then please also
provide the link to this petition. These migrant birds need all the
support that we can muster for them. Let's get this message out to the
world ASAP and hope that they have a chance!


You know who we are, the Golden O support team!

Once again the site for voting, and advising all your friends to vote…


http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Egypt_must_STOP_killing_MILLIONS_of_migrant_insecteating_birds_before_FAMINE_and_PLAGUE_kills_MILLIONS_of_Africans/?copy