Sunday, March 8, 2015

International Women's Day - Time to Act



Dear Friends,
 
Exactly one year ago, on March 8th, in honor of International Women’s Day, we launched our 
award-winning film Honor Diaries to help women and girls globally. Honor Diaries exposes the dangers of Islamic extremism and gender-based violence committed in the name of “honor”, including early and forced marriage, honor violence and killings, lack of access to education, female genital mutilation (FGM) and more. The documentary aims to counter gender-based violence and inspire policy change through dialogue.

The film has enabled us to reach millions of people through television and online distribution, film festivals and screening events (more than 270 of which were on college campuses), as well as engage more than 500,000 Arabic speakers across the Muslim world, from Egypt to Iraq, through our Honor Diaries Facebook page.

But our work is not over. To trigger grassroots activism and influence change, we need to act now.

We have a plan - but we need your help to put it into practice. That’s why we ask that you please make a generous contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, or more to our Honor Diaries Initiatives right now, and help us raise national awareness of this grave threat and help women and girls around the globe before it’s too late!
 

For women across the globe who cannot speak out, the film is a platform for their cause. For local activists and survivors of honor violence, the film has given them the strength to speak about their experiences and join a movement to fight for change.

The United Nations estimates that 6,000 women and girls undergo FGM every day; at least 125 million women and girls have suffered female genital mutilation in Africa and the Middle East since 1989; more than 60 million girls worldwide are child brides; and 5,000 honor killings are reported each year, a gross underestimate.

In the US, the number of women and girls who had undergone or who were in risk of being subjected to FGM has more than doubled since 2000 to almost half a million according to a new report by the nonprofit Population Reference Bureau.

We cannot sit on our hands. We must educate the American people and demand action to protect these women as soon as possible.

We need to raise $25,000 to launch our activism plan. Please, help us do that with a generous gift right now.

With your help we can continue to leverage Honor Diaries by expanding our distribution activities to involve millions more people in this timely conversation, including:
 
1. Spread awareness about honor violence through a marketing campaign called #HonorMy…? It is our goal that #HonorMy… become synonymous with a call against honor violence, and a key hashtag used to support women’s rights across cultures.
2. Send Jasvinder Sanghera, Founder of Karma Nirvana, and one of the nine protagonists featured in Honor Diaries, on a speaking tour to draw media attention to the film and generate activism on the ground. Continue our successful screenings campaign and include educational and activism screening events to engage national agencies working in the field.
3. Increase of Arabic Facebook page “likes” to one million.

Today, exactly one year since the film’s launch, we invite you to join The Clarion Project in celebrating International Women’s Day by getting involved and stepping up.

 
 
You can also send a check, payable to The Clarion Project, a registered 501(c)(3) to:
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1856 N. Nob Hill Road, Suite 210
Plantation, Fl 33322


Thank you so much for your support in this vitally important mission.

Sincerely,

Richard Green
Executive Director, The Clarion Project
 
P.S. Every dollar can go a long way in protecting innocent girls and women, and preventing further abuse. Please click HERE to donate, and help make a difference today.



Clarion Project, 1717 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 1025, Washington DC 20006

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