The 7 cities we operate from
No 'Tainted Money' in our coffers!
At the very root of our independent activist organization lies
the understanding that to retain our integrity and our freedom to
campaign against all those placing the environment at risk,
Greenpeace must have financial independence too. We cannot owe
allegiance to any funding agencies, be they government bodies,
corporations or multilateral international bodies, because they
might indirectly be supporting the very practices that we are
campaigning against. With so many funding possibilities thus
rendered 'unacceptable', how does Greenpeace stay afloat?
We owe it to YOU
Greenpeace is supported entirely by individuals like you -
individuals who commit to contributing small sums of money (as
little as Rs. 5/- a day!) on a regular basis, helping us to sustain
our arduous campaigning across more than 40 countries, and for over
30 years now.
We don't believe in just taking your money - we enlist your
support. We believe that you contribute to Greenpeace because you
believe in the same principles we do: Bearing witness, taking
non-violent direct action against environmental crimes and doing
everything we can to ensure a green and peaceful future.
One of the chief reasons that Greenpeace is considered amongst
the 'most powerful environmental organizations' is because we have
the support of over 3 million people worldwide, and can say with
authority that we represent you in your fight for the future. If
you are already familiar with our work, share our passion and would
like to support us, you could help us by making an online
contribution, or download this form and mail it to us.
Direct Dialogue - speaking and listening
In India, Greenpeace relies heavily on the Direct Dialogue
campaign to raise support. Our Direct Dialogue campaigners,
ambassadors of Greenpeace, spend hours each day talking to people,
telling them about our campaigns, spreading the message of urgency
regarding the state of our environment, and gathering, in return,
an understanding of people's perceptions and concerns about the
environment. In an ideal world, each such conversation would end
with a stranger becoming a supporter. In this busy, deadline-driven
world, though, more often than not members of our Direct Dialogue
team are given about as much time and thought as environmental
issues are today. Amongst the most frequently heard responses are:
"Sorry, I'm busy!" "No thank you, I have other things on my mind."
"I can only spare a minute - what do you want?"
But with a new, heightened level of awareness and a growing
consciousness of the needs of the environment, our Direct Dialogue
campaign is witnessing a sea change in attitudes. One out of eight
people that a Direct Dialogue campaigner speaks to does commit to
supporting Greenpeace, and a much higher number give us
well-thought out feedback and strategic inputs on our activities in
India.
Beyond contributing money…
Greenpeace supporters have helped us achieve many significant
victories, around the world and in India too. The most recent
example being the massive outpouring of support for the Bhopal
campaign; with the Government of India dilly-dallying and about to
miss the deadline for sending a communication to a US court (a
communication that would empower the US court to direct Union
Carbide to clean up the toxic chemicals in and around the Bhopal
factory), Greenpeace mobilized its entire database of supporters,
sending out an alert and requesting them to take action for
Bhopal.
In a swift response, the Prime Minister's office, and the office
of the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, were flooded with emails
and faxes of a petition for justice in Bhopal, and received
hundreds of indignant phone calls demanding to know why the
government was dithering on a step that could provide some succour
to a community that has already suffered for 20 years. This
pressure from the people, and a fast-unto-death by three Bhopali
activists forced the government of India to finally relent, and
they sent the 'No Objection' letter to the US Court just two days
before the deadline for it expired. This event, like never before,
was a testament to the power of the Greenpeace supporter.
Greenpeace India approaching critical mass
Greenpeace India's Direct Dialogue campaign has two important
goals - firstly, to enable Greenpeace India to be self-sufficient,
with all our Indian operations funded by Indian supporters.
Secondly, to create a critical mass of supporters, a body large
enough to bolster the influence that Greenpeace wields in
India.
Keeping both objectives in mind, Greenpeace sets itself a
relatively modest target of 40,000 supporters by the end of 2005.
At the end of 2003, we could boast of 12,567 supporters, a number
that's steadily increasing in 2004. With the introduction of three
new offices, we expect our supporter database to shoot up
dramatically this year, and are counting on each of our Direct
Dialogue campaigners to reach out to thousands of people this
year.
Got a minute for the Earth?
Somewhere in these seven cities, sometime when you least expect
it, a Greenpeace DD campaigner will come up to you and ask you if
you have a couple of minutes to spare. You can recognize them by
the prominent Greenpeace logo on their T-shirts or jackets, the
identification cards they carry, their presentation folders with
colourful pictures of Greenpeace 'Campaigning in Defense of the
Earth' and above all, by the earnest, impassioned and determined
look in their eyes. There's also a palpable excitement about them,
as each city vies with the others to reach the 'top slot' for the
maximum number of supporters each month. (For the last two months,
the new office at Pune has held that position - it's up to you to
help bring your city to the top!)
All it takes is a couple of minutes of your time, for them to
explain our work to you and seek your feedback. If you're convinced
we uphold your principles, all it takes is Rs. 5/- a day for you to
become a Greenpeace supporter. If you'd like to sign up now rather
than waiting for a Direct Dialogue with us, you could also
contribute online, or download this form and mail it to us. You
could also Contact Us at one of our seven offices, and request that
a Direct Dialogue campaigner calls on you to make a personal
presentation for you and your family, or indeed to a group of your
colleagues.
Remember, we're counting on your support!
For further information, please contact:
Supporter Services: 080-51154861
