Behind the headlines are real people
Dear friend,
 Can you chip in just $30 to get this powerful ad in our nation's newspapers? Risking everything, they flee in the hope of reaching safety. And then, often only kilometres from freedom, their chance for a new life dissolves into despair.
We saw this again last week, when a Sri Lankan boat sank drowning 11 men, including two young boys. As Australians, we pride ourselves on being reasonable, compassionate and fair. But the only way our Government will begin to see asylum seekers as a moral responsibility, not a political inconvenience - is if the public show they care about the human tragedy behind the headlines.
That’s why we’re ready to run a powerful ad in some of our most popular newspapers to shift the refugee debate back towards real Australian values. All we need is 750 people to chip in $30 to run our full-page ad in this week's West Australian and Daily Telegraph. Can you be one of these people and help put an end to the politics of fear?
We don’t make this ask lightly - especially in light of your ongoing support as a Human Rights Defender. But we know what a crucial moment this is, and the impact we can have. When we asked you recently to help speak out against the cynical, politicised approach to "boat people", thousands of you wrote personal messages to the Prime Minister urging him to stand for human rights.
One passionate supporter was so outraged he offered $5,000 to help us run our advert. We were stunned by this generosity, and we must now seize this opportunity to say it loudly in the pages of our nation’s most popular newspapers that the politics of fear, prejudice and division don’t speak for all of us.
Click here to see our advertisement, and help tell the truth about refugees to thousands of other Australians
It’s not that Australia lacks the resources to better help people seeking our protection: we lack the political will. Please help urgently change the rhetoric of fear, threats and border security to compassion, common sense and respect for human rights. Click here to see our ad and chip in $30 to make it a reality.
Thank you for speaking out,
Graham Thom
Refugee Coordinator
Amnesty International Australia
PS. Do you know others who want our refugee policy anchored in real Australian values? Please take a moment to forward this email to at least two friends and help get our myth-busting ad in front of half a million readers this week.
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