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Permanently Ban the Sale of Ivory
Target: CITES Secretary-General Willem Wijnstekers
Sponsored by: Care2.com
Sponsored by: Care2.com
Kenyan Wildlife Authorities recently seized $1 million worth of elephant tusks bound for ivory markets in Asia. The growing demand of ivory has lead to skyrocketing rates of illegal poaching, and unless sales are permanently banned, elephants are likely to go extinct.
For the past 20 years, members of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) have allowed a limited legal ivory trade. But as ivory prices continue to rise on the black market, hundred of elephants are being slaughtered annually -- threatening the already endangered populations.
The illegal poaching of elephants is escalating and unless ivory sales are permanently banned, it is likely that these amazing creatures will no longer roam the earth. Now is the time to urge international leaders to permanently ban the sale of ivory once and for all!
Send Letter see who signed this
We took action on “Permanently Ban the Sale of Ivory”!
# 50,324:
2:53 pm PST, Feb 9,
Barbara Penley, California
# 50,323:
12:16 pm PST, Feb 9,
Soheil Asadnezhad, Canada
# 50,322:
11:07 am PST, Feb 9,
Georgios Noukakis, Greece
# 50,321:
10:40 am PST, Feb 9,
Aparajita Sayani, India
Please ban all ivory trade to give these magnificent animals a chance to live freely n without fear. Thank you.
Please ban all ivory trade to give these magnificent animals a chance to live freely n without fear. Thank you.
# 50,320:
6:15 am PST, Feb 9,
Niyyatie s Dua, India
please save elephants before they become extinct, ban ivory sales immediately.
please save elephants before they become extinct, ban ivory sales immediately.
# 50,319:
5:51 am PST, Feb 9,
Lori Odessa, Pennsylvania
# 50,318:
5:49 am PST, Feb 9,
Sharmee Bhatt, India
# 50,317:
4:44 am PST, Feb 9,
Anushka Hajela, India
# 50,316:
4:38 am PST, Feb 9,
Dianne Hillier, United Kingdom
Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā - Tara, whose name means "star" or "she who ferries across," is a Bodhisattva of compassion who manifests in female form. "She Who Saves." In particular she represents compassion in action, since she’s in the process of stepping from her lotus throne in order to help sentient beings. 1. Tāre represents salvation from mundane dangers and suffering. Tara is seem as a savioress who can give aid from material threats such as floods, crime, wild animals, and traffic accidents. Tara is therefore said to protect against ordinary worldly dangers. 2. Tuttāre represents deliverance into the spiritual path conceived in terms of individual salvation. In traditional terms, this is the path of the Arhant, which leads to individual liberation from suffering. This is seen in Mahayana Buddhism as a kind of enlightenment in which compassion does not figure strongly. Tara therefore offers individual protection from the spiritual dangers of greed, hatred, and delusion: the three factors that cause us individual suffering. 3. Lastly, ture represents the culmination of the spiritual path in terms of deliverance into the altruistic path of universal salvation – the Bodhisattva path. In the Bodhisattva path we aspire for personal enlightenment, but we also connect compassionately with the sufferings of others, and strive to liberate them at the same time as we seek enlightenment ourselves. Tara therefore delivers us from a narrow conception of the spiritual life. She saves us from the notion that spiritual progress is about narrowly liberating ourselves from our own suffering, and instead leads us to see that true spiritual progress involves having compassion for others. By the time we have been liberated from mundane dangers, liberated from a narrow conception of the spiritual path, and led to a realization of compassion, we have effectively become Tara. In Buddhist practice the “deities” represent our own inner potential. We are all potentially Tara. We can all become Tara. Svaha, according to Monier Monier-William’s Sanskrit Dictionary, means: "Hail!", "Hail to!" or "May a blessing rest on!" We could see this final blessing as symbolizing the recognition that we are, ultimately, Tara. Her mantra can therefore be rendered as something like "OM! Hail to Tara (in her three roles as a savioress)!" Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh Punya Jñana Pustim Kuru Svaha Mama means "mine" and indicates that you’d like to possess these qualities of long life, merit, wisdom, happiness, etc. You can of course choose to wish these qualities for someone else — perhaps for a teacher or for a loved one who is ill. Ayuh is long life (as in Ayurvedic medicine). Punya means the merit that comes from living life ethically, and this merit is said to help one to live long and happily. Jnana is wisdom. Punya and Jnana are known as the Two Accumulations. In order to become enlightened we need to accumulate merit (that is, to develop positive qualities through living ethically and meditating) but we also need to develop wisdom through deep reflection. Wisdom cannot arise without a basis of merit, but merit alone is not enough for us to become enlightened, meaning that becoming a nicer person isn’t enough — we have also to look deeply into ourselves and the world around us and to see the impermanent and insubstantial nature of all things. Pushtim means wealth, abundance, or increase.
Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā - Tara, whose name means "star" or "she who ferries across," is a Bodhisattva of compassion who manifests in female form. "She Who Saves." In particular she represents compassion in action, since she’s in the process of stepping from her lotus throne in order to help sentient beings. 1. Tāre represents salvation from mundane dangers and suffering. Tara is seem as a savioress who can give aid from material threats such as floods, crime, wild animals, and traffic accidents. Tara is therefore said to protect against ordinary worldly dangers. 2. Tuttāre represents deliverance into the spiritual path conceived in terms of individual salvation. In traditional terms, this is the path of the Arhant, which leads to individual liberation from suffering. This is seen in Mahayana Buddhism as a kind of enlightenment in which compassion does not figure strongly. Tara therefore offers individual protection from the spiritual dangers of greed, hatred, and delusion: the three factors that cause us individual suffering. 3. Lastly, ture represents the culmination of the spiritual path in terms of deliverance into the altruistic path of universal salvation – the Bodhisattva path. In the Bodhisattva path we aspire for personal enlightenment, but we also connect compassionately with the sufferings of others, and strive to liberate them at the same time as we seek enlightenment ourselves. Tara therefore delivers us from a narrow conception of the spiritual life. She saves us from the notion that spiritual progress is about narrowly liberating ourselves from our own suffering, and instead leads us to see that true spiritual progress involves having compassion for others. By the time we have been liberated from mundane dangers, liberated from a narrow conception of the spiritual path, and led to a realization of compassion, we have effectively become Tara. In Buddhist practice the “deities” represent our own inner potential. We are all potentially Tara. We can all become Tara. Svaha, according to Monier Monier-William’s Sanskrit Dictionary, means: "Hail!", "Hail to!" or "May a blessing rest on!" We could see this final blessing as symbolizing the recognition that we are, ultimately, Tara. Her mantra can therefore be rendered as something like "OM! Hail to Tara (in her three roles as a savioress)!" Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh Punya Jñana Pustim Kuru Svaha Mama means "mine" and indicates that you’d like to possess these qualities of long life, merit, wisdom, happiness, etc. You can of course choose to wish these qualities for someone else — perhaps for a teacher or for a loved one who is ill. Ayuh is long life (as in Ayurvedic medicine). Punya means the merit that comes from living life ethically, and this merit is said to help one to live long and happily. Jnana is wisdom. Punya and Jnana are known as the Two Accumulations. In order to become enlightened we need to accumulate merit (that is, to develop positive qualities through living ethically and meditating) but we also need to develop wisdom through deep reflection. Wisdom cannot arise without a basis of merit, but merit alone is not enough for us to become enlightened, meaning that becoming a nicer person isn’t enough — we have also to look deeply into ourselves and the world around us and to see the impermanent and insubstantial nature of all things. Pushtim means wealth, abundance, or increase.
# 50,315:
3:22 am PST, Feb 9,
Jill Mialki, Pennsylvania
# 50,314:
3:05 am PST, Feb 9,
Vishruti Agrawal, India
# 50,313:
3:02 am PST, Feb 9,
Ekaterina Evseeva, Russian Federation
# 50,312:
12:36 am PST, Feb 9,
Egor Ognev, Russian Federation
# 50,311:
11:39 pm PST, Feb 8,
Ksenia Kadikova, Russian Federation
Dear Secretary-General Willem Wijnstekers, As I am sure you are no doubt aware, Kenyan Wildlife Authorities recently seized $1 million worth of elephant tusks and rhino horns bound for ivory markets in Asia. Despite efforts to ward off poachers, wildlife experts in Kenya have seen a rapid rise in the number of elephants being slaughtered for their tusks. It has been 20 years since the International community banned the sale of ivory and I strongly urge you to reinstate a permanent ban in ivory sales. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, Africa has about 18,000 rhinos left, while sub-Saharan Africa has 690,000 elephants at most. Increasing ivory demands in Asia are stimulating a large upsurge in poaching -- especially elephants and rhinos. Elephant ivory is a lucrative business and unless the ban on ivory sales becomes permanent, elephant populations are going to continue to rapidly drop. For the past 20 years, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has allowed periodic sales of ivory which has undoubtedly sparked an increase in demand. I strongly urge you to support the permanent ban of ivory sales and stop the killing of innocent animals once and for all. With no further exceptions, now is the time to eliminate all one-time stockpile sales. The elephants and rhinos are a part of our wold heritage and they should not be slaughtered for the benefit of a few people. Thank you for taking the time to consider my comments. I eagerly await your response. Sincerely, ksenia
Dear Secretary-General Willem Wijnstekers, As I am sure you are no doubt aware, Kenyan Wildlife Authorities recently seized $1 million worth of elephant tusks and rhino horns bound for ivory markets in Asia. Despite efforts to ward off poachers, wildlife experts in Kenya have seen a rapid rise in the number of elephants being slaughtered for their tusks. It has been 20 years since the International community banned the sale of ivory and I strongly urge you to reinstate a permanent ban in ivory sales. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, Africa has about 18,000 rhinos left, while sub-Saharan Africa has 690,000 elephants at most. Increasing ivory demands in Asia are stimulating a large upsurge in poaching -- especially elephants and rhinos. Elephant ivory is a lucrative business and unless the ban on ivory sales becomes permanent, elephant populations are going to continue to rapidly drop. For the past 20 years, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has allowed periodic sales of ivory which has undoubtedly sparked an increase in demand. I strongly urge you to support the permanent ban of ivory sales and stop the killing of innocent animals once and for all. With no further exceptions, now is the time to eliminate all one-time stockpile sales. The elephants and rhinos are a part of our wold heritage and they should not be slaughtered for the benefit of a few people. Thank you for taking the time to consider my comments. I eagerly await your response. Sincerely, ksenia
# 50,310:
11:39 pm PST, Feb 8,
Julia Solopova, Russian Federation
Согласно Священным Писаниям Вед, слон в следущей реинкарнации становится человеком, чему есть масса подтверждений...
Согласно Священным Писаниям Вед, слон в следущей реинкарнации становится человеком, чему есть масса подтверждений...
# 50,309:
6:24 pm PST, Feb 8,
Caroline Collins, Texas
# 50,308:
5:45 pm PST, Feb 8,
Kim Johnson, Arizona
# 50,307:
5:19 pm PST, Feb 8,
Tjahaja Sugiri, Indonesia
# 50,306:
12:42 pm PST, Feb 8,
Pichonneau Pascale, France
# 50,305:
12:00 pm PST, Feb 8,
Lesley Dove, United Kingdom
# 50,304:
11:36 am PST, Feb 8,
Kortatoo Jean-luc, France
# 50,303:
9:36 am PST, Feb 8,
Zahra Marie andree, France
# 50,302:
8:26 am PST, Feb 8,
Siggi Hosenfeld, California
# 50,301:
3:57 am PST, Feb 8,
Name not displayed, United Kingdom
I write with great concern,will my great grand children get to see the wildlife Iv grown up with! Please stop all ivory trade as this is the only way to stop the killing.You have the power to make these decisions please use as you will go down in History as a Legend, the ball is in your court please make the correct move JAH GUIDE AND PROTECT ...
I write with great concern,will my great grand children get to see the wildlife Iv grown up with! Please stop all ivory trade as this is the only way to stop the killing.You have the power to make these decisions please use as you will go down in History as a Legend, the ball is in your court please make the correct move JAH GUIDE AND PROTECT ...
# 50,300:
3:39 pm PST, Feb 7,
Angela Higgs, United Kingdom
# 50,299:
3:18 pm PST, Feb 7,
Caroline Raward, Australia
# 50,296:
9:15 am PST, Feb 6,
Tiago Damas, Portugal
I beg you please to make all efforts to permenantly ban Ivory sales, Mr. Secretary General
I beg you please to make all efforts to permenantly ban Ivory sales, Mr. Secretary General
# 50,295:
7:16 am PST, Feb 6,
Jenny Lassale, France
# 50,294:
5:27 am PST, Feb 6,
Kortatoo Jean-luc, France
# 50,293:
8:51 pm PST, Feb 5,
Barry Luckenbach, Hawaii
Having spent time in several African countries, and having witnessed these magnificent animals at close range, I must say it would be truly tragic to lose our planet's elephants! They are intelligent and majestic creatures.
Having spent time in several African countries, and having witnessed these magnificent animals at close range, I must say it would be truly tragic to lose our planet's elephants! They are intelligent and majestic creatures.
# 50,292:
1:53 pm PST, Feb 5,
Carolina Conde, Portugal
# 50,291:
10:20 pm PST, Feb 4,
Yarden Buzaglo, Israel
# 50,290:
3:40 pm PST, Feb 4,
Ashli Taylor, Canada
Ivory products are frivolous, unnecessary and a tragic waste of life.
Ivory products are frivolous, unnecessary and a tragic waste of life.
# 50,289:
1:58 pm PST, Feb 4,
Fabienne Wittelings, Netherlands
# 50,288:
1:43 pm PST, Feb 4,
Kathryn Joyce Burton, Illinois
# 50,287:
6:14 am PST, Feb 4,
Zaharia Sarros, Australia
With the help of technology......artifical replicas can be made, why make these poor creatures be killed for their tusks? It is criminal & Bullshit!
With the help of technology......artifical replicas can be made, why make these poor creatures be killed for their tusks? It is criminal & Bullshit!
# 50,286:
9:34 pm PST, Feb 3,
Name not displayed, Alabama
# 50,285:
8:22 pm PST, Feb 3,
Katherine Sauder, Canada
Please send a message to all countries that ivory products are frivolous, unnecessary and a tragic waste of life.
Please send a message to all countries that ivory products are frivolous, unnecessary and a tragic waste of life.
# 50,284:
11:13 am PST, Feb 3,
Stephanie Leineweber, Virginia
# 50,283:
3:29 pm PST, Feb 2,
Mijanou Bauchau, California
# 50,282:
10:57 am PST, Feb 2,
Emilia Rodriguez, Argentina
# 50,281:
7:21 am PST, Feb 2,
Joanne Hill, United Kingdom
Dear Secretary-General Willem Wijnstekers,elephants are being slaughtered for their ivory and it is increasing. I urge you to permanently ban the sale of ivory,in doing this we can protect and save the elephant from extinction.
Dear Secretary-General Willem Wijnstekers,elephants are being slaughtered for their ivory and it is increasing. I urge you to permanently ban the sale of ivory,in doing this we can protect and save the elephant from extinction.
# 50,280:
5:06 am PST, Feb 2,
Tanwi Sandelwood, Belgium
# 50,279:
2:40 am PST, Feb 2,
MAGALI FEUGIER, France
# 50,278:
1:10 am PST, Feb 2,
Benigno Sanchez aso, Spain
# 50,277:
5:06 pm PST, Feb 1,
Isabella Fontalba, Spain
# 50,276:
1:59 pm PST, Feb 1,
Lii Lizzeth, Sweden
# 50,275:
12:16 pm PST, Feb 1,
Milagros Rivero, Venezuela
# 50,274:
11:36 am PST, Feb 1,
Nathalie Gauw, Netherlands
# 50,273:
8:40 am PST, Feb 1,
Nadezhda Peneva, Spain
# 50,272:
8:39 am PST, Feb 1,
Name not displayed, Canada
# 50,271:
8:22 am PST, Feb 1,
Name not displayed, Germany
# 50,270:
7:57 am PST, Feb 1,
Timothy Czarnecki, Georgia
# 50,269:
3:29 am PST, Feb 1,
Name not displayed, Finland
# 50,268:
9:52 pm PST, Jan 31,
Tracy Brown, New Jersey
# 50,267:
1:35 pm PST, Jan 31,
Name not displayed, Illinois
# 50,266:
9:28 am PST, Jan 31,
Maghiva Rivero, Venezuela
# 50,265:
6:21 am PST, Jan 31,
Doniscia Veyssière, France
# 50,264:
3:47 pm PST, Jan 30,
Name not displayed, Canada
# 50,263:
1:47 pm PST, Jan 30,
Name not displayed, Canada
Please permanently ban ivory sales. The sale of ivory is a brutal and shameful practice. How much more suffering must we as guardians of this blue planet blindly ignore? We inflict such pain and suffering on each other and everything around us. When do we say enough is enough?
Please permanently ban ivory sales. The sale of ivory is a brutal and shameful practice. How much more suffering must we as guardians of this blue planet blindly ignore? We inflict such pain and suffering on each other and everything around us. When do we say enough is enough?
# 50,262:
8:43 am PST, Jan 30,
Caterina Caligiuri, Italy
PREGASI SMETTERE QUESTO INDEGNO COMMERCIO GRAZIE
PREGASI SMETTERE QUESTO INDEGNO COMMERCIO GRAZIE
# 50,261:
6:27 am PST, Jan 30,
Amy Czarnecki, Georgia
# 50,260:
1:24 am PST, Jan 30,
Connie Banteka, Greece
# 50,257:
5:41 am PST, Jan 29,
Fallon Edmunds, United Kingdom
# 50,256:
4:56 pm PST, Jan 28,
Kristen Woodard, Colorado
Why do people need ivory?!! It's just ridiculous!! I would like to see these beautiful creatures remain on our planet please!!
Why do people need ivory?!! It's just ridiculous!! I would like to see these beautiful creatures remain on our planet please!!
# 50,255:
4:03 pm PST, Jan 28,
Bianca Yeomans, Australia
# 50,254:
3:23 pm PST, Jan 28,
Name not displayed, Australia
# 50,253:
2:38 pm PST, Jan 28,
Name not displayed, Australia
PERMANENTLY BAN IVORY SALES NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PERMANENTLY BAN IVORY SALES NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
# 50,252:
11:49 am PST, Jan 28,
Bev Brewis, Canada
GODAMIT I THOUGHT WE DELT WITH THIS 20 YEARS AGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PEOPLE DON`T BUY IVORY, NO DEMAND=NO POACHING
GODAMIT I THOUGHT WE DELT WITH THIS 20 YEARS AGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PEOPLE DON`T BUY IVORY, NO DEMAND=NO POACHING
# 50,251:
10:53 am PST, Jan 28,
Craig Weyer, Georgia
It is my opinion that even the sale of "legal" ivory is a mistake as it merely provides a disguise for illegal selling of ivory. I am against this even though the sale of this ivory from legal culling does help with conservation but the risk is too great if it provides a cover for illegal trade.
It is my opinion that even the sale of "legal" ivory is a mistake as it merely provides a disguise for illegal selling of ivory. I am against this even though the sale of this ivory from legal culling does help with conservation but the risk is too great if it provides a cover for illegal trade.
