Avaaz.org CLIMATE ACTION FACTORIES

I, _____________________________ , agree to abide by the following principles and guidelines as a Fellow in the Avaaz.org Action Factory.

Principles:

• As a member of the global climate movement, I am committed to preventing the climate catastrophe and ensuring climate justice.
• To this end, I want to see an ambitious and binding global climate treaty finalised at COP15 in Copenhagen this December.
  
• I believe that climate activism in Europe/America needs an emergency infusion of energy and action, to target those political players who are most blocking progress in the UN negotiations.
  
• I believe that the German elections are a critical moment in which to build towards an ambitious, binding, and fair treaty and am committed to pushing all parties to adopt strong climate policies during the election period.
  
• I am excited about learning new organizing and campaigning tactics in the context of the German election, including how to run an Obama-style volunteer-oriented field program, and will apply myself enthusiastically to the most politically effective tasks and tactics, whether familiar or not, in order to achieve the best outcomes possible.

In the Action Factory:

• I commit to working with the Avaaz Climate Action Factory from the 20th of August to the 2nd of October, 2009.
• During this time, I will dedicate my passion, energy and skills to work as part of a team of 7 Fellows in the Action Factory.
• Each week throughout this time, I will spend at least 40 hours developing and implementing politically strategic, focused, and effective actions as well as campaign tactics, to add climate change into the German elections concept and maximise the possibility of an ambitious climate treaty at Copenhagen, and to raise public expectations and demands that governments will deliver such an agreement.
• I understand that the Climate Action Factory program is focused on political advocacy to influence German political parties and the public through direct pressure and communications, and this will be the focus of my Fellowship.
• If I engage in other non-political and/or non-German election focused climate activities – such as building longer-term youth climate movement infrastructure, or general awareness-raising – this will be done in my free time, separate from my commitments under this Fellowship.
  
• I am excited about working within a campaign style that is impact-oriented, not process-oriented. I understand that Avaaz's style of high-quality, effective campaigning is often of a last-minute nature and requires flexibility and a willingness to cancel or make major changes to events even after significant effort has been put in. 

Responsibilities of Fellows to Avaaz:

As part of Phase II of the EU Avaaz Action Factory, I understand that will be assigned specific tasks and responsibilities by Avaaz's German campaign staff, which may include but are not limited to the below:

• Drafting and translating email blasts, press releases, materials for Avaaz members, volunteers, and more.
  
• Emailing, calling, and otherwise building relationships with and recruiting specific volunteers for specific activities.
• Organizing rallies, photo opportunities, interviews, and other media events.
  
• Working with and managing vendors such as translators, PR agencies, web designers, and more.
• I understand that I will sometimes be asked to work weekend or evening hours when required by specific events or activities, but that I should take equivalent time off during weekdays in compensation. I understand that keeping a healthy work-life balance is one of my responsibilities to Avaaz so that I can stay fresh and effective, just as respecting that need is one of Avaaz's responsibilities to me.
• I will manage Avaaz's brand with care.

Responsibilities of Avaaz to Fellows:

• Provide clear guidance and structure for campaign activities.
• Provide educational opportunities and ways for you to expand your expertise into new styles of campaigning.
• Treat you with respect and provide channels for your input and feedback on Avaaz management of Action Factory Fellows.
• Respect your personal life and need for a work-life balance.

Relationship with Avaaz.org:

• I understand that Avaaz will provide me with a stipend to support my participation in the Action Factory project, and will provide resources and 'microgrants' as appropriate to support actions and campaign activities.
  
• I understand that in phase II of the Action Factory, I will be reporting directly to Avaaz's Germany climate campaigner, Julius Van de Laar, and working closely with and for other avaaz staff. I understand that the nature of the fellowship in phase II is more similar to that of an internship or job than that it is to the fellowship phase I.
• I understand that most (and maybe all) of the campaign activities I implement will be branded as Avaaz activities, not at youth climate activities -- and that Avaaz will exercise editorial and strategic control over all content.
• I will abide by Avaaz budget protocols when spending on resources for any actions.
• I understand that the actions and campaign activitites I work on in phase II of the Action Factory will be Avaaz actions, and that while many of the actions emerging from the project will not be branded as Avaaz actions, all action plans should be referred to Avaaz, who may either:
• “greenlight” the action to go forward;
• “redlight” (send it back for revisions or cancelation); or
• "adopt" it as an Avaaz-branded action, which could then be supported by Avaaz members via online campaigns, could use Avaaz press releases and branding, and so on.

Signed,

______________________________

Avaaz.org Climate Fellow

Date: