Dear International Team, Nine years ago I was visited on Tilos Island by a group of travelling Sierra Club members with whom I shared my work to establish the Tilos Natural Park (as part of the Greek National Park system). After twelve years of intense work, death threats and an attempt against my life, I am happy to report that the Park has now being established. I wonder if any of these Sierra Club travellers is reading this section of the Sierra Club Activist Network. I would love to hear from you if you read this. For more information on my work on Tilos, visit: http://www.constantinealexander.net/2011/04/the-tilos-park-experience.html Best regards, Constantine (first became a member of the Los Angeles Chapter of Sierra Club in 1985)

Dear International Team, I Just found the message below during an exploration of the Activist Network site. The direct link to the message is http://connect.sierraclub.org/discussions/activist-network/2012/06/03/rape-and-pillage-of-new-zealand-national-parksIt is in the “Discussions” section of the activist network (http://connect.sierraclub.org/discussions) in the subcategory “Activist Network” (http://connect.sierraclub.org/discussions/activist-network). This person, KJ Jennings, joined the Activist Network to post the message, but posted it in a location that few of any of us visit. In addition, there appears to be no provision for connecting this to the non-core International Team site or getting it to the International Team Listserve. As a result of this serendipitous discovery, I am sending it along for your information and possible individual signing of the on-line petition: Please join this campaign: https://www.change.org/petitions/stop-plans-to-dig-up-fiordlands-national-park-in-new-zealand-for-a-private-use-tunnel?share_id=OUqrXtCiWg&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petitionI just signed as an individual with the following message: As Sierra Club International Vice President, wrote the New Zealand Prime Minister and other Ministers protesting an earlier proposal to allow mining exploration in New Zealand's National Parks and other protected areas. As a result of domestic and international pressure such as the Sierra Club's , that proposal was withdrawn. Now this is another proposal to violate New Zealand's incredible natural heritage and needs additional strong domestic and international opposition. My wife and I traveled along the South Island's West Coast and through the northern reaches of Mt. Aspiring National, but alas were not able to visit Milford Sound. There is great merit in keeping isolated sections of magnificent coastline isolated and we hope this petition succeeds. The fact that there is no automatic mechanism for informing teams of issues of relevance to them is one of the several failures of the Activist Network. I don’t Face, Tweet, or whatever and have better things to do with my time that spend hours every day searching and commenting. It appears that there’s not even a required mechanism for a person who joins the network to post an e-mail address. Richard Richard A. Cellarius, Ph.D. International Vice President--Organizational Relations, Sierra Club Rape and Pillage of New Zealand National Parks By KJ Jennings Sunday, June 03, 2012 2:43:28 PM Hello, I live in Queenstown, New Zealand. The Department of Conservation (DOC), The NZ equivelent of the National Parks Dept. has approved 'in principal' the construction of a 11km (6 mile) Tunnel throug 2 National Parks to provide quicker access for busloads of tourists to Milford Sound. The public won't be able to use this, it will be privately owned. We are fighting this, and could use your support. We have a petition that is starting to go viral and need support. Petition is at https://www.change.org/petitions/stop-plans-to-dig-up-fiordlands-national-park-in-new-zealand-for-a-private-use-tunnelFurther details are at www.stopthetunnel.co.nz Please spread the word via your networks. New Zealand will thank you forever. cheers, KJ I'm a first time activist, motivated by the apparent incompetence of our govenrment to protect our National Park in New Zealand.

Our letter under joint letterheads of Sierra Club and Sierra Club Canada has been send and is added to the "Files" section as a Word document.

Thank you Jim for posting the land grab issue- Let me know if you need further assistance to send it to the Tanzanian government

A Land Grab in Africa by US Investors to Displace 162000. -=-=-=-=- I'm passing this along from Oakland Institute -- the first link gives a lot of detail about the plan and its backers, the second is their "Act Now" page. In short, this is a planned foreign-investor takeover of 800,000 acres (that's 1250 square miles) with aims of producing genetically engineered crops and biofuels as well as poultry, etc., at the cost of local livlihoods. -=-=-=-=-=- Here is Oakland Institutes fairly extensive description (4 pages with footnotes) of the deal: -=-=-=-http://media.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/OI_AgriSol_Brief.pdf-=-=-=- and please click on their "Act Now" page: -=-=-=-http://media.oaklandinstitute.org/act-now-stop-imminent-land-grab-threatens-more-162000-people-tanzania-=-=-=-=-=- This involves U.S. investors so our voice should have more impact than when opposing European land grabs in Africa.