Friday 4 September 2009

BOYCOTT ~ AHAVA DROPS SPOKESPERSON AMID PR FIASCO

GOOD NEWS! GOSH THE SECOND "WIN" THIS WEEK WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL BOYCOTT! BE STILL MY BEATING HEART BUT SUCH NEWS DOES MAKE THE SLOGGING AND BLOGGING WORTHWHILE!

WASHINGTON
September 4

The Israeli cosmetics company, Ahava, which illegally manufactures and appropriates its products in occupied Palestinian territory, has dropped its spokesperson Kristin Davis amid a public relations debacle sparked by the peace group
CODEPINK’s Stolen Beauty campaign.

As Gawker.com first
reported yesterday, 'Sex & the City' star Kristin Davis has been dropped by Ahava. All trace of her image and mention of her name have already been removed from Ahava's website.

Davis' dismissal, and the accompanying blow to Ahava's image, follow the successful launch of CODEPINK's Stolen Beauty campaign designed to spread word of Ahava's illegal practices ~ its products are falsely labeled as "Made in Israel" but in actuality are made in an illegal settlement in occupied Palestinian territory, and often contain resources appropriated from occupied land, in clear violation of international law.

CODEPINK Women, in Washington, DC, outside the Tschiffely Pharmacy on Dupont Circle, July 29, 2009

For the past two months CODEPINK activists have been appearing at Ahava stores, trade booths, and online, spreading word of Ahava's illegal business practices (view photos and publicity at www.stolenbeauty.org).

Particularly newsworthy was Davis' dual role as Ahava spokesperson and as a goodwill ambassador for the international charity Oxfam ~ a group that has courageously spoken out against the illegal Israeli settlement trade.

First, CODEPINK activists reached out to Davis
to dissuade her from continuing her paid promotional appearances for Ahava. When that failed, public pressure forced Oxfam to suspend Davis from publicity work for the charity.

The glare of publicity, including a story on Page Six of the New York Post, surrounding that controversy appears now to have helped make untenable Ahava's P.R. campaign centered on Davis.


While Davis' apparent hypocrisy served as a convenient initial lightning rod for mobilizing the
Stolen Beauty campaign, and has helped generate enormous press coverage of Ahava's crimes, the campaign has yet to begin to reach its full force.

In a few weeks, another wave of activity (and a whole new pressure point for Ahava) will be unveiled.

In the meantime, though, CODEPINK activists celebrate this first small victory, and the enormous increase in consumer awareness it has focused on Ahava's illegal practices.

CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities.


CODEPINK rejects foreign policies based on domination and aggression, and instead calls for policies based on diplomacy, compassion and a commitment to international law.

With an emphasis on joy and humor, CODEPINK women and men seek to activate, amplify and inspire a community of peacemakers through creative campaigns and a commitment to non-violence.


SOME CODE PINKLINKS

No comments:

Post a Comment

If your comment is not posted, it was deemed offensive.