One year of Ahava campaign

Today to mark the 5th anniversary of the Palestinian civil society boycott call and the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Stolen Beauty AHAVA boycott campaign, CODEPINK NYC will be joining with Brooklyn for Peace and Adalah-NY to protest the sale of AHAVA Cosmetics at the Ricky”s store in Brooklyn.

You can join us in solidarity to tell Ricky”s NYC NO MORE AHAVA! Call Ricky”s CEO Dominick Costello and ask him to stop carrying products by this company that profits from the occupation of the West Bank. Call him now at (212) 352-8545 x8.

We”ve been pressuring Ricky”s NYC, a family-owned chain store, on this issue since last August, and think they are close to heeding their customers” and the public”s call to do the right thing. Tell Ricky”s: AHAVA Cosmetics are made by Israeli profiteers in Occupied Palestine. Don”t sell AHAVA!

Since the start of the campaign, our Stolen Beauty boycott has succeeded in sullying the name and reputation of AHAVA Dead Sea Laboratories. Here”s a quick review of a few of our successes to date:

In August 2009, Oxfam was forced to suspend Goodwill Ambassador and Sex and the City superstar Kristin Davis for the duration of her contract as AHAVA spokeswoman because of pressure from AHAVA boycott activists, and soon thereafter Kristin declined to renew her contract with AHAVA.

In November 2009, the Dutch Foreign Ministry agreed to investigate AHAVA”s manufacturing and labeling practices. In January 2010, The Business and Human Rights Centre (London) disseminated “The Case Against AHAVA” on its web site and in its widely distributed newsletter. That same month, a British MP denounced Ahava”s fraudulent labeling practices during a debate in Parliament on Israeli “settlement products.”

Most recently, at the end of May activists in Paris filed suit against Sephora for selling products that are manufactured in an Israeli settlement by a company whose practices are against international law.

The Ahava boycott is part of the larger Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which is growing every day with pickets at docks from Alameda, CA to India; campus divestment campaigns; actions at retail stores, and more!

Equipped with a growing coalition of national and international partners, and specific, targeted pressure campaigns focused on companies that sell AHAVA, such as Ricky”s NYC and Nordstrom, the Stolen Beauty boycott is moving into its second year with enthusiasm and resolve. We believe this campaign is a vibrant and effective tool to use as we work towards a just peace for Palestinians and Israelis.

But with a company as large as AHAVA Dead Sea Laboratories, selling over $50 million worth of products in 25 countries worldwide, we have a big job ahead of us and we could use your help. Will you call Dominick today?

For a more beautiful future,
Nancy K
Stolen Beauty AHAVA Boycott Campaign Coordinator

PS Don”t forget to invite your friends to sign up to boycott AHAVA products, join our official Facebook group, follow us on Twitter @BoycottAHAVA or contact us for more information. We hope to see you soon at a Stolen Beauty protest in your city. Bikinis or bathrobes are recommended but not required.

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