War Memorial Director Brendan Nelson showing media where peacekeepers will be added to the Roll of Honour
Avril Clark from Perth has just had an incredible win using Change.org.
"It’s probably the best day since he passed away, just knowing that it’s probably the last thing I will be able to do for him" -- a father of a fallen peacekeeper.
This is big. Avril's 41,000-strong petition to have her son Jamie and 47 other fallen peacekeepers recognised just won -- the War Memorial Council this week unanimously voted in favour of adding their names to the Roll of Honour.
"The day that the AWM granted our Peacekeepers the right to go on the Honour Roll was a significant day to my family and to my son Jamie. I know that he would want his name alongside his comrades who have lost their lives serving their country. This victory is something we needed to do for Jamie and all 48 Peacekeepers."
It's been an astounding journey. Before starting a petition on Change.org, she spent years sending letters to Ministers of Defence, Prime Ministers and MPs -- yet they turned her away every time.
This time, something different happened. She posted a petition on Change.org, then thousands of people began sharing it on social media -- and her story was picked up by some of the country's biggest media, including The Project, Today Tonight, ABC News, News.com.au, The Australian, Channel 7, 9 and 10 nightly news.
Through the petition, she connected with other families of people killed on peacekeeping missions, like Sarah McCarthy and Peter Pridue. The Greens, Labor and Coalition all backed a Senate motion in support of Avril's campaign. And by the time the War Memorial Council was making a decision, an amazing 41,000 people had signed her petition -- forcing them to add peacekeepers to the War Memorial in Canberra.
It's an incredible win. And just like thousands of other people who've won using Change.org, Avril had never started a petition before. Be part of Avril's celebrations by sharing her win on Facebook -- and remember you can start your own petition on Change.org here.
Thanks for being a part of this,
Karen, Tony, Nathan and the Change.org team.
P.S. You can join other Change.org users in leaving a comment congratulating Avril -- and share the victory with friends here.
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