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Thousands of Indigenous Maasai have been forced from their land to make way for wealthy tourists - and now they're being wiped from voter rolls in a government attempt to get the remaining brave few to leave. The Tanzanian president is successfully keeping this quiet so it won’t impact international funding – but we can change that! Join this urgent global call to restore Maasai voting rights ahead of key elections:

Dear friends,

100,000 Maasai citizens were just erased from the voter rolls in Tanzania, for daring to stay on their ancestral lands. Using firearms and teargas, the government has expelled thousands of Indigenous Maasai to make way for safari tourism. Now, they’re taking it a step further by stripping the brave few that remain at home in the Ngorongoro district of their right to vote.

The Tanzanian government is trying to keep it quiet to avoid backlash from pro-democracy funders – but a global roar from our movement can put the spotlight on this violation, force funders to draw a line in the sand, and help the Maasai to restore their right to vote.

Elections are approaching fast - add your name now:

Stripping the Maasai of their voting rights is the latest horror in a years-long government campaign to marginalise, displace, and impoverish the Maasai pastoralists in Tanzania.

They’ve simply erased 11 voting wards in the Ngorongoro district – where over 100,000 Maasai are registered! It will take a major global outcry for the Tanzanian government to reverse course – and that’s exactly what we can help achieve.

Let’s stand with the Maasai and make sure they are back on the rolls before local elections take place in November - add your name now:

Our community has held the line against the erasure of the Maasai people before. Together we ensured that the voices of Maasai elders were heard in the global press, we funded documentation and local resistance, and we’ve spoken up against the Tanzanian government’s barrage of discriminatory policies. Let’s come together to make a difference once again – and support the Maasai in their fight for survival.

With hope and determination,

Liliana, Alice, Pascal, Nate, Antonia, Laura, and the rest of the Avaaz team

More information: 

• Tanzanian government faces backlash over Maasai voters’ exclusion (DownToEarth)
• Tanzania wants to evict Maasai for wildlife – but they’re fighting back (Al Jazeera)
• Tanzania: Plan for Maasai removal putting people at risk (DW)