I cannot read about one more refugee family drowning in the ocean at Europe’s doors — not one single more mother losing her kids to hunger, or one more tiny child watching his parents die at sea. My heart is broken, and as long as I watch the news, I can’t stop crying.

But yesterday, a ray of hope came — after Iceland refused to take in more than a pitiful 50 refugees, one author asked her Facebook followers to offer to host a refugee family.  A shocking 10,000 people responded opening the doors to their homes.

This is exactly how we rise to this moment in history. We say to our leaders, we reject your politics of xenophobia and we say to our brothers and sisters, Welcome Home.

We can lead our leaders, who are putting up fences and pulling up drawbridges. Show them our hearts and doors, all over the world, are open to those who need safe haven.

But the numbers need to be truly massive — to force EU governments to stop making excuses, we need every Avaaz member to sign and then share the pledge everywhere, on Facebook, Twitter, via email, wherever you can think — Sign the Welcome Home pledge and share it.

Mia Cambronero, Avaaz Senior Campaigner