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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

WHAT IS THE REAL REASON WE KICK OUT GAYS FROM THE SERVICE OF THE COUNTRY?

Justice and freedom are the ultimate things
that we can have
and make sure others have



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Uploaded by milkywaystar

The text at youtube from milkywaystar

On October 6, 2008 it will be ten years since Matthew Shepard was the victim of a violent anti-gay hate crime on the outskirts Laramie, Wyoming. On October 12, 2008 it will be ten years since Matthew Shepard succumbed to the atrocious injuries he incurred.

At the conclusion of one of his killer's trials on November 4, 1999, Matthew's father, Dennis, delivered this speech in court.

This is a partial re-enactment/dramatazation from the actual speech and is an audio excerpt from the 2002 HBO film "The Laramie Project" in which Terry Kinney played the part of Dennis Shepard.

Another very moving delivery of this speech as seen on a stage setting, performed by Cory Richards, can be found here

Mr. Shepard's full speech/statement can be read here

To learn more about what can be done, please visit Matthew Shepard

Many states have their own hate crimes legislation, but there are several that do not. It has been a long battle to try to a get a federal bill that includes LGBT citizens and we're not there yet -- please write your senators and congressperson to let them know it is important. Senator Kennedy has been spearheading a bill and has been doing a great job. The cause must continue.

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Click post title to hear Elton John speak about Matthew.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell is a denial of justice and freedom.

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Friday, September 24, 2010

COACH MARK HAMMEL - I AM LOOKING FOR HIS PLAYERS


Coach Hammel

Coach Mark Hammel coached basketball at Union Township School in Huntington, Indiana and starting in 1958, he was the head basketball coach at the new Columbia City Joint High School. I am looking for players, students, student teachers ~ who have a story about Coach Hammel. I am Sandra Hammel, his daughter. You can join us at Facebook Coach-Hammels-Players-Columbia-City-Indiana

My father passed away May 10, 2007. He wanted to write a book called Why Coach? which centered around the reason for coaching being to make a difference in young people's lives. So, I am looking for stories that would make this point. If possible, a collection of stories would then be a tribute to him and make his dream come true. The Columbia City Indiana Post and Mail newspaper has accepted the idea to publish an article about this as soon as I write it.

You may email me at CoachHammel1924@aol.com

See this previous post for some pictures of CCJHS basketball
Coach Hammel had lasting impact

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KNOW IT NOW ~ BIG BUSINESS, HUGE BUSINESS, IS SMALL BUSINESS IN USA

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


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MONTH TEN, DAY TEN, YEAR 2010 - ONE DAY ON EARTH

If you haven't heard of the One Day on Earth project, it's time you did. On October 10th (10.10.10), people in every nation of the world will be documenting a topic that matters most to them over a one day period to contribute to a unique film and archive. Participants that contribute one minute or more will receive the film for free and access to the non-commercial downloadable archive. Subscribe to the Vimeo channel and sign up to participate one day on earth

Founded in 2008, ONE DAY ON EARTH is creating an online community, shared archive, and film. Together, we will showcase the amazing diversity, conflict, tragedy, and triumph that occur in one day. They invite you to join our international community of thousands of filmmakers, hundreds of schools, and dozens of non-profits, and contribute to this unique global mosaic. Through the One Day on Earth platform, we will establish a community that not only watches, but participates.

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One Day on Earth Participant Trailer from One Day On Earth on Vimeo.


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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

YOU KNOW WHAT I LOVE? THINGS THAT TOUCH THE SOUL

A River Runs Through It

One of my weaknesses, is that I love things so much that I can't winnow things down that I love. The time-consuming effort disinterests me. Not winnowing down to a more enticing presentation however may keep others from checking what I have to say. So, in the end it is helpful.

I love this movie. And after spending much time searching youtube for the scene where the surviving son and father discuss the murdered son, I don't come up with that scene. But I come up with all of these scenes.

The line I wanted to share had to do with the son saying that he didn't know his brother other than he was a fisherman. And his father responds, "Yes, you do. You know that he was beautiful." At least that is what I remember is said.
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"At that moment, surely and clearly, I knew that I was witnessing perfection."

Go to youtube of these videos by clicking on the video here.
Sometimes, it is better to go to YT to view them, as the sizes are better.
The above video is one of those.

This clip includes the beginning that the second video omits.
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"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters. "

In German

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William Wordsworth
Ode to Intimations of Immortality



A River Runs Through It


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HEATH LEDGER ~ GENTLE SOUL ANCHORED IN OURS

I revisited The Four Feathers - a favorite Heath Ledger movie of mine. I am repeatedly amazed at how young he was when The Four Feathers was being shot...and how impressed I am with his ability to make me want to simply watch him. Short life, long on talent and genuineness.

I love this version of a Venice interview with Heath Ledger. It is uploaded by Jadranko23
No embed was available. So click your way to youtube.

It is a great job by the interviewer. Heath absorbs the essence of the interviewer in my mind and out comes a reflection of how authentic he feels that person is. It shows in every interview I have watched of him. Heath's comfort level is transparent - when he senses the interviewer's authenticity, honesty and thoughtfulness - he loses some of his discomfort and nervousness that crops up with an interviewer that doesn't provide that grounding or platform to express.

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Todd Haynes talks about his movie " I'm Not There" Uploaded by geraniumkisses

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Click the post title for an interview with Heath about the movie, Two Hands

Am I Blue?
"...You'd be too if each plan with your man done fell through..."

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Friday, September 17, 2010

COACH HAMMEL HAD A LASTING IMPACT

Coach Hammel
Columbia City, Indiana
To enlarge ~ click on the pictures
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Back Home Again in Indiana

sung by Straight No Chaser

Uploaded by mikado95


1959-60
Columbia City Joint High School
Sectional Winners

From the back of 1959-60 poster picture
Coach Hammel's writing

1960-61
Columbia City Joint High School

My dad left planet Earth May 10, 2010 at 10:05 a.m. while he was on the telephone with me - he in Indiana, me in Rhode Island. I would have been there, had I known he was waiting to die soon. My dad gave me a close up look at someone who lived with authenticity. So, I hold him dearly in my heart.

Dad wanted so much to write a book and have it published. He had a title and had written some of it. The title was to be "Why Coach?" He wanted to tell stories about the importance of making a difference in young players lives, not by teaching them techniques and skills of ball playing, but by utilizing the sport to get to the heart of the players.

I recorded his memorial funeral service. And I hope to get it in a format to be able to share. The community newspaper sportswriter, Roger Metzger, who wrote during dad's career and a basketball player,


Keith Doudt (pictured above with Dad) spoke and made moving contributions to the ceremony.


I feel so blessed to have been the one to be "present" with dad when he let go. I have that connection and it is so precious to me. I consider this a gift that he gave to me.


Months ago I was googling and went to the high school website where I attended high school.


Dad was a teacher and coach there. And I found this alumni page, which had an email address for one of dad's basketball players. I wrote and he wrote back. I share his email below with his permission.


1962-63
Columbia City Joint High School

Sectional Winners


A Tribute from Mike Barnes

A Flying Golden Eagle


Coach Mark Hammel

Sent: Mon, Jun 28, 2010
Subject: Coach Hammel



...When I saw the pictures of your dad, it brought back a flood of wonderful memories.


Columbia City Joint High School gymnasium

now called Columbia City High School

Photo taken in 2007


Photo taken in 1959

First tip off in the new CCJHS gym


Your dad influenced my life for eternity. He is the primary reason I became a teacher and a coach. I would like to share an experience with you that I had with your father. I came home from school and basketball practice one evening, and my dad was very upset with what people in the bleachers were saying about me during games. He planned on never coming to anymore of my games, because he was being embarrassed. I didn’t try to reason with my dad, but your dad had told me that if I ever needed him I was supposed to call him. I talked with my mom. Dad was not somebody that I “talked” with. That is not a criticism of my dad that is just the way it was.


1963-64
Columbia City Joint High School

Sectional Winners

The names provided by Mike Barnes ~

The cheerleaders from left to right: Judy Manter, Sylvia Binkley, Judy Johnson and Joanne Bates. The mascot cheerleader: Rhonda Johnson. The first row of players from left to right: Randy Cook, Mike Barnes, Rich Mills, Mike McCoy and Tony Smith. The second row of players from left to right: Tom Smith, Harry Staley, Jeff Culp, Tom Roe and Jack Stellhorn. The managers are Danny Worrick by Coach George Kind and George Hertzel by Coach Mark Hammel. Mike Barnes number was 22 for home games and 23 for away games. Thank you, Mike!


❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

To make a long story short, although we had a phone, I went next door to the neighbors and called your dad. As it turned out, he wasn’t home. I talked with your mother, and coach was at a meeting, but she would give him the message. Your dad came to my house that night around 9:30, and he sat at the kitchen table, and talked to my mom and dad about how important and valuable I was to our team. It was close to midnight when coach left. My dad never missed a game. When I walked out to the car to say goodbye to your dad, I thanked him and I told him that I loved him. That very night I decided what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Also, your dad planted seeds about the Lord that opened my eyes about a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life.


The last time I saw coach was at my father-in-laws funeral in Columbia City in May of 2001. It was great to see him. I will never forget the positive impact your dad had on my life......


Please give my best to your family, and thank you Sandy for sharing your dad with us.


Sincerely,


Mike (Barnes)

CCJHS class of ‘64


Photo taken in 2007


Second email ~


When I was writing about your dad’s influence in my life, I had tears in my eyes. If you want to post my story about your dad, you have my permission to use my name. ……I had a very surprising call from your mother several years ago. She put your dad on the phone, and we talked about the book he was writing or going to write. He told me I would be in the book. One of the greatest compliments I ever received came indirectly from Dewayne Kline, who had played for your dad. Dewayne said that coach ranked Mike Barnes as one of the 5 best players he had ever coached. I know Bill Schwartz was # 1, but I was shocked to learn that your dad thought I was one of his best players. I don’t think I have shared that information with anyone else. We had a great talk that Sunday evening after your mom turned the phone over to coach. That was the last time I heard his voice. Becky’s mom sent me his obituary. I would have loved to have been at any funeral or memorial service honoring “Coach Hammel.” As a coach for 30 years, my last sentence in the previous e-mail is a gigantic “thank you”, because I know the time away from family coaching requires. Your dad will always be in my heart.


Sincerely,


Mike


I tried to find pictures which included Mike Barnes but after a few hours of searching, I have had to give up as it is nearly 2:00 a.m. Maybe, they were in the external hard drive that died.


Update ~ Found the pictures! These are pictures actually of poster-size pictures. It is likely that the actual posters have since been thrown out. So I am so excited to share them here.


Columbia City Joint High School

Basketball Varsity Team

Photo credit: South Bend Tribune

I believe this picture is of 1964 Regional Champions


Previous posts about dad - Coach Hammel

slingin-sammy-baugh-and-my-dad-played...


This post has several links to others of my posts about dad at the very bottom
though-my-dad-died-he-lives-on

The lake dad created and the house he built
while still coaching basketball
at Columbia City Joint High School

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Louis Armstrong plays

Back Home Again in Indiana

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DYING BY LACK OF CARING FROM PEOPLE ON PLANET EARTH - THAT IS THE SITUATION FOR THE DARFURI PEOPLE

I am trying to get the Pell Center in Newport, Rhode Island to sponsor Darfuri Mohamed Yahya as a speaker. The director of the Pell Center accepted the idea, then he resigned and now I am not sure what will happen. I just learned that the Pell Center is choosing their speakers by committee. This may make it difficult. As the previous director knew of me and my work and the committee does not.

This is my attempt tonight ~

Dear Michele and Pell Center "team",

I cannot convey in typed words why I care so much about ending, preventlng genocide and our response to it - or in our case as a country and international community, our lack of response to it.

This post/article by Eric Reeves is an example of why I care so much about this as a human being who lives on this planet while a genocide has been going on since 2003 on the Darfuri people....unarmed families.

I hope you and your team will take the time to read this. This is a humanity-defining issue. It says who we are as human beings....that we allow this to go on. We aren't truly free until all are free and this young boy that died by drowning in a refugee camp certainly is more free now than he was while living "on our watch".

I certainly hope you will consider having Darfuri Mohamed Yahya come and speak at the Pell Center. I have attached his bio and included a youtube video link where he talks with VOA's Ndimyake Mwakalyelye. Mohamed speaks near the beginning and later on the video link, which I include here

And here is the link to Radio Dabanga where he works: radio dabanga


Thank you for your humanity and consideration.

Sandra Hammel

“The Death of ‘Ahmed’ of Kassab Camp,” Dissent Magazine (on-line), February 15, 2010
Eric Reeves

The young boy from Kassab Camp is unnamed, unidentified except by the name of his camp. He drowned last week, and notice came only in the form of a brief announcement from Radio Dabanga
, which has sources throughout Darfur:

“A boy died by drowning in Kassab Camp in North Darfur on Saturday. Several houses collapsed in the camp after heavy rains that fell on the region. A source said that dozens of displaced families are in the open after the loss of their homes.”

Without this notice from one of the world’s more obscure news sources, the boy’s anonymity would have been complete—joining the hundreds of thousands who have perished in similar anonymity over the past eight years. And perhaps I should be more concerned about the “dozens of displaced families”—potentially hundreds of civilians—exposed in North Darfur during the very height of the rainy season, facing ominously high malnutrition rates. But there are times when I find the world’s inability to look with any particularity at the human suffering and destruction in Darfur a cause for rage, for a desperate urge to make this suffering and destruction into a recognizable, an undeniable, an inescapably disturbing portrait. So I will construct an all too plausible history for this boy from Kassab Camp, and his place in Darfur’s ongoing agony.

I’ll call him Ahmed, and he is twelve years old; he has been in Kassab for the past six years. He arrived in summer 2004, at the height of the genocidal violence, having seen his village destroyed and losing most of his family. His ten-year-old sister and mother were gang-raped by the Janjaweed in front of all the village men, including his father, who was later killed. His mother survives, but has been nearly disabled by the trauma of the gang-raping and loss of her husband; his sister died a painful death from the fistula that developed following the tearing of her vagina and anus. His younger brother was killed in the attack; he is not sure whether his older brothers are alive or dead. His nights are haunted by dreams of violence he cannot understand or escape.

He has had few, perhaps no educational opportunities, and recreational resources are nonexistent; the minimal psycho-social services for his mother disappeared when Khartoum expelled thirteen humanitarian organizations in March 2009. He has been increasingly hungry as the UN World Food Program cuts rations to half the minimum kilocalorie diet; malnutrition is rising in North Darfur and food has become too expensive for him or his mother to purchase. She is unable to work, and Ahmed has been too young to compete for the few jobs available in or near the camp. Daily life before his death was defined by hunger, a lack of properly maintained latrines, inadequate shelter against this summer’s slashing rains (August and September are the two rainiest months of the season), and fear. At times he has suffered from an unbearable loneliness and sadness.

His vision of the future is no more than a version of the past six years. As part of this vision, Ahmed is all too aware of the marauding presence of the Janjaweed militia, who have made travel outside Kassab too dangerous (they have military quarters just a few kilometers away), and the protection nominally provided by the UN peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) is widely regarded as a grim joke within the camp. Continual low-level conflict among the equally deprived camp residents is a source of continual anxiety for Ahmed. A renewed military offensive begun earlier this year by Khartoum and the Janjaweed in nearby Jebel Marra has created many more displaced persons; and Kassab, already inadequate to the needs of its more than 30,000 residents, has become dangerously overcrowded. A camp leader told Radio Dabanga in early June of this year that, “People [in Kassab] suffer from food shortages and water shortages with the influx of new migrants to the camp.” Things have only grown worse in the past three months.

Ahmed also senses a growing fear that Kassab itself may be attacked at some point, as Khartoum ratchets up plans to dismantle the camps and forcibly return displaced persons to villages without security, or to as yet unconstructed “new villages.” Indeed, two years ago Nicholas Kristof posted a dispatch from a visitor to Kassab:

“As I write this, Kassab camp (North Darfur) home to 25,000 unarmed civilians and the location of Darfur Peace and Development Organization’s women’s center, is under attack by Janjaweed forces. I spent time in the camp and know many people there. What do we do? Rebel forces are too distant and under-equipped to defend Kassab. UNAMID has only a small presence there. Who will be dead tomorrow?”

“Who will be dead tomorrow?” The question, even unarticulated, has haunted Ahmed as he watches his mother’s mental health deteriorate and people he has known die from one cause or another.

In March 2007, the UN’s most senior humanitarian official, John Holmes, attempted to visit Kassab. As the BBC journalist traveling with him reported:

“The UN’s new emergency relief coordinator John Holmes has been turned away from a camp in Darfur for those fleeing the Sudanese conflict. The UN envoy was refused entry by Sudanese soldiers to Kassab camp in northern Darfur, says the BBC’s Karen Allen, who is travelling with him. In the past six months the BBC has reported on mass rapes of women and young girls at the camp.... Within hours of arriving in Darfur, Mr Holmes was stopped at a checkpoint. His convoy was sent back and television groups covering the visit had their video tapes confiscated, our correspondent says.”

Ahmed perhaps heard rumors of an important foreigner who might help Kassab, and perhaps bring protection, help for his mother, and more food and clean water. The bitter anger of the camps residents at the impotence of the African Union force (which would become the UN/African Union force [UNAMID] on January 1, 2008) would have been palpable, if largely incomprehensible.

Even more incomprehensible to Ahmed are the questions continually posed by his elders: “Where is the international community?” “Where is a real UN peacekeeping force?” “Why have we been abandoned?” Ahmed knows virtually nothing of the world that has so resolutely refused to see him or end the suffering of his people.

So the ignorance is mutual: the world that knows nothing of Ahmed or his death has created only the most tenuous presence in his own life. He can’t feel gratitude for the humanitarian assistance that alone has stood between him and death; although unable to say as much, his life barely seems worth living. When the heavy rains washed away his no doubt inadequate shelter, his last thoughts before drowning were not of the help that did not arrive, they were not even of his family. I imagine them simply as the confused, terrified culmination of six years of suffering and deprivation that he had come to believe was his lot in life.

For all the Ahmeds who remain, or who have already perished, this assessment is all too true.
[Eric Reeves is author of A Long Day’s Dying: Critical Moments in the Darfur Genocide]

_____________________________
Eric Reeves
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063

ereeves@smith.edu

www.sudanreeves.org



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Email from Mohamed Yahya ~
-----Original Message-----
From: Mohamed Yahya
To: Sandra Hammel
Subject: Re: Speaking in Rhode Island
Dear Sandra,


Thank you so much again for our excellent efforts trying to connect us and make the upcoming event possible.

I'm very excited to hear about these good news. I will be honored to go and speak to your Community or the Congregation when possible. I'm sending you my bio that needed to updated by adding very few things..such as my recent nomination for the "2010 Dan David Pulitzer Prize". However, you can added the way you want. Even though I wasn't fortunate enough to compete with the top world leaders, such as the Italian president, Britain Tony Blair and other most Influential leaders and Actors..But I'm still proud to be one of the nominees..anyway..

I just wanted to let you know that I just arrived from a short trip to Boston, where I was invited to speak at one of the Universities about Darfur. I thought I passed through your area during my visit if you are from that Rhode Island...If so I really wished to meet you but the limited time given me no chance. I hope to see you next time soon...

Please keep up your good work forward and say Hi and thank you to Dr. Peter Liotta.


I will look forward to talk to you a bout anything else soon. Please let me know if there any questions.


Keep your good work forward.


Thank you.


Mohamed Yahya


BIO of Mohamed Yahya

Mohamed Adam Yahya is a refugee from the Darfur region of Sudan and is the founder and Executive Director of Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy. From 1995 to 2005, he was Chairman and spokesman of the Representatives of the Massaleit Community in Exile, which was the first human rights group to alert the international community to human rights abuses in western Sudan.

Mr. Yahya was born in a small village east of Al-Geneina, the capital of Darmassaleit (West Darfur state). Both as a child and adult, he experienced the brutal racism that permeates Sudanese society. In 1993, his village witnessed the first attacks of the Sudanese government's Arab militia raiders, known as janjaweed. Yahya's home was completely decimated and most of his relatives and neighbors were shot, raped, or burned alive in their huts. Yahya was studying at Al-Azhar University in Cairo at the time his village was destroyed. He received word that his parents were safe, but he lost 21 other family members. He subsequently began to receive firsthand reports of the terrible crimes that were being committed by the Sudanese government and its proxy force, the janjaweed.

It quickly became apparent to Yahya that Sudan's ruling regime was engaged in a campaign to rid western Sudan of its black African ethnic population. Yahya and other Sudanese students living in Cairo sought to alert the international community to the humanitarian crisis that had begun to unfold. In 1995, they formed the Representatives of the Massaleit Community in Exile (RMCE). The RMCE's founding members came from many different ethnic Sudanese backgrounds including the Massaleit, Fur, Dajo, Zagawa, Bargo, Gimir, Tama, Berty, Barno, and Meme, in addition to people from the Nuba Mountains, southern Sudan and elsewhere.

Believing that the pen is mightier than the sword, the RMCE sought to protect the people of Darfur through peaceful means, including advocacy and public education. With no financial resources, Yahya and other members of the RMCE began this work by writing reports and circulating them on foot to all the international embassies in Cairo. Their first major open letter to the international community, "The Hidden Slaughter and Ethnic Cleansing in Western Sudan,” was distributed this way in 1999. Over the next couple of years it was widely referenced by the United Nations General Assembly and Secretary-General Kofi Annan, along with organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. In this way, Yahya and other members of the RMCE were the first people to awaken the world to the unfolding genocide in Darfur.

Between 1999 and 2003, working in Cairo with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Yahya and the RMCE were also able to sponsor more than 20,000 refugees from various parts of Sudan. They helped ensure that nearly 95% of the people fleeing Sudan received political asylum and resettlement in Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States.

In 2002, fearing reprisal from the Sudanese government for his humanitarian and advocacy work, Yahya sought political asylum in the United States. After his relocation to Charlottesville, Virginia, Yahya founded Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy, in order to continue and expand on the work of the RM

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Reuters reports

Darfur attack survivors tell of brutal killings

September 17, 2010

By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Darfuri men were shot dead at point blank range during a surprise Arab militia raid on a busy market this month in which at least 39 people were killed and almost 50 injured, eyewitnesses said on Friday.

The attack on civilians was reminiscent of the early years of the counter-insurgency operation in Sudan's west, which took up arms against the government in 2003, complaining that the region had been neglected by Khartoum

The International Criminal Court in The Hague has since issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for genocide and war crimes in Darfur, charges he denies.

Details of the September 2 attack on the market in the village of Tabarat have not previously come to light. The government prevented peacekeepers from visiting the site until days later.

But five survivors of the attack told Reuters that heavily armed Arab militia had targeted male victims and shot many at point blank range.

One diplomat said the militia were likely from among those armed and mobilised by the government to quell the rebels. Those militia, known as Janjaweed, were responsible for mass rape, murder and looting. Many of the tribal militia still support the government but Khartoum has lost control over some.

In Tabarat, men were rounded up by militia wearing military uniforms who rode into the market on horses and camels pretending to be buying goods before spraying the shops with gunfire. Then vehicles mounted with machine guns and carrying militia fighters appeared and rounded up some of the men, survivors said.

"They laid them down and they came up close and shot them in their heads," Abakr Abdelkarim, 45, told Reuters by telephone from the town of Tawilla, where many of the victims had sought refuge and medical help.

"(Those killed) were all men and one woman -- some men were tied with rope behind the cars and dragged until they died."

RUN FOR HIS LIFE

Adam Saleh said he had run for his life and hidden in nearby fields to watch from afar. "They were targeting men -- all of them were shot in the head and chest, only those who were running away got shot in their legs and arms."

Nour Abdallah, 45, said the attackers let most of the women run away. She could not escape and so lay face down in the dirt. "They told me not to lift my head up or I would be shot too."

Saleh and others said after the attack they had gone to the joint U.N.-African Union (UNAMID) peacekeeping base in Tawilla to ask peacekeepers to come to Tabarat but they had refused.

"They also refused to come and help us recover the bodies," Saleh added.

UNAMID has said both rebels and the government prevented it getting access to the area.

A UNAMID spokesman said he could not comment on the witness reports but an internal document seen by Reuters showed UNAMID had received similar witness reports of men being executed.

The only aid agency working in Tawilla, Medecins Sans Frontieres, said it could confirm 39 people died and it had treated 46 injured, many with "serious gunshot wounds".

"We saw only men," said MSF head of mission Alessandro Tuzza. He said he could not comment on how the victims were shot but that MSF was still negotiating with the government to get access to the area in North Darfur province.

The witnesses said they had buried 41 bodies in common graves but more were still in the bushes around the market.

Sudan's army denied involvement in the attack and said the local government was investigating. "The North Darfur government have formed a security committee to investigate this."

Presidential adviser Ghazi Salaheddin visited the area on Friday on a fact-finding mission.

Kidnapping and violent banditry have become frequent in Darfur where years of impunity and the ready availability of arms have fuelled a breakdown in law and order, with foreign workers targeted for abductions even in the main towns.

Bashir expelled 13 of the largest aid agencies working in Darfur after the ICC arrest warrant last year and many gaps in the humanitarian operation have yet to be filled.

"We are begging the international aid agencies to come and give us food, water. We have women and children here sitting in the sun for days with no shelter. We have nothing," said Abdelkarim.

More ~ As-Obama-offers-to-meet-Sudan-leaders-culture-of-mistrust-grips-Khartoum

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RAFAEL NADAL US OPEN 2010 WINNER - GOLDEN GRAND SLAM WINNER

Rafa's Press Conference after his victory of US Open 2010

Golden Grand Slam Winner - Rafa Nadal!
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Rafa's mother
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Thursday, September 16, 2010

CELEBRATING RAFAEL NADAL'S HARD WORK


Rafa Nadal
US Open 2010 Final Victory
Photo credit: Al Bello


US Open 2010 Final Victory
Photo credit: Al Bello

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Uploaded by Midnightsnack09
Myuen sent this to me in an email as she posted it to celebrate Rafa's hard work and success. So I share it here. Doubel click the video to go to Youtube and view it on a larger YT screen. Thanks to Myuen.

And Rafa, too!

Rafa has a recipe for you

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Uploaded by danitrack

Rafa answered my question on his Times Online blog. I am the Sandra with the question about the banana. They cut out many of my words. Here is what I really wrote:

Hello Rafa,

We are rooting for you sitting in front of our TV and computer screens. I always have the TV and the computer streaming of your matches on at the same time. TV always cuts to commercial, but online streaming doesn't, so we get to watch changeovers. My question is about bananas. At changeovers, you take a bite of banana. Do you only eat bananas during matches? : )


Sandra Hammel
Rhode Island, USA

Here are the questions and answers

The final? It's tough but I learned to cope with pressure as a youngster

Rafael Nadal

You're such a down-to-earth person who meets lots of famous people from many different professions during your travels, do you ever get star struck (overawed or shy) if you meet someone famous that you have never met before and have admired for a long time? Juliette

Not really. Obviously there are people I want to meet and so on but not really because they are stars or anything like it.

Is there any photo in particular that you have seen and thought "Wow that really is a great photo of me"? :) Bee

Yes many of them. I am lucky that the photographers give Benito pictures and he puts them afterward in my computer. I have many of them and they are great.

Did you see the Bryan brothers blog where they moved your headband in the locker room? Did you notice it had moved? Cedrine

Hahahaa. No, not really. They are funny sometimes

The promo tape of you and Roger talking about the exhibition match for his foundation was very funny. Are there any plans for such a match to be played in Majorca for your foundation? Sandra

Top secret :-)

I am a nervous person so was wondering how do you cope with nerves during tense moments in a match? Fay

This is something you learn and you practice since you are young. And you keep learning always.
At changeovers, you take a bite of banana. Do you only eat bananas during matches? Sandra Yes and some proteins. But not much.

Do the noisy planes ever bother you at the US Open? They seem to come so close to the stadium! Have you flown over Flushing Meadows in one plane? Chavela Maria

Nope. Not really.

Rafa's post:


Thank you to the readers of my lucky blog

Rafael Nadal

Hello everyone,
This last post might come 1) late for some and 2) as a surprise for others. The truth is that I should have sent it through yesterday but as I landed in Madrid I thought about writing it at my hotel room. But I was really tired. I couldn't sleep much in the airplane during the flight and as I landed I had a press conference and went straight to the hotel to bed ... Sorry about that. Then I went to see last night Real Madrid against Ajax and enjoyed coming down to the pitch and salute all fans.
Well, I am back at home and wanted to take the chance to thank all of you who follow this blog. I said this was my lucky blog and there you go, I managed to win the US Open.
Many thanks and hope to be back soon.
Rafa


Rafa's final round of Q & A

I feel proud to win, but don't compare me to Federer

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal answers his final set of questions after a triumphant fortnight at Flushing Meadows.

How does it feel to become the seventh Grand Slam winner in history? Charlene

It feels great. Probably better today than two days ago since I have had the chance to think more about it. I am really happy and proud!

How did you cope with the rain delay? What did you do to pass the time? Z Young

We are used to it. I was playing well, had confidence on my game and the way I was playing so it was not as bad as initially you can think. I simply thought about mistakes and tried to improve.

Will you also have your own tournament in Spain like Novak Djokovic has in Serbia? Cedrine

I don't think so but you never know.

Will a DVD be made of your match with Roger Federer to be sold for charity? Ros W

You will have to ask Carlos about it. I am not aware of it.

Do you think you can beat Roger's total of 16 grand-slam wins? Nik

I don't think so. What Roger has done is very big and difficult to achieve.

Do you really think you will never be better than Federer? Harry G

Yes I do. But I can also say that I will try to keep improving.

Novak Djokovic said "You’re the best" after your win. What's the nicest compliment you have ever been given? Caroline D

We have a great relationship. He is really a nice guy and I thank him for his words. This is probably one of the nicest things I have ever heard, specially since it came right after the final at the press conference too.

What will you do to celebrate? Danesh

I am finally back home and will celebrate with my friends and family simply doing a normal life.


Fan sites where you can get great Rafa news
as well as read in specific threads the Times Online Rafa blog posts
from the US Open 2010

Vamos Brigade
Rafa's Babolat-sponsored forum
It is free to register at these sites and then you can read at your heart's content.
These two fan sites are a great source of up-to-date information


Join Us at Facebook
RAFA-NADAL-BRING-BACK-LONG-PANTS-SLEEVELESS-TOPS

Rafa on facebook

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The Winning Ending
Uploaded by andreyro97

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Uploaded by USOPEN

Click on post title for video of June 2009 - Vogue Shoot

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Uploaded by ATPWorldTour

Two videos originally on this post have been moved to
rafael-nadal-us-open-2010-winner-golden-grand-slam-winner

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ONE DAY ON EARTH - COLLABORATION TO SAY WHO WE ARE ON PLANET EARTH

This sounds so cool ~ this message arrived in an email today from Vimeo

One Day On Earth

If you haven't heard of the One Day on Earth project, it's time you did. On October 10th (10.10.10), people in every nation of the world will be documenting a topic that matters most to them over a 1 day period to contribute to a unique film and archive. Participants that contribute 1 minute or more will receive the film for free and access to the non-commercial downloadable archive. If you're game for a cool, easy and history-making project to participate in, this is the one for you.

Join the United Nations, over 40 non-profits and many award winning cinematographers. Subscribe to the Vimeo channel and sign up to participate.



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One Day on Earth - Original Trailer from One Day On Earth on Vimeo.


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On the day 10.10.10, October 1, 2010, for an unprecedented event. Every Nation, 24 hours and You...

...Across the planet, documentary filmmakers, students, and inspired citizens will record the human experience over a 24-hour period. By participating in this historic event, you will help capture the diversity of life and culture on this planet. Together we will create a document that is a gift to the world.

One Day on Earth is a documentary and new media project about the amazing diversity, conflict, tragedy, and triumph that occurs in one 24-hour period on Earth. More than a film, One Day on Earth is a multi-platform participatory media project. The flagship of this project is a 120-minute documentary to be released theatrically. Through the One Day on Earth platform we will establish a community that not only watches, but participates.

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One Day on Earth Participant Trailer from One Day On Earth on Vimeo.


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Comment by One Day on Earth at this video at vimeo is the following

The accessible archive will be downloaded by participants (non commercial, with credit)-- create your own One Day on Earth or explore a topic of interest!

Founded as a grassroots movement in 2008(we started this 20 months before Life in a Day was announced), we have also created an interactive online community to further encourage collaboration across our thousands of international participants (via our partnerships, we are able to collaborate with filmmakers in EVERY country in the world, including regions that are normally inaccessible).

Participants can also create video that directly helps media creation for a cause via our “Cause” section on the website; and we have created an extensive educational program to teach media literacy to students across the globe.

one day on earth
website
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CV Interview With Kyle from One Day On Earth on Vimeo.


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What is Participatory Media? Click on post title to see

The following is from Creative Visions Foundation website
They are collaborating with One Day on Earth

Creative Visions ~ Who We Are

Our Mission, Our History, Our Inspiration

Creative Visions Foundation supports "Creative Activists,"
individuals who use the power of media and the arts to create positive change in the world.




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