PROVIDENCE OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY ON BEHALF OF DARFUR AND SPEAKING TO CHINA

I DID SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE AND IS WAY OUTSIDE THE BOX OF MY COMFORTABILITY RANGE. I organized for the DREAM FOR DARFUR campaign a Torch Relay and Ceremony for my state of Rhode Island. As an activist for the people of Darfur, I want the slaughter, maiming, raping, starving, terrorizing them, the burning of their villages to end. I want the human beings on the planet who have freedoms to stand up and speak out and pressure those who have the leverage to influence Sudan to stop the genocide on the Darfuri people. Edwin Mutanguha, left, from Rwanda, passes a torch to his brother Edward Mutanguha, both freshman at Salve Regina University, on the steps of the Statehouse in Providence, R.I., during the symbolic 'Dream for Darfur Olympic Torch Relay', Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007. Rhode Island Darfur activists held the Providence leg of the torch relay which will happen in combination with 60 torch relays across the United States. A peace conference in Libya is part of an international effort to try to end over four years of fighting that have killed more than 200,000 people in Sudan's western region of Darfur. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)

Murakoze Edward and Edwin!

On the right in the back is Channel 12 news who interviewed Edwin Mutanguha.
I missed our event on television Saturday night and all day Sunday
when I hear it aired repeatedly.

Walking up the South Side of the Rhode Island Statehouse

The Providence leg of the symbolic Olympic Torch Relay took place last Saturday, October 27, 2007 - the same day that Libyan leader, Moammar Gadhafi, had so-called Peace Talks in Sirte, Libya for the Darfur situation. Call me a cynic, but I don't have faith in Moammar Gadhafi. And I have no faith in Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir who "says" there will be a cease-fire. I don't know how he can say there will be a cease-fire on his government's behalf, because he has always claimed that they weren't "firing" any weapons. How do you stop what you aren't doing?


Our Torch Relay event was a part of the on-going symbolic Dream for Darfur Olympic Torch Relay that is currently traveling to more than 60 cities across the United States, as well as the international Torch Relays that have already taken place and will take place before the Beijing, China Olympics open next summer.

Edward Mutanguha leading us around the Rhode Island Statehouse to the north side for the Ceremony on the plaza side.

In the summer of 2008, athletes from around the world will be competing at the XXIX Olympics in Beijing, China. The theme of these games – "One World, One Dream". But the world is asking: Can the Olympic Games truly stand for "One World, One Dream" while China is underwriting the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan? China buys more than $2 billion worth of oil from Sudan. The Khartoum regime has used much of its oil wealth to commit mass atrocities in Darfur, including arming militias that are attacking villages. In addition to being empowered by an influential voice on the United Nations Security Council, China continues to import 70% of Sudan’s oil. With those funds Sudan purchases weapons from China, which are used to commit genocide on the people of Darfur.

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From Our Providence Torch Relay's Torch Lighting at Waterplace Park
What Was Said...

We meet here to stand with the people of Darfur. We honor the Darfuri families, who live with injustice with every breath they take. Instead of participating in and watching the Olympics of Beijing, China next summer, they will be living under a tree, piece of plastic or makeshift shelter. After a moment of silence - we will walk the unlit symbolic Olympic torch to the front of the Fidelity Office where we will light it. (Fidelity Investment Company takes American citizens' mutual funds and invests in Chinese oil companies, PetroChina and Sinopec, in Sudan - thereby funding the genocide with USA citizens money.) The gong will be struck 8 times to signify the beginning of our Torch Relay on behalf of the Darfur people, who should be included in the Beijing, China Olympics, whose chosen theme is ONE WORLD, ONE DREAM. The number 8, Chinese number, ba, is considered the luckiest number. It is no coincidence that the Summer Olympics in Beijing will open on 8/ 8/08 at 8:00 p.m. While our symbolic Olympic torch was lit, the three statements were said in unity:

€ This flame honors those who have been lost and those who suffer.
€ This flame celebrates the courage of those who have survived.
€ This flame symbolizes the hope we share for an end to the violence in Darfur and an end to genocide everywhere.”

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This ceremony today is a way to address the Darfur crisis – a way to demand that international community takes action now. We choose this Torch Relay as opportunity to tap into the ideals of the Olympics, but also to call on the host of the 2008 Olympics, the government of China, to do more to help end the genocide. Your presence today shows your concern for Darfur – those gathered here are acting in ways our leaders should, but have not. Today, we gather to call on China to take immediate and urgent action on Darfur. All of us here - and joined by activists around the country, and the world - are part of a growing anti-genocide movement – a powerful civil-society force that is working to address the Darfur crisis, and to be powerful and informed enough to address genocide anywhere as unacceptable. There are 60 Torch Relays in 60 cities taking place in the United States over a few months time.

Edward Mutanguha

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While I have been thinking about this day, I remembered when my father invited an Olympic track star to speak at our high school’s annual athletic banquet. I grew up in Indiana and my father was a high school teacher and coach. This track star was the son of a sharecropper and the grandson of a slave. He also was the first American in the history of Olympic Track and Field to win four gold medals in a single Olympics. The story of Jesse Owens is relevant to today’s Torch Relay event. The year that Mr. Owens became world famous was in 1936 at the Berlin Olympics, that are also known as the Hitler Olympics. It is worth noting that on March 22, 1933, the first extermination camp was opened in Dachau, Germany and began its ugly business of committing crimes against humanity that later was called – genocide. So at the same time that the death camps were operating, people and Hitler were sitting in the stands watching the Olympian athletes in Berlin compete. The Olympic Torch Relay as we know it today was actually introduced at the very Olympic games in Berlin in 1936.

Today, the Official Website of the Beijing Torch Relay states “The Olympic Flame is the highest symbol of the Olympic spirit. The Olympic Torch Relay is a celebration of human peace and friendship. Under the guidance of International Olympic Committte, Beijing is working closely with the relay cities around the world, widely promoting the theme of ‘One World, One Dream,’ upholding the torch relay concept that is ‘a journey of harmony’ to make the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay a complete success.”

I dare to say - that complete success is not possible, if the “journey of harmony” is soiled by the lack of extending the theme “One World, One Dream” to Darfur. China needs to use its influence with Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir, to help bring the genocide to an end.

While the Olympics’ host country has the world’s eyes on it, we ask the 2008 Olympic theme to not exclude the Darfuri people, but to include the Darfur people. While it sits on the UN Security Council, China supports the Sudanese government…the government who has been coordinating the genocide in Darfur with the janjaweed for over four and half years with weapons purchased from China. Darfur is a part of the world and needs the Olympic dream desperately.

Like the irony of the Berlin games in 1936, the 2008 Beijing games will have its own irony if China ignores its role in the Darfur genocide.

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Three Things to do were given to the crowd:

1. The current bill in the Senate – SUDAN ACCOUNTABILITY & DIVESTMENT ACT – referred to as S-A-D-A, SADA, must be passed over any Presidential veto. The House sister bill passed 418 to 1. You can help and ask our Senators to sponsor this bill by calling 1 – 800 – GENOCIDE. “We the People” have power that needs to be utilized.

2. Learn about divestment by going to www.Sudandivestment.org or www.investorsagainstgenocide.org

3. Go to www.dreamfordarfur.org to the the “Take Action” page and sign the petition to the International Olympic Committee .

Use Your Voice for people who presently have no voice. Let us not be defined with our inaction or lack of speaking up when the right thing to do is to speak up and until we are understood. Genocide Stops With Us.

We thank you so much for attending the Olympic Dream for Darfur Providence Torch Relay. We use this torch relay to highlight the ideals of the Olympics, while calling on the host of the 2008 Olympics, the government of China, to do more to help end the genocide in Darfur. As you can see, you are part of something powerful and important. We stand here today and call for an end to the Darfur crisis. We know Americans want to help the people of Darfur, and participating in our relay and taking our actions is an important way to do this.

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Submitted for www.savedarfur.org website:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) were the words that began the day.

On October 27, The Providence, Rhode Island Dream for Darfur Torch Relay and Ceremony was welcomed by student and community activists, in spite of the forecast for rain. In Rhode Island’s first opportunity to come together and stand united with people around the world, the message was for the Beijing Olympics theme of “One World, One Dream” to include Darfur in The Dream.

Lighting the torch at the Fidelity Investment Company door, a symbolic Darfur family, the Mays, began the relay after the 50 gathered people cited three statements of solidarity for the Darfur people and 8 gong strikes – the Chinese lucky number - by ten-year old Sara Mays. At the RI Statehouse lawn, Edwin Mutanguha carried the torch up the hillside of steps handing the torch to his twin brother, Edward Mutanguha. Edward carried the torch to the stage at the Statehouse plaza to the song of “Miyela Africa” where the crowd grew to 180. The t-shirts worn by the crowd stated “I CARRY THE TORCH FOR DARFUR”.

Speakers included U.S. RI Representative James Langevin, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Mindy Wachtenheim, Board of Director member of the Holocaust Education and Resource Center in Providence, Rhode Island, Scott Warren, Executive Director of STAND and Sandra Hammel, the Providence organizer. Keynote speakers were twin nineteen year old Rwandans, Edward and Edwin Mutanguha, freshmen at Salve Regina University in Newport.

Edward and Edwin shared their personal stories of their life with genocide. The attendees were leaning in listening to both young men tell us their perspectives of living as refugees for 7 years: speaking to a man who had his arm chopped off to keep his head from being severed in Rwanda’s genocide, being told by the elementary school principal not to eat fish in the river because their countrypeople’s bodies were floating down it in 1994, feeling uneasy and unwelcome living as a refugee. Edwin said, “Today I stand in front of you as a student, a fellow human being and a responsible citizen of the world. Today, we are all uniting for a common cause, all from different backgrounds, but with one thing in mind, to be responsible for each other and be conscious of what is going on around us. Our world is becoming a global village and it is no longer possible for us to live obliviously and inconsiderately.”

Edward spoke from his heart “I would like to remind everybody about something that you have that the rest of the world envies; your FREEDOM. With this freedom, comes rights. I urge you to use your rights as citizens of a free nation to help the people of Darfur obtain their freedom and their right to live.”

The Mutanguha young men’s wish is for people to know what is happening to the Darfur people and to do what it takes to stop the genocide. Edwin asked “Let us do all that is in our power to ensure… a beacon of light. I implore you to change the message that we are sending to our brothers and sisters in Sudan. Let’s change ‘Never Again’ to ‘Not Now, Not Ever; Not On Our Watch!’”

Edward and Edwin brought their classmates from Salve University

Applause broke out when Sandra Hammel said "'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.' We are here to say we are not silent about Darfur." (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Music was provided by the RI Darfur Ensemble, including “A Prayer for Africa” in Swahili, African instruments accompanied “Kwaheri”, also in Swahili. “One Voice” with Darfur lyrics infused and the inspiring song, “Stand Up for Love”.


Attendees signed the Dream for Darfur Petition to the International Olympic Committee to tell the IOC: “Bring the Olympic Dream to the People of Darfur”.

Edward Mutanguha signing the Rhode Island screen to be forwarded to Washington, D.C. for the December 10th Olympic Torch Relay on Human Rights Day.

We got media coverage from the following places. I have removed the links as they no longer take you to the relevant article.

Libya on Yahoo! News Photos

Newport This Week

Newport Daily Newspaper

CBS local station, Channel 12 aired a news clip October 27 and 28.

A Providence Dream for Darfur Torch Relay video will be uploaded at Youtube.

Murabeho.

SOME PEOPLE DESERVE JUSTICE MORE THAN OTHERS - IS THAT WHAT WE REALLY BELIEVE?

Global Days for Darfur

April 23 – 30, 2007

"Time is Running Out"

http://www.savedarfur.org/

• United Nations Peacekeepers
• Targeted Divestment from Sudan
• Fly-free Zone

DARFUR - FINGERS IN THE SAND
For the Children

Sunday, March 18, I was the guest speaker at the Channing Unitarian Universalist Memorial Church in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. As well as giving the message on “Justice Sunday” about Darfur to the adults I was asked also to give a special message For the Children before they went off to Sunday School. As an activist in my state for Darfur, I am asked to speak on Darfur, frequently. I always include ways people can be informed, stand up and speak up to stop the Darfur genocide while giving hand-outs with all the contact information for elected politicians to ask them to be act in ways that will stop this four year old genocide. I include contact information also for the United Nations Secretary General, which is currently Ban ki-Moon and the President of the United States of America, President George Bush.

……………………………………
The Honorable Ban ki-Moon
Secretary-General
United Nations
Room 3800
New York, NY 10017, USA
Website: www.un.org
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President George Bush
202-456-1111
email: president@whitehouse.gov
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC. 20500, USA
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These people who have voluntarily taken on the role as leader need to be held accountable.

Do you think President Bush is acting honorably and living with truth as his guide.

I don’t.
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Freedom of Speech means
nothing
if you don’t exercise it.

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“…So many questions haunting us
So many doubts attacked our love
Dangerous thoughts of what could go wrong
Against the odds, we must carry on
We must be strong and fearless
We must be fearless

…For for so long I was afraid
To step from the shadows of my mistakes
You….have given me the courage I need
Together I know, nothing can stop you and me
If we are fearless
We MUST be fearless

…We must stand in the light,
willing to fight
Whatever may come between us and be fearless
We must be fearless.”
From the song “Fearless”


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My Call to Worship:

I invite you to enter this space just as you are

Opening up your spirit to hear the quiet voice inside

Calling you to be human in the most human of ways

The Beauty, Wonder and Radiance of our personal humanity is when we show we are fully alive.

God is not with us as an invisible person dwelling in us … but with us as the life that we share with others.

Our lives endure and reach out over the universe.

Casting our love out - involving ourselves in the world’s purposes
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The following is a summary of my presentation For the Children on Darfur after which the congregation of 130 in attendance surprised me with applause.
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Fingers in the Sand

I’m going to do something and I would like to ask you to do the EXACT Same thing back to me.

I clapped and made vocal sounds in rhythms and the children echoed me.

“You are being my echo”

Could you now echo my drum with your clapping?

Then feeling the whole congregation might be wanting to join in the rhythm response, all were asked to echo the final rhythm on the drum.

Then my talk For the Children began about Darfur.

This drum is a djembe drum that is from Africa

I have a question for you to think about

Can you imagine that you have been given paper and markers
to make me a picture about your life …

I wonder what your picture would look like…

Have you thought about it?

Can you use words to describe your picture?

Who is in your picture? Are you in it? Who else?....
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RECENTLY I was watching a British news report about children just your size

They live on Continent of Africa in a place called Darfur
They also were given paper and crayons
And drew pictures about their lives.

The drew scary and sad things because that is what has been happening in their lives

…planes dropping bombs,



…houses set on fire
…men on horses shooting people

They ran because
It wasn’t safe to stay

Now they live in the middle of nowhere

And they want to go back home and to live normal lives

When I saw them on the British TV report, the children were having school
outside
sitting on the ground, which is sand

on the sand they were writing with their fingers in the sand

That is why I called this story “Fingers in the Sand”.

It is important for us to know about other children and to care about their lives

We are all human beings
who need to be loved and know someone cares for us

Maybe you could draw a loving and caring picture while thinking of the Darfur children on the continent of Africa

Now I’m going to do Drumbeats for the children of Darfur
and while I do I would like to ask you to walk to your RE classes with your teachers
Thank you for being such good participants.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1m-j-aOl2o

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The song "The Impossible Dream"
from MAN OF LA MANCHA (1972)
music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion
Richard Kiley's original.
Based on the book Don Quixote De La Mancha

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
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My Benediction - Blessing

I invite you to leave this space just as you are
Carrying others’ hearts in your heart
And answering the call to be human in the most human of ways
Being the change you want to see
Going out into the world with the experience of love, wonder and participation in goodness.
Lifting up humanity
*For when you make the world better in one way, it makes it better in all ways.

* Spoken by Rev John Ramsey in the “Amazing Grace” movie

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GLOBAL DAYS FOR DARFUR
APRIL 23 – 30, 2007
Find An Event In Your Area
Do Something to Use Your Freedom of Speech To Stand Up and Stand Out Against Genocide
Don’t Be Complicit
Don’t Choose Silence
Don’t Choose Apathy
Don’t Choose Ignorance
Be Proactive
Be Alive
Be Aware
Be Present
Do Something To Tell Your Leaders To Lead In This Human Disaster of Genocide
If Not You, Then Who?
The Genocide is FourYears Old
The Holocaust Went On For Twelve Years
…Before We the People’s Government Did Something Right
…Does That Mean We Are Going to Wait Eight More Years Until We Decide Darfuri Families
Have Suffered Enough On Our Watch?!

http://www.savedarfur.org/page/content/globaldays/

• http://www.Savedarfur.org

• http://www.ajws.org/

• www.sudandivestment.org/

• http://www.genocideintervention.net/

• http://www.standnow.org/


http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/

http://www.theamazingchange.com/

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This is the story of the American Capt. Brian Steidle.

Although some of his editorial comments may be personal opinion, surely the pictures and description of the attacks and acts of genocide are self-evident as genocide.

Part II

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHNAROYj_rQ

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Part II
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr4BFSM_52Q

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There is an excellent film, “Darfur Diaries – Message from Home”, that can be purchased on DVD by three film producers. The film can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com
and there is a website to give much information on the film at
http://www.darfurdiaries.com
There is a companion book, “Darfur Diaries – Stories of Survival”

Last Sunday, March 25, 2007, I met one of the three producers and authors, Jen Marlowe, at our screening of the film at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, Rhode Island, where we had an excellent turn out. I had been emailing Jen for a year, so it was good to finally meet her face to face. I have pictures of the event, but haven’t downloaded them yet. The Newport Daily News interviewed Jen Marlowe, Dr. Peter Liotta of Salve Regina University and who is the executive director of the International Relations and Public Policy at the Pell Center and me, Sandra Hammel. Dr. Liotta spoke at the beginning of the discussion, which was led by Jen Marlowe and prior to the screening of the movie that she filmed in Darfur in 2004 – by thanking people – then at the end of his introduction, he stated that he wanted to thank a very special person, that he met last year when Romeo Dallaire spoke at the Pell Center. I was sitting in the fourth row at the edge of my seat listening and wondering who he was talking about. He talked about this person as being an activist about Darfur and instrumental in the evening’s event. Then he said, “I would like to thank Sandra Hammel.” I was so surprised to hear my name.

After the book signing and taking of pictures of the three of us and video – I thanked Dr. Liotta for mentioning me – and he said “Oh, yes – I saved your name for last because you were so special to this – it wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for you.” I asked him if I could call him Peter – and he waved his hand and said – “of course”.

I attended another Pell Center event this evening and Peter told the audience that he still was shaken by the event at the Jane Pickens Theatre Sunday night and that he hadn’t been able to sleep Sunday night. Dr. Liotta lectures in Rome every 6 months. He has been in international relations work a long time and travels around the world in relation to his work. He brought Pulitzer Prize Winning author, Samantha Power to the Pell Center last spring. And Prudence Bushnell (you might remember from 1994, when she was saying what was happening in Rwanda was "acts of genocide." Then one of the reporters followed her comment up with the question: "How many acts of genocide does it take to make it genocide". She was rendered speechless at that.

It takes so little to make a difference for the good in this world. But so little do it. Try to see the movie “Darfur Diaries” and do get involved in the moral cause of the prevention and intervention of genocide.

Here, in Rhode Island the 2nd of two bills is moving through legislation to divest Rhode Island Pension Funds from Sudanese Companies that virtually fund the genocide. I spoke of this in a previous post. Here is a video’s link and embedding about that:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UgDHAWMKdg

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Targeted divestment is an act that any citizen or organization can do to make sure that you are not funding the Sudanese’ government’s genocide. We don’t need to wait for our government to do this one critically important thing to help stop the genocide. We can sidestep our leaders’ complicity and be our own champion in this cause for humanity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRISAudf5IQ

One person can make a difference.
Ask your state, organization, or university to divest from Sudan.
Music:”Don't You Cry” by Kamelot

"Examples of divestment for social reasons have included:
the withdrawal of firms from South Africa during the 1980s due to Apartheid
the recent selling/commitment to nonpurchase of assets implicated in funding the government of Sudan, in acknowledgement of acts of genocide perpetrated in the Darfur conflict. This divestment has taken place both at the state level several states and twenty more states have legislation moving through their houses, while many American Universities, notably Harvard University, Stanford University, Dartmouth College, Amherst College, Yale University, Brown University, the University of California, the University of Pennsylvania, Brandeis University, and American University. The Sudan Divestment Task Force has organized a nationwide group which advocates a targeted divestment policy, to minimize any negative effects on Sudanese civilians while still placing financial pressure on the government."

Learn what you can do by visiting the website.
Information just above is taken from
http://www.sudandivestment.org/

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Here is a video’s link and embedding about Darfur’s situation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4pd0yqwU9A

This picture is from Rwanda - One of the other genocides we did nothing about.

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I hope this post actually gives a "comment" option at the end of this post. Three of previous posts haven't. And I hope that the links above are enabled as links and don't need to copied and pasted in the window to get to the sites. Sometimes this works out this way for me and sometimes it doesn't. Here's hoping.

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STAND UP & STAND OUT TO STOP the DARFUR GENOCIDE

Freedom Has No Meaning When We Don’t Stand Up

When One is Born
One Has A Reason
To Become Human

And Serve Others

And

IF


One Has Freedom
One Has THE Responsibility
To Use THAT Freedom
To Speak For Those That Don’t
……………………………………

……………………………………
Ziggy Marley & Gipsy Kings One love
……………………………………

There Is A Genocide Going On

And the Whole World Isn’t Even Watching

Isn’t Even Reporting

The Leaders of Our Countries Don’t Care Enough

To Give It Their Attention and Concern

. . . Good Thing It Isn’t Us

“We don’t have to wait for some great politician to be our champion.

We ARE the Champion we’ve been waiting for.

Let us Stop Waiting for Someone Else to Make the Difference

Let us STOP “Waiting for the World to Change”.

Get Inspired

By

BEING the INSPIRED
...........................................................

Global Days for Darfur
April 23 – 30, 2007
http://www.savedarfur.org/page/content/globaldays/
Plan an Event in your City

If Our Leaders Won't Lead...
Then You & I Must Lead

We Must
Take a Stand
That Counts

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“
…It’s freedom of speech – as long as you don’t say too much

You can’t stop running water
You can’t kill the fire that burns inside
Don’t deny our flesh and blood
And don’t forsake our sons and daughters

You cant’ stop running water
You can’t kill the fire that burns inside
Don’t deny our flesh and blood
And don’t forsake our sons and daughters

I THINK WE’RE ALL RUNNIN’ THINKIN’ THAT WE CAN HIDE
I THINK WE’RE RUNNIN’ TO GET AWAY
BUT SOONER OR LATER
WE’RE GONNA REALIZE
WE GONNA MEET UP WITH THE TRUTH
FACE TO FACE.”
From the song “Sons and Daughters”

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Sade sings "Why Can't We Live Together"

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRjnExp5s70

Genocide is the mass killing of a group of people as defined by Article 2 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG) as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

Dachau Concentration Camp

By Philip Greenspun

"Arbeit Macht Frei" on gate into Dachau concentration camp

Dachau was Germany's first concentration camp, started in March 22, 1933, 74 years ago because the prisons were overflowing with people the government didn't like. Twelve years passed before the holocaust was stopped by civilized governments.

Inmates in Dachau line up. This photograph was on the cover of the Munchen Illustierte Press edition on July 16, 1933.

Photo credit: USHMM Photo Arhives

They didn't have enough money to just build more prisons, so the Nazis built work camps like Dachau. Dachau is distinctive because it was here that SS personnel (Eichmann, Hess) trained for work in newer camps such as Auschwitz. Pastor Martin Niemöller, who initially supported the Nazis, ended up here in 1938, whereupon he famously noted that:

Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten,

habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Kommunist.

Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten,

habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.

Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten,

habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.

Als sie die Juden holten,

habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Jude.

Als sie mich holten, gab es keinen mehr,

der protestieren konnte.

-- Der Weg ins Freie, Martin Niemöller (F.M. Hellbach, Stuttgart, 1946)

A prisoner in Dachau forced to stand without moving for hours as a punishment.

Translation of above:

When the Nazis arrested the Communists,

I said nothing; after all, I was not a Communist.

When they locked up the Social Democrats,

I said nothing; after all, I was not a Social Democrat.

When they arrested the trade unionists,

I said nothing; after all, I was not a trade unionist.

When they arrested the Jews,

I said nothing; after all, I was not a Jew.

When they arrested me, there was no longer anyone who could protest.

Chart of prisoner markings from Dachau concentration camp.

Photo credit: KZ Gedenkstatte Dachau, courtesy of USHMM Photo Archives

If you're so inclined, it is possible to live in a brand-new condo built just a few meters from the walls and barbed wire of the Dachau Concentration Camp.

The camp would literally be your back yard. You could tell visitors "Keep an eye on the enormously tall sign for the McDonald's restaurant. Turn left at the Arbeit Macht Frei gate. If you come to the Krematorium or the blood trench where the Soviet POWs were shot, you've gone too far."

A prisoner in a special chamber responds to changing air pressure during high-altitude experiments. For the benefit of the Luftwaffe, conditions simulating those found at 15,000 meters in altitude were created in an effort to determine if German pilots might survive at that height.

Photo credit: German National Archives

The medieval town of Dachau is now a suburb of Munich and the S-Bahn will whisk you there in a few minutes. At 170 kph, a cab driver can simply follow the signs to Stuttgart and then turned off at the Dachau exit. As one approaches the town of Dachau, there are signs directing to the camp (a huge McDonald's sign is also a good landmark).

Dachau inmates gathered outside and on the roof tops of a camp building to hear a speech by Hitler.

Photo credit: KZ Gedenkstatte Dachau

“Dachau, 1933 - 1945, will stand for all time as one of history's most gruesome symbols of inhumanity. There U.S. troops found sights, sounds and stenches beyond belief, cruelties so enormous as to be incomprehensible to the normal mind. Dachau and death were synonymous.” William W. Quinn, 7th US Army.

More pictures at

http://fcit.usf.edu/Holocaust/resource/gallery/Dachau.htm

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We are all Nazis
We are all killers of Tutsis


We are all killers of Darfuri

Because we are all tools used by the genocidaires

We all speak so strongly with our silence

It is time to be human

as we are called to be
by virtue of being born

Save yourself by saving others,

Save the human race from the crime against itself

Genocide is not only a word,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .it is crying of the whole human race.

There is nothing redeeming about being silent.
when another brother or sister is killed
while silence is our choice.

Sandra Hammel, aka ilovemylife

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Dachau's Two Ovens for Humans to Die In
I walked in this room, November 22, 2005

Never Again
Is
Happening

In Darfur
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO NOTHING
SHAME ON YOU.
LEADERS OF THE CIVILIZED WORLD -
SHAME ON YOU
AS WE STAND IDLY BY

WILL WE CLAIM THAT “WE DIDN’T KNOW”
WHEN IT’S OVER?

THAT - WILL BE NOTHING MORE THAN WORDS
TO WAYLAY
OUR GUILT
AND
IGNORE THE BLOOD ON OUR HEADS

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil
is

for

good

men

to do



nothing."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

DO SOMETHING TO
STOP the GENOCIDE IN DARFUR
You Won’t Be Sorry You Did

http://www.savedarfur.org/page/content/globaldays/

• http://www.Savedarfur.org
• http://www.ajws.org/
• www.sudandivestment.org/
• http://www.genocideintervention.net/
• http://www.standnow.org/
• http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/
• http://www.theamazingchange.com/
  

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THANK YOU

for YOUR CONSCIENCE
and YOUR ACTION.
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