❧❧❧ Whatever you can do or dream, you can BEGIN IT. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Goethe ❧❧❧
❧❧❧ You were born whole, not broken. Sandra Hammel ❧❧❧
Friday, February 8, 2013
DEAR PEOPLE ON EARTH, WILL YOU PLEASE CARE ABOUT OTHERS IN NEED?
NOTE: This blog is nearly at its end as the 5 GB free space is 88% full. Which at the time I run out of space on this blog, I will most likely begin a blog somewhere else. At that time, I will put a link here to the new blog.
As we plan for a blizzard here in the northeastern USA, in Sudan, they can't even make plans to remain in their homes and neighborhoods. Their government has been bombing their homes for many years and humanity has done nothing and worse isn't even aware of the news that our media has ignored increasingly over the last several years.
A child's drawing of the homes of their community.
As head of the UN in Sudan in 2003-4, Professor Mukesh Kapila blew the whistle on the Darfur crisis. Now the Aegis Trust's Special Representative on Crimes Against Humanity, in January 2013, he took this journey back to Sudan to visit the forgotten warzones of the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan, Blue Nile State, and South Sudan's frontier with Darfur. Meeting civilians bombed out of their homes and cut off from international humanitarian relief for over 18 months, he saw extensive evidence of war crimes on the part of Omar Bashir's government in Khartoum, and witnessed the consequences of the international community's failure to respond effectively to Sudan's ongoing crises. All filming and photography by Tim Freccia, commissioned by the Aegis Trust.
A video I put together April 8, 2011 for a submission to the Compassion Film Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, screenings at the 494 seat Jane Pickens Theatre, April 8, 2011. The Festival rules limited the video submissions to 5 minutes. Unfortunately the lips and audio became out of snyc due to compression of uploading here at Youtube. Fortunately, the DVD of this video is in sync.
Will you and your group join a fast in solidarity and to strengthen our commitment to Sudan?
Once again, i-ACT and Stop Genocide Now are launching a 100-Day Fast for Darfur (http://www.iactivism.org/100-day-fast-darfur/). It will begin on April 6, the day the Rwandan Genocide started and end July 14, 2013. We hope people will join by fasting water-only or refugee rations of 1000 or less.
February will be 10 years of targeted killing and violence against Dafuris in Sudan. There will be many opportunities to act in the coming months, and we hope that you conceder fasting as one of those. If you are part of a group or organization, please share your commitment to fast with them and invite them to join.
Khartoum — A Sudanese organization called 'Youth for Change' made a call for demonstrations in all parts of Sudan on March 21st in a new bid to bring about a mass uprising similar to the ones in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
The group's spokesperson Magdi Okasha said that their ultimate goal is to topple the regime.
This came as opposition parties launched a fierce attack on the Sudanese government and vowed to push for change by mobilizing their supporetrs to take the streets.
Leaders from the opposition parties convened at the headquarters of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) in which they saw a replay of a video showing a female activist recounting her alleged rape by agents from the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).
Police and NISS officers cordoned the PCP HQ as families of detainees and opposition supporters lifted banners and shouting anti-government slogans.
The leaders of the opposition parties who form the National Alliance Forces called for the release of PCP leader Hassan Al-Turabi who remains in jail since January with no formal charges being brought against him.
Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) leader Mohamed Ibrahim Nugud expressed solidarity with the PCP "despite past bitterness" in order to work on the issue of freedoms, calling for dispatching a delegation to hold meetings with the revolutionary forces in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt for coordination and exchange of ideas.
The deputy Secretary-General of the Sudan people Liberation Movement (SPLM) Yasser Arman, echoed Nugud's call and voiced rejection of the concept of politically motivated arrests and torture by the NISS.
Arman made a demand for spreading democracy to fight against corruption and tyranny, noting that the Sudanese state "is a failed and outdated one that needs update and renewal".
He further suggested establishing a new capital other Khartoum describing it as the source of the wars waged throughout the Sudan.
For his part, the chairman of the Alliance opposition Farouk Abu Issa said a commission would be formed that would work on spreading freedom and defending against torture and preventing it, stressing that crimes of torture is punishable without statute of limitations.
Sudanese youth have called for anti-government protests which were violently dispersed by security forces starting on January 30. The movement failed to take on mass appeal and dozens of activists remain detained without charge.
Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir has promised to step down at the next election in four years, after 26 years in power. His party took over in a 1989 bloodless coup.
But growing voices of dissent, even from within his ruling party, are calling for more immediate action to prevent the kind of popular uprising that toppled long-serving leaders in Tunisia and Egypt and has spread to other nations including Libya.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote TOMORROW on unprecedented humanitarian aid and disaster assistance cuts.
Just how much is at stake? $1.7 billion of life-saving humanitarian aid are on the chopping block -- funding that directly impacts the lives of millions of Sudanese and Darfuri people.
I organized the Rhode Island Torch Relay which was one of many around the country and the world.The Rhode Island Torch Relay took place October 27, 2007. I was grateful that you as Mayor of Providence agreed to and spoke at this event in the Ceremony portion that took place at the Rhode Island State House on a rainy afternoon.The t-shirts for that day were made and read “I Carry the Torch for Darfur”.I have posted some of this Ceremony on youtube.I know your heart is in the right place regarding preventing and ending genocide and ask you to vote against the cuts of humanitarian aid that assist in saving lives of Darfuri people that have lived in refugee camps since 2003 trying to escape a Sudanese government-sponsored genocide against the unarmed people of the Darfur region.This aid impacts lives of millions of Sudanese, Darfuri people.
Violence in Darfur is on the rise. We simply cannot afford to cut aid for millions of refugees in one of the world’s most volatile regions at this time.
Proposed cuts in programs that provide life-saving aid to Darfur and all of Sudan include:
$431,000,000 in International Disaster Assistance $582,000,000 in Migration and Refugee Assistance $687,000,000 in the Food for Peace Program
These severe reductions run counter to the United States’ commitment to peace in Darfur and Sudan. Funding should be restored to these critical accounts that support Sudan. I ask you, US RI Representative Cicilline, to vote NO on passage of House Bill 1.
Thank you for your making decisions based upon principle.
I look forward to your reply and would like to sit down to talk with you about this defining issue.
Sandra Hammel
Use Your Voice to Stop Genocide RI
Genocide will only stop with us demanding it - Our leaders have taught us this
"The most important things belong first, not last or never."
Words of the Earth by Cedric Wright
If you want peace, work for justice إذا كنت تريد السلام ، أعمل من أجل العدالة
Targeting: The President of the United States Started by: Operation Broken Silence
The information about this petition ~
The White House announced on February 10, 2011 that U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration has been elected to become the new U.S. Ambassador to Kenya. The removal of Gration from Sudan will leave the special envoy post vacant. Seeing a dramatic rise in violence and genocidal attacks against civilians in Darfur as well as months worth of work remaining in south Sudan to ensure a democratic, secure, and peaceful transition for the world's newest nation, a seasoned diplomat needs to...
The White House announced on February 10, 2011 that U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration has been elected to become the new U.S. Ambassador to Kenya.
The removal of Gration from Sudan will leave the special envoy post vacant. Seeing a dramatic rise in violence and genocidal attacks against civilians in Darfur as well as months worth of work remaining in south Sudan to ensure a democratic, secure, and peaceful transition for the world's newest nation, a seasoned diplomat needs to immediately replace current Special Envoy Gration to help put Sudan back on the road towards peace.
This petition calls for the following:
1. President Obama to appoint a new, U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, one who is seasoned diplomat experienced in conflict prevention/resolution, African affairs, as well as Sudan itself.
2. The new U.S. Special Envoy to enforce the abandoned U.S. Sudan policy of a balanced approach regarding pressures and incentives. Implementation has been largely incentives-based and rewarded a regime which is guilty of genocide.
3. The new U.S. Special Envoy to immediately focus on ensuring peace negotiations for Darfur take place outside of Sudan, reinvigorating Darfur peace negotiations, engaging civil society in both south Sudan and Darfur so that their voices may be heard concerning peace efforts and the issues which plague them, fight to empower UNAMID to better protect civilians in Darfur, and heavily push for a democratic, secure, and peaceful transition of southern Sudan into a sovereign state.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a second warrant for the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for three counts of genocide. When the first ICC warrant for al-Bashir's arrest on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes was issued last year, the Khartoum regime's retaliation put millions of civilians at risk. Take action today to prevent new retaliation, protect Darfuri civilians and support justice for Darfur.
Spirited Rally At The White House
July 14th, 2010 by David Tannenbaum
Dark ominous clouds hung over Lafayette Square. The winds that travel through the sky brought rain, light but persistent rain. The winds carried with them something more invigorating as well. “STOP GENOCIDE IN DARFUR”, “al-BASHIR TO THE ICC”, and “JUSTICE FOR SUDAN” were just some of the spirited chants that echoed across the plaza. Members from Sudanese Voices for Freedom, The Armenian Assembly of America, the Armenian National Committee of America, Africa Action, Save Darfur, and other organizations gathered in support of the ICC’s most recent arrest warrant against Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir.
Picture taken by Mark Lotwis at rally in front of the White House on July 14, 2010.
The rally participants also called on President Obama to fulfill his campaign promises to the people of Darfur. Rain, humidity, and even the occasional water-soaked sign could not dissuade this devoted assembly from having their voices heard. And heard they were, al Jazeera interviewed a few spirited supporters as did a reporter for NPR. Tourists and visitors in the area witnessed a classic spectacle of activist speaking their minds, and many were moved to sign Save Darfur petitions. With the stroke of a pen, ordinary people from Springfield Massachusetts, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, and even Ghana committed their support to the people of Darfur. Small in number, but large in determination, the spirited rally of grassroots activists on a hot, muggy, and rainy Wednesday afternoon is a testament to the fortitude that these groups posses.
Sign-on Letter to President Obama to Support Arrest Warrants and Ensure Civilian Protection
14 July 2010
President Barack Obama
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama:
On Monday, July 12th, 2010 the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber 1 judges issued a second arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir after determining that there are reasonable grounds to believe he is responsible for three counts of genocide committed against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups in Darfur.As faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations working together to bring peace and justice to Darfur and all Sudan, we welcome this new arrest warrant and urge you to lead the international community in pursuing justice for the people of Darfur in parallel with efforts to achieve peace and security for all Sudanese.
It is urgently necessary for your administration to send a clear signal to the Government of Sudan that any acts that threaten civilians, Sudanese human rights activists, aid workers or peacekeepers in Darfur will not be tolerated.After the first ICC warrant was issued for al-Bashir’s arrest in March 2009, Khartoum expelled over a dozen international aid groups and disbanded three Sudanese aid organizations, forcing an emergency response from the United Nations and international community to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur. Despite these efforts, many humanitarian programs, including aid for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, have not been restored over the last sixteen months. Vigilant monitoring and action by your administration and other world leaders is necessary to prevent compounding this tragedy. Such vigilance is particularly critical given that this arrest warrant comes in the midst of a spike in violence in Darfur and a government crackdown on human rights and political freedoms in Sudan in the wake of seriously flawed elections this past April.
The United States government should also publicly reaffirm its support for the ICC’s pursuit of justice in Darfur.As a leader in the international community and a permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), which referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC in 2005, the United States has a vital role in ensuring justice and accountability for the gravest crimes committed against civilians. Your administration should work together with the UNSC and ICC member states to ensure the swift enforcement of this and all ICC arrest warrants for those accused of atrocities in Darfur.
Finally, the United States must intensify its diplomatic efforts to negotiate a just agreement that addresses the root causes of the conflict in Darfur and to press for the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in its last stages. Toward these ends and to prevent a return to broader conflict in Sudan, your administration should put into action the promised consequences and pressures for the lack of measurable progress and continued backsliding on key benchmarks by the Government of Sudan and other Sudanese actors. During this volatile period in Sudan, it is imperative that the ICC warrants are not manipulated by the Government of Sudan to disrupt or distract from the fragile Darfur peace process or preparations for the upcoming referendum on southern secession.
In light of the challenges currently faced by the Sudanese people, justice and accountability remain critical components of a comprehensive and lasting solution to the crisis in Darfur.As advocates, we thank you for the leadership you have shown pushing for peace in Darfur and supporting the International Criminal Court’s pursuit of justice.In this historic moment – a milestone in the pursuit of international justice and a pivotal step for the people of Sudan – strong leadership by the United States is of utmost importance. We urge your administration to seize this opportunity to lead the international community in working for a just resolution to the conflict in Darfur and lasting peace for all Sudanese.
Sincerely,
Gerald LeMelle
Executive Director Africa Action
David Harris
Executive Director
American Jewish Committee
Ruth W. Messinger
President
American Jewish World Service
Nikki Serapio
Director
Americans Against the Darfur Genocide
Larry Cox Executive Director
Amnesty International USA
Barbara Thomas
Clerk
Annapolis Friends Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)
Abraham H. Foxman
National Director
Anti-Defamation League
Bryan Ardouny
Executive Director
Armenian Assembly of America
Aram Suren Hamparian
Executive Director
Armenian National Committee of America
Daniel S. Mariaschin
Executive Vice President
B'nai B'rith International
Corey Dragge
Founder/Carl Wilkens Fellow
Champion Darfur
Sara Caine Kornfeld
Project Founder/Educator
"Change the world. It just takes cents"
Don Kraus
Chief Executive Officer
Citizens for Global Solution
Judy Lackritz
Community Relations Director
Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio
The Rev. Timothy Oslovich
Chairperson Connecticut Coalition to Save Darfur
Daowd Salih & Mohamed Yahya
Co-Founder and Board President & Executive Director
Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy
Doreen Romney
Co-Founder
Darfur and Beyond
Mahmoud A. M. Braima
President
Darfur Association in the United States
Bakheit A. Shata Founder/Executive Director Darfur Community Organization
Richard Young and Martha Boshnick
Co-Chairs
Darfur Interfaith Network
Motasim Adam
Director
Darfur People’s Association of New York
Abdelbagi Jibril Executive Director Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre
Amal Allagabo
General Secretary
Darfuri Women Action Group
Gerri Miller
Founder and Coordinator
Dear Sudan, Love Marin
John Norris
Executive Director
Enough!
Mohammed Ahmed Eisa
Fur Solidarity
Mark Hanis
President
Genocide Intervention Network
Marv Steinberg
Coordinator
Genocide No More – Save Darfur
Robert Goodis
Director The Goodis Center for Research and Reform, LLC
A.J. Fay Co-Founder Idaho Darfur Coalition
Mayurika Poddar
Director India Foundation Inc.
Helen Fein
Board Chair
Institute for the Study of Genocide
Shrikumar Poddar
President International Service Society
Eric Cohen
Chairperson
Investors Against Genocide
Rabbi Steve Gutow
President
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Tzivia Schwartz Getzug
Executive Director
Jewish World Watch
Eileen Weiss
Co-founder
Jews Against Genocide
Bob Brousseau, Dr. Dave Robinson & Phil Nippert
Founder & Co-Chairs
Kentuckiana Interfaith Taskforce On Darfur
Julia A. Hays
Founder/Director Keokuk for Darfur
Nancy Walsh
Coordinator
Long Island Darfur Action Group
Rev. David Emmanuel Goatley
Executive Secretary-Treasurer Lott Carey
William Rosenfeld
Director
Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur
Marc Furmanski
Founder/Co-President
Miami Help Darfur Now
Timothy P. Page, M.D.
President
Michigan Darfur Coalition
Gloria White-Hammond
Co-Founder
My Sister’s Keeper
Tony Kireopoulos
Associate General Secretary, Faith & Order and Interfaith Relations
National Council of Churches, USA
Lauren Fortgang
Co-Founder
Never Again Coalition
Sharon Silber
Co-Director
New York City Coalition for Darfur
Helga Moor
Founder
New York Darfur Vigil Group
Tanya L. Simon
Coordinator
North Jersey Coalition for Darfur
Mark Christopher Hackett
Founder, President
Operation Broken Silence
David Rosenberg
Coordinator Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition
Rabbi Gilah Dror, President
Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, Executive Vice President
Rabbi Jack L. Moline, Director of Public Policy
Rabbinical Assembly
Michael Pertnoy
Founder Righteous Pictures
Barry Hubbard
Co-Founder
San Antonio Interfaith Darfur Coalition
Mohamed Suleiman
President
San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition
Mike Edington & Bill Schulz
Board Members
Save Darfur Coalition
Rev. Jennifer Hope Kottler
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Sojourners
Gabriel Stauring
Director
Stop Genocide Now
Susan Smylie
Co-Founder
Texans Against Genocide
Union for Reform Judaism
A. Edward Elmendorf
President and CEO
United Nations Association of the USA
James E. Winkler
General Secretary
General Board of Church and Society
United Methodist Church
Sandra Hammel Director Use Your Voice to Stop Genocide Rhode Island
Have you ever had a part of a song's lyrics in your head and you couldn't remember the song that they are from? Well, this has happened to me. For months now....the lyrics go like this "how sweet it is to love someone, how right it is to care". And I can't figure out the song.* While searching for the song I came across this song:
So you speak to me of sadness and the coming of the winter Fear that is within you now that seems to never end And the dreams that have escaped you And the hope that you've forgotten And you tell me that you need me now And you want to be my friend And you wonder where we're going, Where's the rhyme and where's the reason, And it's you cannot accept it is here we must begin To seek the wisdom of the children And the graceful way of flowers in the wind
For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers Their laughter and their loveliness would clear a cloudy day Like the music of the mountains and the colors of the rainbow They're a promise of the future and a blessing for today.
Though the cities start to crumble and the towers fall around us The sun is slowly fading and it's colder than the sea It is written from the desert to the mountains they shall lead us By the hand and by the heart they will comfort you and me In their innocence and trusting they will teach us to be free
For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers Their laughter and their loveliness would clear a cloudy day And the song that I am singing is a prayer to non-believers Come and stand beside us, we can find a better way
* I found it! I put it in my next post - a post all its own...
I love my life. I love where I live. And I am passionate about my passions. I love to dance. Necessary to live: music, piano, singing, writing, acting, painting.
I have been fighting for and supporting the arts all my adult life. Since 2004, I have been working with other activists to end the Darfur genocide.
I have traveled to Europe many times since my early twenties. Places I have been: many USA states including Hawaii, Montreal, Canada, Barbados, France, Spain, Luxembourg, England, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Germany - and have wonderful memories.
My last trip was in May - June 2013 to Spain.
I would like to travel to Europe and Kyoto, Japan.
I love the southwest where I have visited Hopi, Navajo, Zia and San Idlefonso potters.
Life is exciting and I intend to live it full-out to the end.
B.S. and M.M., both in music
................................................
Khartoum, Sudan Stop Genocide Time
................................................
Spain Time
................................................
Melbourne Time
................................................
Hawaii Time
...............................................
...............................................
RAFA NADAL -BRING BACK LONG PANTS - SLEEVELESS TOPS
Double Click on Videos to Enlarge
Darfur - The Abandoned Genocide - a video by Sandra Hammel
Want to help? Call 1~800~GENOCIDE
"May I Suggest" by Susan Werner
Satchita - Playing for Change
Stand By Me ~ Playing for Change
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Genocide is not only a word,
it is crying of the whole human race.
There is nothing redeeming about being silent
when speaking up is the humane thing to do.
The honor and integrity of the human race is at stake.
