Please visit our website at www.defenddarfurdallas.org and our facebook group Defend Darfur Dallas! We work with other Dallas groups like the Dallas Holocaust Museum, the Dallas Peace Center, Art for Darfur, SMU's Amnesty International, and area high schools and church groups to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
I recently joined this group, and I am excited to introduce my organization, Be Their Messenger, which offers support to Save Darfur among others.
This is basically my resource and awareness campaign.
My purpose is to provide a one-stop site to raise awareness and urge political pressure to end the Genocide in Darfur, the crisis in the Congo, and the displaced residents and child soldiers of Uganda. This has been a long work in progress and I still have much to do but wanted my fellow Save Darfur group members to be aware of it.
Please check out my Updates page, as that is where the bulk of my work is done. I post updates from many different organizations there, as well as my own notes and articles I find, or updates from local events.
We recently added 2 new page elements. You will notice 2 orange buttons on every page.
One button is "Tell your story" and one button is "Know their stories".
I wanted to offer a place where refugees, survivors or family members that have experiences from the conflicts in either Darfur, Congo or Uganda, can go and share their story. Then others can view these stories on the "know" page and really identify the personalized experiences. I believe the world needs to put a name and a personal story to the tragedies.
I also plan to send each story I get, individually to our president, with the hopes that I can overwhelm him.
I started this organization after I heard a local refugee say, "I believe if the people know what is happening, they will help to stop it."
Our mission is to be their messenger: get their stories out, make their voices heard and believe that people will then pay attention and apply political and international pressure to implement change. I think just being aware of it is a very significant first step.
After the world became aware of the stories that came out of the holocaust, it altered our beliefs (as a nation) of what was possible, it changed the borders and boundaries of what we knew the human race was capable of. I believe it shifted our compassion overall and I think that when Holocaust survivors began to get their stories out and their own personal experiences, that was a huge part of the growth and healing process not only for them, but for the world to know and understand how very unacceptable these tragedies were.
Sadly, not enough stories or knowledge got out early on about the Rwandan genocide. I want to change that as we go through these current "wars" that will soon be added to the list of what will go down in history as tragic.
I believe that these stories of devastation and survival have the power to impact a change in mankind.
"Today is the day we say let's look around and see what's going on. Put out a hand and say we are one people." (Refugee, Lost Boys of Sudan)
As I receive stories, I will be posting them. I hope you will check this out. Also, if you have access to refugees or survivors of family members of people with these experiences, please pass this information on to them and let them know that I would love to acknowledge what they have been through.
The most important thing you can do is be aware and make others aware. Please pass on the site and flag my updates page for daily news and reports.
You can also sign up to be on my e-mail list in order to receive weekly updates or to be notified when an urgent action is being requested, like a bill or petition that is reaching a deadline. Or, if you have comments, ideas or suggestions please click on the Contact link at the bottom of the site - or e-mail me: leah@betheirmessenger.org.
Thank you for your support!
Be Aware | Know Their Stories | Send Their Message
http://www.betheirmessenger.org/
Below is Arch Bishop Tutu's statement on Darfur, Sudan and genocide:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"God has a plan and we are all part of this plan.
There is hope in all things as we all work together.
As children of God we must stand together against the killing of any brother or sister.
To make changes we must be educated.
As we become educated about Darfur it will become clear from where the money stems that allows this war to continue.
By learning the truth, by using our voice then pairing the two with action, we see results.
When the money stops the greed of money will stop.
When investments in companies supporting the government stop
so does corruption.
Achieve this through divesting and support of divestment.
Contact you government officials.
Make your rights known.
Reach out to help.
Give comfort to those that hurt.
Give shelter to those exposed.
Give nourishment to those that thirst.
Share knowledge with those that look.
Give the tools needed to do for themselves.
Teach by example.
Share what you have to give,
a smile,
hope,
a book.
There is always someone who would be blessed by what you have to give.
And... always give thanks
and always love,
for God is love
and love is God."
words of Arch Bishop Tutu
This is from Arch Bishop Tutu in reference to my [rhonda varsane's] request for statement about Darfur, Sudan and genocide during April, a month of awareness.
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Money is often times more of a problem then a solution.
I know this is a request for darfurawareness.com webpage but you can help too by sharing the following information.
Hey There!
Our school, Atlantic County Institute of Technology is hosting "Dining for Darfur". This is an event where from April 24-26Th our school cafe` will donate 5% of the revenue to the International Rescue Committee. We are asking if you could please post our flyer with all the information concerning this event on your web page. This will be a big help in getting awareness out there and also raising money for those in Darfur suffering from this genocide. Seeing that you are a big support in putting an end to this crisis we though this might interest you. We hope in hearing back from you and maybe you could join us for one of the days to help support the genocide in Darfur. If you would like to contact by phone you may by:
Dr. Elizabeth Klem
(609) 625 -2249 Ext:1109
Thank you for taking your time in considering this event and enclosed is our flyer for you with all information concerning this event.