Dear Friend,
I’d like to follow up on the emergency call we issued a couple of days ago regarding the grave situation in Darfur.
Thank you for your prayers and support. We’ve had a presence at the Federal Building since last Thursday night. We’d like to continue it as long as possible.
As you know, since Sudanese president Al Bashir was charged by the International court on March 4, he has expelled 16 humanitarian organizations, the likes of Doctors without Borders. A couple of days ago, NYTimes columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote, “A friend in an aid organization passed on to me these U.N. estimates of the impact of the expulsion of aid workers from Darfur: within a period of less than two weeks 1.1 million people will need food; within a period of less than two weeks 1.2 million people will need water; within a period of less than two weeks 1.5 million people will be without access to health services; within a period of less than two weeks 760,000 people will not have shelter at the beginning of the rainy season; within one week water supplies in most camps will not be operational; within two-three weeks, you may have a widespread diarrhoea epidemic in the camps due to the lack of water and services and potentially unrest in the camps; within one month you are likely to have a mass movement of people from camps without NGOs to camps with NGOs.”
For me, in these stories I do not find a new Genocide, only the continuation of the same evil and the atrocities committed against the Armenian people in 1915. Back then, the world closed its ears, eyes and mouth. We can’t afford to participate in the same mistake today.
Over the last several days, we have been writing, talking, and soliciting help from an variety of people and groups. In His Shoes is committed to standing with the suffering people of Darfur. You can read our blogs, watch videos, find links and donate to the cause at our website www.InHisShoes.org. In September of last year, we named Gabriel Stauring In His Shoes Person of the Year. We’ve been in working closely with his team and I invite you to follow his blogs and expressions at www.StopGenocideNow.org.
This Tuesday, March 17 along with Stop Genocide Now, JWW, and HOPE, we are organizing a Community Rally to bring IMMEDIATE AID to the people of Darfur. I’m asking that you make every effort to attend at the Federal Building in Los Angeles from 4 to 7PM. The flyer is below. Please pass this along to your friends. We need a very large and good turn out that day.
Let’s make the First Genocide of the 21st Century, the last one in human history. Join us! For those at a distance, please contact us about setting up programs in your area. Our webcasts/podcasts are now being streamed to an international audience. Join us on iTunes or at www.ePostle.net.
Thank you for your attention and God bless,
---
Fr. Vazken Movsesian
In His Shoes
Armenian Church Youth Ministries
632 W. Stocker St., Glendale, CA 91202
www.InHisShoes.org
|
