Friday, June 27, 2008

International Book Bank helping Duk County, Sudan

The IBB is working with our friend, John Dau, to send two cartons of books to Duk County, where John and Joseph spent the first 10 years of their lives. These books will constitute the first library for the county. They need to raise money to ship the books more than they need books, but I think they will take either.

Ben Affleck reports on the Congo

Ben Affleck has made 3 trips to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the past year; footage and commentary from his trips aired last night on Nightline. Affleck was pretty careful in framing his report--called it fact finding, educating himself before acting, claimed no particular expertise. He provided some nice commentary about the people he met in a refugee camp: teachers, business owners, everyday people who were forced to flee their homes because of instability and violence. This point can't be stressed enough. Africa obviously has a lower standard of living than the rest of the world based on a variety of measures, but where there is peace, there are schools and clinics and food; people are generally happy. Where there is war, there is chaos, instability, starvation, disease.

Reasonably interesting posts in response. Not a lot of celebrity hating, a few "take care of America first," comments, lots of good rebuttals to those comments, a few insightful comments from Congolese.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

One more WRD Video: Give a hand

I missed this UNHCR video, even though it seems to have emerged as the most viewed video made in support of World Refugee Day.

WRD gets a short Forum story

The World Refugee Day celebration in Fargo got a brief story in the Fargo Forum. Not as much coverage as the "soda vs pop" debate, but a little coverage is a start.

Photos from recent speaking events



I have posted a photo set to Flickr, most pictures taken at the World Refugee Day event on Friday, June 20th, a few from Joseph's speaking engagement in Winnipeg, Tuesday June 10th.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Map: Sudan Aid Projects

I've been working on a Google Map of aid projects in southern Sudan, attempting to illustrate where in Sudan various American foundations are building schools, clinics, orphan centers, and other aid projects. This map is by no means comprehensive, and would benefit from further additions and probably some refinement of the pin placement.


View Larger Map

Friday, June 20, 2008

World Refugee Day: Angelina Jolie Video

Angelina Jolie has become the highest profile spokesperson for the UNHCR, and her short video address for World Refugee Day surprised me. Her image is not the first image, and I did not recognize her voice, but I was immediately struck by the weightiness, the resonance, of her voice. She does make an appearance, as her image and star power are obviously important to the UNHCR's campaigns, but this video illustrated for me one of the ways in which voice is just as powerful as image.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

World Refugee Day Video: Photos from UN Camps

This video announces a photo exhibit opening in Brazil today, June 19th, in conjunction with World Refugee Day. Photos consist of images from a handful of UN campus in Africa, including Kakuma and Dadaab in Kenya, the two I am most familiar with. Next year, I hope there is an official World Refugee Day tag used on YouTube so all projects like this one, the one I posted, official UNHCR videos, etc., can be linked up.

World Refugee Day Video: Photos from UN Camps

This video announces a photo exhibit opening in Brazil today, June 19th, in conjunction with World Refugee Day. Photos consist of images from a handful of UN campus in Africa, including Kakuma and Dadaab in Kenya, the two I am most familiar with. Next year, I hope there is an official World Refugee Day tag used on YouTube so all projects like this one, the one I posted, official UNHCR videos, etc., can be linked up.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Hands sheltering head: The 2008 sign for World Refugee Day

The UNHCR's photostream at Flickr has a number of photographs of refugees and UNHCR staff holding their hands above their head, with hands meeting to form the image of a roof. The World Refugee Day theme for 2008 is "Protection," and the UNHCR provides shelter for as many as 40 million refugees world wide on any given day.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

World Refugee Day video from UNHCR

Another reminder of World Refugee Day, June 20th--EVERYWHERE.

Fargo's two events:
1. Lutheran Social Services Celebration: 1-5 pm.
2. ASAH Celebration, 6:30-8:00 pm at Zanbroz.

Short video from UNHCR embedded: lend a helping hand.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Joseph presenting in Winnipeg


Joseph and I visited Westworth United Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on Tuesday June 10th. We had a nice lunch with the church group, and Joseph delivered his usual high quality presentation. We hope to return there to show the documentary in the fall.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

World Refugee Day Video: Protecting the Southern Sudanese

I put together a video in response to the World Refugee Day 2008 theme of "Protection." The video shows and explains some of the ways that the United Nations High Commission on Refugees has protected the southern Sudanese from 1988-2007, although I should clarify that the UNHCR continues to provide support and protection in 2008. Most of the original video comes from 2007, however.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Architecture for Humanity

Just discovered the Architecture for Humanity organization, including a project very close to the one ASAH is working on. A school for orphans is being built in Uganda, with an emphasis on using local materials and educating local workers in construction management. Great project!!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Emergency Aid for Abyei's displaced citizens

Our friends in are Winnipeg putting on a fundraiser for the displaced of Abyei, Sudan on June 14th.

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release:
June 11, 2008

SUDANESE OF WINNPEG UNITE IN NAME OF SUFFERING
Winnipegger’s join in solidarity with City’s Sudanese to Raise
Funds for War-torn Abyei

WINNIPEG: An emergency Sudanese cultural event will take place on
Saturday, June 14th 2008 to raise money for the 12,000 families
affected by the current humanitarian and security crisis in Abyei,
Sudan. Beginning at 2 p.m., concerned Sudanese Canadians and citizens
of Winnipeg will assemble at the University of Winnipeg’s Bulman
Centre to collect donations for the estimated 50,000 civilians
internally displaced by the violent clash between Northern and Southern
troops along Sudan’s disputed border.

Fighting in the oil-rich area of Abyei which started May 13th 2008 has
been a point of contention since the signing of the CPA in 2005. “We
have decided to gather on Saturday to show solidarity with our people
that are suffering in Abyei, it may not solve the problems but at least
they will see that we have done what we can” says Biong Deng, acting
executive member of the LBGS (Lost Boys & Girls of Sudan) in Manitoba.

12,000 families are at immediate and critical risk of malnutrition,
starvation and disease in Abyei at the onset of the rainy season.
“It’s a precarious assumption to think that the suffering in
Abyei doesn’t concern us here in Canada…our national dignity is at
stake” says Tara O’Connor, Community Liaison Coordinator at the
University of Winnipeg’s Global College.

Performances by Mijok Lang aka Hot Dogg and Sudanese dance troupe
Marsala

When: Saturday, June 14, 2008
Starts: 2 pm
Ends: 6 pm
Location: Bulman Centre @ the University of Winnipeg *Take the elevator
located by the Riddell Cafeteria and the Spence Street entrance to get
to the Bulman Center

Hosted by:
The Lost Boys & Girls of Sudan in Manitoba and the University of
Winnipeg’s Global College




For more information, contact:
Biong Deng (204) 218-7940

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Mark Bixler's The Lost Boys of Sudan

Bixler's 2005 book follows a group of Sudanese refugees in the Atlanta area from their arrival to 2004. These stories of resettlement and adjustment are interesting, but Bixler's historical work on the origins of the north-south conflict is concise and lucid, his detailed account of how the US state department came up with the idea of resettling almost 4,000 unaccompanied Sudanese minors is an account I have not read before, and his analysis of how the September 11 attacks functioned as a catalyst for the 2005 CPA in Sudan is fascinating. Former President Carter, I learned, was frustrated with President Clinton's aggressive (i.e. bombing) approach to Sudan, and it was only with the arrival of President Bush in the White House that--upon President Carter's prompting--the US began to play an active role in brokering peace between north and south Sudan.

Also interesting to read about the Valentino Deng and Dave Egger collaboration being written about in a round-about, slightly skeptical way, not naming any names, way.

Lost of other little gems. One story about a boy trying to pass his GED was fascinating. He struggled with literary interpretation, but when asked to do a "composition" about a movie he had seen, he wrote about Achebe's Things Fall Apart because he had only seen one movie. He ended up scoring better in composition than any other subject. A slight nod to the fact that good composition isn't about one's "English," which I suspect was shaky at best in this case. He presumably wrote about the book with authority, with a deep understanding of the colonial African experience, in such a way that the readers of the exam ignored the fact that he didn't follow the prompt, and probably wrote in non-standard ways. Good work, readers!

Saturday, June 7, 2008

College student volunteering in South Africa

I came across an interesting story about a University of Manitoba student who spent four months doing various volunteer projects in South Africa. Christine, the student, provided a good analysis of the value of this kind of trip:

“I think this kind of volunteering is important because it gives the people hope. It shows them that the outside world does care and that there are people that do want to help. I think it’s also important for us to go there to do this kind of volunteering because it makes us feel connected to the problem. It makes it real.”

Whenever ASAH does a public event, we meet at least one person who says, "I'd really like to go to Sudan." The desire for Humanitarian Travel is palpable, and their are services available. The story focuses on Aviva; I have found Globe Aware and Cross Cultural Solutions.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Four part news story from 2001

This four part story from the Boston Globe follows a group of Lost Boys as they travel from Kakuma and settle in Massachusetts. Great details, although interesting how the numbers are so inconsistent from story to story: this one claimed 33,000 boys in Ethiopia, while other stories claim 20-35,000 walked, and about 10-15,000 made it to Ethiopia. This story claims 5,000 made it to Kakuma, where other stories claim more like 10,000 made it to Kakuma.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

World Refugee Day: Press Release

World Refugee Day 2008: Fargo Events
World Refugee Day is a global event, started in 2001, to recognize the contributions refugees make to the world, as well as acknowledge the aid refugees would benefit from, whether living in refugee camps or Fargo ND.

The 2008 theme is “Protection.” The United Nation’s High Commission on Refugees has identified these three key points.
1. More than 30 million forcibly displaced persons in the world share a fundamental need for protection.
2. Since 1951, UNHCR has protected refugees in a multitude of ways, ranging from humanitarian assistance to legal protection.
3. On World Refugee Day 2008, we can all help protect refugees by raising awareness of UNHCR and its engagement.

Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota—New American Services
World Refugee Day Celebration
1-5 pm, Friday June 20th.
1325 11th St S
Fargo, ND

Join us for an afternoon of live music, ethnic food, and fun as we celebrate the contributions of refugees in our community and hear the stories of their journey. Entrance fee to the event is the donation of a household item, such as towels, bedding, or cleaning supplies, to benefit refugees in our community.

Contact: Darci Asche. dasche@lssnd.org, (701) 271-1604
http://www.lssnd.org/

African Soul, American Heart Foundation
World Refugee Day: Watch, Listen, Learn, Participate
6:30-8:00 PM, Friday June 20th
Zandbroz Variety
420 Broadway North.

The African Soul, American Heart Foundation is sponsoring an event which will include:
• Original video footage from the Kakuma UN Refugee Camp.
• A first-hand account of being a refugee from Sudan.
• An anthropologist’s perspective on the Bosnian and Sudanese refugee experiences in Sioux Falls and Fargo.
• A report from Giving + Learning, a volunteer program for working with New Americans in Fargo.

Contact: Kevin Brooks (Kevin.Brooks@ndsu.edu) 701-231-7147
http://africansoulamericanheart.org
De.licio.us tag: http://del.icio.us/kabbie/WorldRefugeeDay