http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/184377 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 00:42:00 EDT http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/184377 47.8108333 -122.376111147.8108333-122.3761111 http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/184359
Oxfam launches £5m appeal for world's greatest humanitarian crisis

16 April 2007

Agency struggling to save the lives of people caught up in the Darfur/Chad tragedy

Oxfam today launched an £5m appeal to sustain its life saving work in Darfur and Chad. The international agency urgently needs the money to continue helping people in what has become the world's greatest humanitarian crisis.

Penny Lawrence, Oxfam's International Director, who recently returned from Darfur, said: "This is the greatest concentration of human suffering in the world. The international community has allowed the conflict to spread, blighting the lives of some 4 million people and forcing many to the very brink of survival. I was last in Darfur over 20 years ago and couldn't believe the change and the extent to which people's lives are being destroyed. In Darfur, villages are burnt-out shells and two-thirds of the population are dependent on aid. In Chad, the number of people forced to flee their homes has doubled in just four months. This is an outrage that affronts the world's moral values. We once more need the support of the British public to show that the world cares and help Oxfam to continue to keep people alive."

Oxfam is providing aid to 530,000 people - 470,000 in Darfur and 60,000 in Chad - including clean water, safe sanitation, public health promotion and helping people earn a living. At £10m a year, Oxfam's work in Darfur and Chad is currently its biggest emergency programme in the world.

IN DARFUR:

More than two million people, nearly one in three of Darfur's population, have been forced to leave their homes and take sanctuary in one of the many camps. Each month another 10,000 are forced to flee

Some four million people - two-thirds of Darfur's population - are dependent on humanitarian aid

Despite managing to stabilise threats of epidemics in the camps, aid agencies are facing unprecedented difficulties in reaching those in need

Across Darfur, aid agencies cannot reach a quarter of those in need, which means that nearly one million people are not getting any aid at all

In some areas the aid effort is under threat due to increasing insecurity

IN NEIGHBOURING EASTERN CHAD:

Some 375,000 people have sought shelter from armed conflict

Chad was already hosting more than a quarter of a million refugees from Darfur. Now it has 140,000 of its own people displaced due to the fighting

In parts of Chad aid agencies are only managing to get three litres of water to people a day for all their needs when the basic minimum ration should be 15 litres. (Just cleaning your teeth with the tap running consumes six litres of water).

Despite widespread public consternation, international efforts to deal with the crisis over the last four years have so far been ineffective and have allowed the conflict in Darfur to overspill into Chad. The United Nations appeals are chronically under funded (they have received only $40m of the $173m needed for Chad) and in Darfur malnutrition rates are rising close to emergency levels.

"Despite a level of attention to the crisis international political inertia has meant that there has been little effective progress towards a peaceful solution. Greater international efforts are needed. Meanwhile the millions of innocent people caught up in this outrage cannot wait for the politicians to agree. They need to be kept alive while the political inertia continues," added Lawrence.

To support the appeal, the famous war photographer Don McCullin has visited Oxfam's work in Chad and celebrities will be donating valuable items to be auctioned on ebay.

THE PUBLIC CAN DONATE TO THE APPEAL BY:
· calling 0870 333 2500
· going online at www.oxfam.org.uk/emergency
· going into any Oxfam shop

WHAT YOUR MONEY WILL BUY:
· £25 could buy 50 chlorine tablets to ensure clean, safe drinking water for 2,500 people
· £100 could pay for two people to be trained as public health workers
· £200 could buy an Oxfam tap stand, able to provide 1,500 people with water every day

For more information contact: Ian Bray 01865 472498, 07721 461339 or email ibray@oxfam.org.uk

© 2007 Oxfam GB. Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International
Oxfam GB is a ltd company, reg in London No 612172, Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Oxford OX4 2JY. Reg. charity No 202918.]]> Tue, 17 Apr 2007 23:51:00 EDT http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/184359 47.8108333 -122.376111147.8108333-122.3761111 http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/182715
The Lord's Resistance Army signed a cease fire with the Uganda government. A start right?...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6556625.stm

As per yesterday's news in Morocco, the passerby woman was injured; not killed. Casablanca is going through serious issues of suicide attacks and wanting to get near the US consulate...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6555177.stm

Now, apparently what I'm doing here (blogging, that is) is darn near illegal in some countries because it gives people ideas and they start thinking; and why would a government want that? Because its too democratic and dangerous! Posh! Egyptians, Tunisians, and Cubans are being censored and even locked up if journalists or bloggers go over the very thin line that their governments set in place. Reporters Without Borders (sound familiar) came up with a book called Handbook For Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents to help these people become undetected by the cyber snoops
In Syria, Mesud Hamid was arrested because he posted a picture of Kurdish students and asked for equal rights.
The censorship in China is like the phones in America. They tap into certain words deemed contentious.
Okay, so again rights are stripped away. But this time from a machine that could become dangerous or is a huge resource tool that open the eyes of people. What's the point?

]]> Sun, 15 Apr 2007 12:08:00 EDT http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/182715 47.8108333 -122.376111147.8108333-122.3761111 http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/181943
An explosion in Casablanca kills 3, 2 of which set off the bomb...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6555177.stm

Somalia's government accused Ethiopia of genocide for the last 5 months...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6554567.stm

President Laurent Gbagbo is granting amnesty for crimes that are being committed during this new civil war...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6553547.stm

This is in one day, for one continent. The people of Africa is in my heart...I am with you and will continue to fight for your rights and a better life :-)]]> Sat, 14 Apr 2007 13:14:00 EDT http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/181943 47.8108333 -122.376111147.8108333-122.3761111 http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/181911 Sat, 14 Apr 2007 12:28:00 EDT http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/181911 47.8108333 -122.376111147.8108333-122.3761111 http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/181873 Back in 1990, NPA captured and held Peace Corps volunteer Timothy Swanson for 50 days before releasing him unharmed to the Red Cross.
Very great tips for those who travel. Use the buddy system and be smart. Nowadays, you should do that traveling outside your community or not.
My thoughts are with Julia that she has the same luck in returning unscathed as Timothy did. I hope that this story in the news (as it should be) does not keep anyone from being a part of this great organization. In both instances, it was a personal choice of the victims and not the danger the organization got them in.

Talk to you later!]]> Sat, 14 Apr 2007 10:25:00 EDT http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/181873 47.8108333 -122.376111147.8108333-122.3761111 http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/180791 Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:41:00 EDT http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/180791 47.8108333 -122.376111147.8108333-122.3761111 http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/180531 Thu, 12 Apr 2007 08:33:00 EDT http://lobby4life.tigblog.org/post/180531 47.8108333 -122.376111147.8108333-122.3761111