Thursday, August 14, 2008

Give Mugabe a Red Card

Below is an email telling people how they can do something to help Zimbabwe. Does it make a difference? I have no idea. But anything to get Mugabe out of power is worth a try...go for it! At the very least it's a good update on the situation.

I just sent a red card to Mugabe and joined with thousands of marchers who will be asking Southern African leaders to take action now to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe. If Southern African leaders, who meet this weekend, reject Mugabe’s attempt to hold onto power, and stand by the will of the people of Zimbabwe – a political solution is possible. Click here to send your red card:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/red_card_for_mugabe/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK

Hopes are slipping away for a deal to resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis. Yesterday, Robert Mugabe announced plans to ignore the ongoing negotiations with the opposition MDC party, form a sham "Government of National Unity" with a breakaway opposition faction, and open parliament next week.

This weekend, when Southern Africa's 15 leaders meet at a major summit in Johannesburg, they will look out upon a sea of red. Thousands of Southern African trade unionists and other citizens will march to the summit waving red cards -- the football penalty symbol for expulsion -- and call for Mugabe to go. The organisers have appealed to Avaaz for international support, and will carry signs at the march representing the "virtual red cards" sent by Avaaz members.
The SADC leaders know that if the region's trade unions take action (by, for example, refusing to handle goods coming to or from Zimbabwe), Mugabe's government cannot survive. A bold march this weekend backed by 100,000 supporters from around the world will be a powerful signal to them that the time has come to act -- to announce that the Mbeki-led negotiations have failed, and to launch a new and fairer process immediately. Click below to send a virtual red card, and pass this message along to friends and family!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/red_card_for_mugabe/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK

Four and a half months have passed since the people of Zimbabwe voted for Morgan Tsvangirai and the Movement for Democratic Change on 29 March. Hyperinflation has exploded to an unimaginable 40,000,000%, and millions now face starvation. The EU, US, and UK have pledged a $1.9bn financial aid package to stabilise Zimbabwe's economy, feed the hungry and combat hyperinflation -- but only if Mugabe is removed.

Meanwhile, distribution of food aid by local and international humanitarian agencies has been prohibited by Mugabe's government. Torture camps remain in operation, political violence continues in some rural provinces, and 12 opposition MPs languish in jail on trumped-up charges. The Mbeki-led talks are collapsing, as Mugabe and his military high command insist on retaining control.

Tsvangirai, and the people of Zimbabwe, need strong allies willing to take bold action. Already, more than 300,000 Avaaz members -- including tens of thousands in Africa -- have signed petitions, donated funds, and written to their leaders in global campaigns for democracy and justice. After Avaaz flew a 280-square-metre banner over an Mbeki-chaired United Nations meeting, South Africa finally called for the release of elections results. In April, trade unions and civil society groups including Avaaz led a successful campaign to block a Chinese arms shipment to Zimbabwe. Now, as the crisis accelerates, our voices matter more than ever -- we can send an electronic wave of red cards to Johannesburg and bolster the efforts of on-the-ground advocates pressing for change.

Join the global outcry now, and then pass this message along!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/red_card_for_mugabe/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK

With hope,
Ben, Alice, Ricken, Brett, Paul, Iain, Pascal, Graziela, Veronique, and Milena -- the Avaaz.org team

PS: Here are links to sources for this alert:

"Zimbabwe: Mugabe set to keep power amid rumours of breakaway deal" - The Guardian, 14 August 2008http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/14/zimbabwe

Information on the march - COSATU / SW Radio Africahttp://swradioafrica.com/pages/marchagainst130808.htm

"South Africa: Unions Bid to Halt Zimbabwe Arms Ship" - Business Day (Johannesburg), 22 April 2008.http://allafrica.com/stories/200804220109.html

"No arms for Zimbabwe" - Avaaz campaign.http://www.avaaz.org/en/no_arms_for_zimbabwe/70.php

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Changes

Do you ever have one of those days when you feel like there's so much about your life you want to change? I'm having one. It's ranged from things as trivial and specific as getting my hair cut, to more significant and difficult as becoming more other-centered. It's a little overwhelming. And probably the biggest change I want to make is from being someone who thinks a lot about change to someone who actually does change. I'm not so great on the follow through, especially on the big stuff. What is the secret to making changes in life? Is it hard core determination and self-discipline? Is it breaking it down into a step-by-step plan? Wanting to change is an easy first step, and too often the last for me. And if I don't really do anything about it, do I really want it, or just want to want it? I could drive myself crazy with the questions and I seem to have an endless list. And instead of doing something about it, I write a blog entry about it and succesfully avoid another 10 minutes of making any significant changes in my life. It's easier, at least in the moment!

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Freerice.com



Have you been to http://www.freerice.com/ ? It's a website where you can work on your vocabulary and help someone out at the same time. You are given a word, and 4 possible definitions. Everytime you make a correct answer, 20 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations Food Program. The rice is paid for by advertisers on the site. I found this site through a colleague at work and decided to show it to my grade five students. They loved it and it was a great chance to teach them a little bit about world hunger. One of my favourite moments as a teacher was watching them eagerly answer questions to donate rice and adding up our total as a class. Some of them shared the site with their families and would proudly tell me the total of rice they earned the night before. For any skeptics, the site has a great FAQ section and I thought this video below was helpful too. How much rice did you donate? What vocabulary level can you get to? A little friendly competition anyone?!



Friday, August 8, 2008

08 08 08

Happy 08 08 08 day! I just realized that's the date today and since 8 is my favourite number I thought it was worthy of a post. I feel like I should have done more to celebrate but spending the evening watching the Olympics with my wonderful husband is pretty good I think.... a good excuse to add some ice cream!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Mpendulo Dlodlo


Mpendulo - November 2007

The Dlodlo Family - July 2007

We received the sad news yesterday that good friends of ours in Zimbabwe, the Dlodlo's, just lost their son. Mpendulo Dlodlo was born on July 31, 2007 and passed away a few days after his first birthday. The Dlodlo family were our neighbours at EBI. The mother, Sifiso, worked in our house each week helping with laundry and cleaning. The two girls, Silethemba and Thabisile were constant visitors to our house, coming over to play games, learn English or just hang out. The Dlodlo's were thrilled when they learned Sifiso was pregnant with a boy and the girls couldn't wait to have a little brother. They had always wanted a boy and suffered a miscarriage a few years ago.

Although Mpendulo arrived only a few weeks after we moved back to Canada, we were able to meet him on our visit in November. The last email I received from Sifiso was in March when she told me her family would be leaving Mtshabezi to move to Beitbridge so her husband could pastor a church. She told me Mpendulo was "fit and strong". We lost touch when she moved as there was no one to send emails for her, so I was shocked to hear from another friend, of Mpendulo's death a few days ago. Apparently Sifiso is critically ill as well and has been in and out of the hospital.

Please pray for the Dlodlo family. Like most of our friends in Zimbabwe, this family has experienced more tragedy then most of us will ever know (see our Africa blog entry for April 10, 2007). No doubt they are devestasted by the loss of their son and little brother.