Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Send a Message to the People of Zimbabwe

Hi,
I just signed a message to the people of Zimbabwe letting them know we stand defiantly with their quest for democracy, security and justice and I thought you would want to join this global campaign. If we join voices as citizens around the world and stand with them in their struggle - they will know that they are not alone and remain strong in the belief that change is still possible. Click here to sign the message:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/global_citizens_for_zimbabwe/tf.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK
Thanks!
------------------------
Dear friends,
As we approach the holiday season, the people of Zimbabwe need our solidarity and support. For many, this will be their tenth New Year's Eve living in fear, their third without clean water, and their first amidst the spiralling cholera epidemic. So many have died that it is no longer clear what is the population of the country.

Ultimately, it is the people of Zimbabwe who will bring change. Right now, our friends on the ground say that crushing hardship and isolation are the greatest threat -- that the most powerful contribution we can make is to cry out our solidarity with their struggle, and let them know that they are not alone.

While Mugabe and his generals might control the borders and the newspapers, the airwaves are still free. Sign our global message of solidarity now -- it will be turned into a radio advertisement and broadcast across Zimbabwe in the new year--and then if you choose, write or record your own ad for broadcast using our online tools:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/global_citizens_for_zimbabwe/?CLICKTRACK

Zimbabwe's people are wracked by a cholera crisis which has already killed over 1000 people. Three months after Robert Mugabe and the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangarai signed a power-sharing agreement, Mugabe's still clings to power, even denying there is an epidemic. And as the regime cracks down, with increasing numbers of journalists, human rights defenders and ordinary people being abducted this week, the prospect of a unity government seems more remote than ever. The Zimbabweans who risked their lives to vote against Mugabe in March this year are exhausted, hungry and terrorised by violence.

We have campaigned throughout the year on different levels with a range of targets, tactics and strategies, but Zimbabwe will only change if, amongst the dread and fear, Zimbabweans themselves believe they have the power to overcome hopelessness and lawlessness.
With our radio-broadcast messages of international solidarity, let's let them know our eyes are on Zimbabwe and send them hope and strength to carry on strong into 2009. Our voices aim to uplift Zimbabwean people who have lost their hope or loved ones, helping a people who are desperate for democracy and ravaged by hunger and disease. These messages will be heard by hundreds of thousands across Zimbabwe and the region: sign our collective message here, then leave your personal message:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/global_citizens_for_zimbabwe/?CLICKTRACK

It is up to us to get our messages of support to the people of Zimbabwe. As citizens of the world, our only interest in ending the Mugabe era is that which led us to struggle in our own lands for political freedoms, and which brought many of us to stand with the South African people in the anti-apartheid struggle: a common humanity, a duty to fight repression and a commitment to the universality of rights. Let the Zimbabwean people know we stand with them:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/global_citizens_for_zimbabwe/?CLICKTRACK

In hope and solidarity,
Ben, Ricken, Alice, Brett, Pascal, Paul, Graziela, Paula, Luis, Iain and the whole Avaaz team
P.S. For a report on Avaaz's campaigning so far, see: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/report_back_2

Monday, December 22, 2008

The Big Ask: Climate Change



Check out 50 things you can do to help stop global warming!

A Zimbabwean Funeral

Take a look at these incredible photos of a funeral that took place at Mtshabezi in Zimbabwe. Be sure to check out the slideshow. If you leave a comment in the next few days Krista will donate a dollar to help Zimbabwe!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

African Tobogganing

On Christmas Day in 2006 we spent the day in the village where our friends Richard and Danisa grew up. Richard showed us their version of African tobogganing. It was hilarious and such a great memory! This one is my favourite even though it's sideways. Enjoy!

Monday, December 15, 2008

AIDS Kits

Our friend Mrs. Maphosa - Home-based care worker at Mtshabezi

AIDS kits in Swaziland from Canada

21 kits our home church put together

This past month at The Meeting House we've been putting together AIDS kits through MCC. Joel and I decided to head up the project within our homechurch since this is something we really care about. We challenged our group to think about ways of giving sacrifically to help someone else in need and they were up for the challenge. We exceeded our goal and put together 21 kits. I'm really excited of the generosity of our group, but I'm even more excited about the people who will benefit from these kits. One of our good friends in Zimbabwe, Mrs. Maphosa, is a home-based care worker. I remember her coming to the AIDS office where we worked and asked if there were any kits she could give out. There were none at the time. While she gave her time and energy visiting people in the village, doing whatever she could to help, she really wanted to be able to give her patients something. These kits are that 'something' that can really help someone suffering with HIV or AIDS. There are many types of kits you can put together. They DO get there...we've seen them on the other side of the world!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

To Blog or Not to Blog? Reflections a year later...

Well, a year ago I started this blog. It's been fun being a blogger, although I don't think I'm great at it, but I never claimed to be. Now I'm trying to decide whether I should call it a day (or a year) or keep going. One of my original goals in blogging was to share things I've been thinking about, especially related to Christianity. I've done a lot of thinking the past few years, but haven't had the guts to write about it yet. I'm not sure why. I've also tried to use this space to keep those who are interested, updated on what's going on in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately there hasn't been a lot of good news, but it's always good to be aware.

If I continue in the blogging world I think I'll commit to be more open and honest about what's going on inside my head. I also like to ask questions and have loved the times my posts have turned into mini-conversations. Yes, comments are a good thing! But they also require people who read this. I know there are a few faithful readers out there, but I guess (and here's where the first "honest" part comes) I need a little affirmation. I'm quite happy to not be a blogger or to be one, but to me there's no point if there's no one out there to have a 'conversation' with. So if you're out there, let me know. I'll even let you do it with the handy dandy anonymous poll feature. It's been a good ride, however much longer it lasts!

Monday, December 1, 2008

World AIDS Day


Today is World AIDS Day. Hopefully someday we'll use this day to celebrate its eradication or cure, but for now it's still a huge reality. Meet some families affected by it. What are YOU doing about it?