more change!

As everyone knows, Valentine's Day is this Wednesday. For the most part this week I will be discussing the people who donated their change, and how much I got.

My parents came to visit this weekend, and this is how much change they brought! (pictured above)

Assignment

As part of a class assignment for this week, I have been looking at other blogs about Darfur. There are lots! I found one to be particularly interesting. The Genocide Intervention Network

is a website dedicated to bringing awareness and stopping genocide. The GI- Net funds people of the world suffering from genocide by helping educate and bring an end to the atrocities they are facing. Their website's blog is VERY informative.

I like the blog especially because it focuses on the latest news from the region and stays surprisingly unbiased. The blog entitled "news briefs" gives updates on what's going on politically and physically in the Darfur region. The blog also has lots of links to more detailed stories of the news worthy events going on. The last post included some very interesting information about our president and his plans.

"On Tuesday, President George W. Bush announced that if Khartoum continues to refuse a UN peacekeeping operation in Darfur, he would initialize the first step in his "Plan B" for Darfur, in which the Treasury Department would block US commercial bank transactions, including oil revenues, connected to the government of Sudan. The Pentagon said military intervention in Darfur was not being planned.

The Genocide Intervention Network released a poll of US voters demonstrating significant majority support for greater US involvement in ending the genocide in Darfur. Meanwhile, Congress convened a hearing with Canadian Sen. Roméo Dallaire and actor Don Cheadle to discuss what steps the United States should take on Darfur."

I find it disappointing that a plan for military intervention is not even being discussed and that once again Bush is using a "plan B". In my opinion he never makes a strong enough "plan A" and always falls back on using oil as a controlling factor. On the other hand, I am glad the government is at least enacting on a plan to do something. I was also pleased that people are looking for greater involvement in Darfur.

I would also like to note, actor Don Cheadle is a friend of George Clooney. : ) Great guy.

UNICEF Donations

UNICEF stands for United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. They are a group that has been dedicated for 60 years to saving children's lives all over the world. They have specifically done a lot of work in Africa. Their website is very informative and their services to children are worldwide.

In the letter they sent my grandfather, they were requesting money for their assistance of the children of Darfur. Their main objective is to battle malnutrition, provide safe water and sanitation, and provide vaccines and health care. They have set up feeding clinics and centers and health facilities in the area. The back of the letter was a list of possible donation amounts and what that can provide for the children of Darfur. I think it's amazing to see how far donations can go. Some of the donations were the following:

$25~ Can provide emergency health supplies to cover the basic health needs of more than 100 children for three months.

$35~ Can provide immunizations to protect two children for life against the six leading child-killing disease: measles, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, and tuberculosis.

$50~ Can immunize 50 children against measles for life.

$150~ Can provide 2,500 Oral Rehydration Salts packets to help save the lives of children suffering from diarrhea dehydration due to drinking contaminated water.


There are more amounts on the list and more things that they can provide, but I thought these were the most comparable to amounts I spend in my everyday life. For example, I could easily drop $150 on a shopping trip on Newbury or at the Prudential on clothes I don't really need. It's hard to compare the necessity of a new pair of shoes and some clothes to saving dehydrated, dying children. Wouldn't it be great if the latest "hot" trend was sending your money to those who actually could use it?

Letter

I believe there is nothing more important in life than family. Sometimes they are all you have. Recently I went to visit my grandparents. We had our typical Ricetta’s pizza lunch, it's as expected as a hug when I visit their home, and discussed what I've been doing in school. This is also fairly typical. I started discussing my blog with them, and they were very impressed, surprisingly. I didn't think this blog was that big of a deal to any one else other than me. Apparently they felt differently.

My grandfather wrote me a letter that I received at the end of last week that was very surprising and touching. This is what he said:

"I thought you might be interested in the enclosed as a source or future help and awareness of the terrible situation in Darfur. I'm spreading the word about your blog and your own financial aid project, and of course we're saving our change to add to your Valentine gift!"

I put that last sentence in there just because I think it shows how great my grandfather is and how willingly he gets involved in seemingly minor things in my life.

So what was enclosed? The picture above depicts my grandfather's letter and a letter that he received from UNICEF. The letter was requesting money for the situation in Darfur. I found the opening paragraph to be very moving.

"Right now, approximately 1.8 million children - including more than 500,000 young boys and girls under the age of five - face a massive humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Due to the continuing security crisis, children constantly face violence, sever food shortages and threats from disease"

I will discuss tomorrow more about UNICEF. I thought that was a good place to leave off. Since I've discussed family and Darfur in this post, I think it's important to reflect on those two things combined. To think of our childhoods, we realize most of us never had to face ANY of those things. Definitely not to the same extent. I know growing up in my family my biggest fears were bedtime, disappointing my dad, and not being able to go out for recess.

George Clooney

One Fine Day, Three Kings, The Perfect Storm and of course Batman and Robin, are some of my favorite George Clooney movies. I have a personal fondness and respect for older actors, especially handsome ones. Kate thinks this is weird and teases me about it every chance she can get.

Anyway, George Clooney is probably my favorite of all the older actors. He and his father, Nick, who is coincidentally a journalist, just visited Darfur! The Clooney family males are just amazing if you ask me!

Anyway this link shows some pictures and talks about their trip. They went back in April of 2006 and since then have given a voice to the people of Darfur. George spoke on behalf of the people of Darfur in seeking assistance at a UN meeting last year.

Clooney's in Darfur

Kate O

(pictured is a recent photo of Kate and I)

My roommate, Kate O'Neill, is pretty cool. She likes to have a good time just as much as any other college student. We’ve lived together since freshmen year and have had a lot of fun times. However, she is also very concerned and aware of what's going on in Africa. As an international affairs major, she has taken several courses that discuss world issues and has taken a course called Africa Today.

This morning I asked her to sum up her thought and opinion on the Darfur situation. She so kindly took a break from watching Lost, season 2 to comment. This is what she said:

"I don't know how a situation like the one going on in Darfur is happening. Why aren't drastic measures being taken to end the violence? I think it's sad that countries that have the means to help the people in Darfur aren't doing all they can. They don't care because it's not happening to their people, like it doesn't matter because it's happening in far away Africa. Somewhere where there's nothing to gain. But they're people too and deserve the world's attention just as much as anyone else."

Nicely put Kate O. I added this today because later when we are watching the Superbowl and cheering for the Bears (we are both from New England), we will still be typical college kids. But we have a voice too and want it to be heard.

Kate is also responsible for some of the change in the change bowl pictured several posts below. Thanks Kate!

Invisible Children

While the movie I’m going to discuss is not part of Darfur, it is a serious issue that’s happening in Uganda. Many people have probably heard of this movie or the movements that have stemmed from it.

Invisible Children is a documentary made a few years ago by three guys. They went to Africa in hopes of finding something to document, and the story they found was about children in Uganda trying to survive.

The general background to my knowledge is the following: The militias of the area have been fighting the government for almost two decades and have run out of people to fight for their cause. Instead, they capture children and mentally brainwash them in order to be “killing machines.” In order to avoid this from happening, thousands of children come into cities from the bush area and sleep in abandon places piled on top of each other with, if they’re lucky, a raggedy mat. These children face displacement from their homes, among other physically and emotionally tragic issues, similarly to the people in Darfur.

Though this is a whole other issue, the base of the problem stems from militia rebel groups acting mercilessly on their own people. The video is well worth watching and investing in. The three gentlemen that started this project are very active in spreading the word and taking action. I would encourage anyone to get more involved and informed on this matter as well as what’s happening in Darfur.