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I’ve been writing exams and papers so I’m a bit behind in posting news, but here are a few interesting articles that have been sent to me or that I’ve found online.
Refugee leaders pleaded with the visiting U.N. refugee chief Tuesday for better security as he toured camps around this increasingly lawless regional capital, where feared janjaweed militiamen roam freely and have infiltrated the police forces.
Full article at CNN.com
- sara
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Had the chance to see a longer cut of the film that I’ve been following along with for the last few years–and the one for which the first Never Again is Again event raised money.
The director warned stood humbly before us and explained that what we were about to see was sort of like being let into someone’s house before they have the chance to hide the mess in the closet and tidy things up.
The verdict? It’s got class. One thing that has always struck me is that this is not a violent film. It effectively portrays the awful events leading up to and during the genocide, but it does so stylishly, so that it is impactful but not gaudy or unwatchable by a wide audience.
It is aesthetically beautiful, and is a pleasure on the eyes to watch. Not perfect (what is?), but they captured what looks like an absolutely beautiful country. It’s so obvious, too, that this is also a story of love. The love of the main character for his wife (and vice-versa), the love of the Rwandese for their country–and probably, the love of the director for the people, the place, and the story.
It’s a great project; I think the whole team should be really proud of what they’ve accomplished before. This is the result of local, homegrown talent, and of dreams and convictions that start and finish with Rwanda. I hope that you all get the chance to see it at some point.
- sara
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Never Again Is Again will be represented (i.e., I’m going) will be at two half-hour sneak screenings of Rwanda: Hope Rises. We’ll be there holding up foam fingers and shouting WOOT! for this amazing, beautiful film, and we’ll also have some information available about the current situation in Sudan. Those of you who weren’t able to make it out to the event but want to sign the petition–you’ll have another chance at this screening. Nathan from Canadian Students for Darfur will be joining us, and hopefully some friends from Students Taking Action Now: Darfur as well. Come check it out:
Date: Saturday, April 21, 2007
Time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm (one screening at 1pm and one at 3pm)
Location: Vancity Theatre
Street: 1181 Seymour Street (Vancouver)
Price: FREE! Yip Yip!
If you’re interested, email Richard at Wellspring (richard@thewellspringfoundation.com) to let him know (although if you decide to come at the last minute, please do!).
The Hope Rises crew are looking for feedback, so here’s a chance to be a film critic for the day 
.
- sara
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Tickets are NOT available at the door!
For tickets ($10; includes a free drink and you GET TO SKIP THE LINE):
- Call 604.710.1175
- Email neveragainisagain@gmail.com
- Visit The Outpost (in the Student Union Building at UBC)
- Go to Zulu Records (1972 West 4th, Vancouver)
- Stop in at Starbucks Tribeca (152 x King George, South Surrey)
Doors at 9.00p / Film at 9.45p
This is your chance to catch a 15-minute sneak preview of an INCREDIBLE FILM!
EVERY CENT goes to Rwanda: Hope Rises
Sign our PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF DARFUR petition
Let NEVER AGAIN mean NEVER AGAIN
Hope to see you all there!
- sara
ps – Do you like my excessive use of BOLD in this post???? I know I do!
Filed under: Uncategorized
Rwanda: hope rises is a documentary exploring how Rwanda is healing 12 years after the genocide. It’s a story of a scarred nation’s restoration and healing, and their struggle towards a hopeful future.
Rwanda: hope rises talks with some of the inspiring men & women who have made it their task to rebuild a nation. Our desire is that the film will bring the devastation, obstacles, hopes, and triumphs of the Rwandan people into the lives of those who have never heard their story. And we hope that in some way, this film will help aid in the process of Rwanda’s healing and search for hope.
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Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) is another student group comprised of over 600 high school and college chapters taking action against genocide. Check out their section on divestment.
Click here for STAND Canada, which is involved at UBC as well as at: Centennial College, Concordia University, Durham College, Guelph University, Dalhousie University, Humber College, McGill University, McMaster University, Mount Royal College, OCAD, Queen’s University, Ryerson University, U of Alberta, U of Calgary, U of Ottawa, U of Toronto, U of Waterloo, U of Western Ontario, U of Winnipeg, Wilfrid Laurier, and York University.
Don’t see your university listed? Contact Michelle Kudlats (mkudlats@standcanada.org) to find out how you can start a chapter on your campus.
- sara
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Here’s a bit more on divestment in Sudan. The term was not something that I personally was familiar with until recently*, so just in case there are other people out there like me, here’s a quick run-down on the idea behind divestment (in very layman terms!).
Basically, divestment is the opposite of investment. A company or individual sells off specific business units—usually stock or market shares. This is done regularly in the case where money may be more profitably invested elsewhere. Sometimes, however, divestment occurs as a social or political response to companies that are implicated in funding of, for example, the Sudanese government. This also happened in apartheid South Africa in the 1980s as a response to human rights infringements.
Sudan Divestment is a great resource on the current situation in Darfur. Here, more specifically, is the pdf report (updated April 7th of this year).
*Big thanks to Dr. Stephen Brown, Dr. David Ambrosetti, and the rest of my group at the Failing, Failed, and Fragile States conference for patiently—very patiently—explaining divestment to me during our time together drafting policy recommendations!
- sara
The short answer is probably no. The Sudanese government has expressed that any UN troops in Darfur will be treated as “foreign invaders”. There are already 7,000 African Union troops in the region, but this works out to only 3 soldiers for every 100km of Darfur. Additionally, the AU troops have a weak mandate that must be renewed every six months. The government knows that the West is preoccupied. Truly, there don’t appear to be enough resources to satisfy peacekeeping in Southern Sudan, let alone peaceMAKING in Darfur.
Some argue that Khartoum will say no to any force that would succeed in restoring peace in Darfur, namely because they are at least in part responsible for the ethnic cleansing. All of this means that any (effective) military action would have to be without Khartoum’s permission.
Thanks to Dr. Stephen Brown for his talk on Darfur at The Failing, Failed and Fragile States conference, held at The University of British Columbia March 8 – 10, 2007, during which much of this information was obtained.
- sara
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These guys are great. Check out their website for information, volunteer opportunities, and local initiatives—especially the Global Day of Action for Darfur (April 29th at the Vancouver Art Gallery).
- sara
Filed under: FAQ - NAIA
Canada is not a military giant. In fact, with most of its force otherwise disposed in Afghanistan, Canada is unable to participate militarily, in the foreseeable future, in terms of sending troops (Dr. Jane Boulden, Royal Military College). It is therefore likely that Canada’s role—should it choose to play a role—will be to act as a catalyst, and to provide leadership. Canada should be commended for the role that it has played in the development of R2P, but for all of our talk and leadership, few risky steps have been taken towards addressing the conflict in Darfur.
If Canada can’t intervene, what is to be done? One option that has been discussed among the international community is a no-fly zone over Darfur. Many attacks on Darfuri civilians come from helicopters, and this would significantly hinder the ability of the militias and government to target innocent civilians. Leaders in the UK especially have discussed this as an option for action.
There are some non-military options as well. Canada is able to encourage and then legislate divestment from companies involved in the Darfur region, or in Sudan more generally. For one country to divest may not be significant; indeed, there are other countries able to pick up what Canada has divested. If Canada were to take leadership in encouraging other middle powers to divest, however, the results could be much more significant. Remember, divestment from South African played a prominent role in the fall of apartheid. Sudan HAS responded to pressure in the past. Recall when the government forced Osama bin Laden out of the country under pressure from the United States and Saudi Arabia.
The Canadian government CAN play a role, be it a multilateral or leadership role. To do so, however, Canada has to have a position, and must explicitly declare that the situation in Darfur is unacceptable. Canadian citizens can get involved by writing to MPs (more info on this coming soon), and in exploring divestment options as individuals and as members of universities or corporations. Queen’s University recently divested its investments in Chinese oil companies operating in Sudan over Darfur. See articles here and here. Just one example of what can happen when people gather together in support of humanity.
- sara
