Am I Not Human: Finding New Ways To Make A Difference

image: Allafrica.com

3 points struck me deeply, and somewhere inside of myself the night I finished watching it, I committed to finding a way to do more to support our human siblings in re-developing countries struggling to survive, through different methods. Lots of ideas passed through my mind. I thought maybe a 'PeacefulPens collective' could somehow connect with folks providing relief in refugee camps so we could put a face to some of the people suffering and write their stories. Not sure if that was the exact idea, I turned the idea around in my mind thinking maybe it should be a 'HappyEndings' children's story collective that would feature children from the refugee camps in Darfur and other areas in the world, with the proceeds going completely to funding [healthy] education and survival needs, but I want to begin something I'm sure I can finish surely and thoroughly, and am unsure I could handle writings hundreds, or thousands of short stories in a small space of time without assistance, as it can be hard (especially during difficult financial times like these) to find folks willing to offer their assistance with no promise of profit. Enough working pens would be necessary and no child refugee's story should be left out of such a venture.

So for now I've decided that I can have a trusted non-profit collect monies accrued from 2 forthcoming fantasy anthologies and have them donated in full to ensure healthy education, and survival needs are supported for survivors living in refugee camps, looking to start their life anew, with security, and hope.

Have you been giving thought to what you can do that might go beyond petition-signing, and days of blogging (both good and powerful things, but for those who can do more the need is certainly there)?

On behalf of all of my human siblings barred from communication, or denied the technology to express what they've been enduring at the hand of greedmongering and unimaginable inhumanity, I ask:

A promising way to support the healing of the Motherland.

Click for more information.

3 Points

Peace. Protection. Punishment.


Our voices and ingenuity are still needed. How can we get the attention of politicians that will make a positive difference in the struggle Darfurees and Chadians have faced at the hands of the Janjaweed and the Governing of Omar Bashir that empowers them?

Are you a solid indie game designer? Can you create a game that will attract interest in masses of Americans and other national citizens to take action? Can you write a song that makes a difference, and donate the sales to aid refugees in need? Would you rather write a children's story, or dedicate a collection of art to supporting aid, protection, and education efforts for Darfuri's and Chadians? Will you design greetings cards that remind loved ones that they have the power to save lives in areas where the voices of the people have been assaulted? Maybe you love to bake, and can organize a bake sale and create a special Peace cookie. There are many ideas that will remind your local news, national, and international news that we haven't forgotten what happened in Rwanda, and know what is happening in Darfur, Chad, The Congo, Uganda, and Somalia for that matter. We know we have to make our concern known.

Our job is to raise awareness, write letters to our local representatives, to our President, to make our desire heard. Omar Bashir and those complicit in the inhuman atrocities that have targeted the innocent [likely over the oil in Darfur] must be brought before the International Criminal Court. It is essential to the safety of Darfuri's and Chadians, as well as the rest of the world. If crimes against humanity such as those exacted upon the innocents of Darfur and Bordering Chad are allowed to continue without punishment, these kinds of crimes can easily spread throughout the rest of the world and become seen as commonplace. We have the power to do something now.

What are you going to to do?

I'm over here brainstorming a master-plan for something I can do from my level of creativity, but for right now I can write letters to the government, and keep writing them, at least.

Eventually the government will have to start listening to what the people truly ask for, rather than invade lands criminally themselves. There's alot of clean-up to do and it starts with us.

Click here to watch the film
Visit Tracy Mcgrady's Darfur Dream team website

Am I Not Human: Rape Assaults Both Genders In The Congo

The tools of war escape the imagining of the average American citizen, but it's a very real threat for our human siblings in many areas of the world, where communities of innocents are under siege as their land is ravaged by militias that are funded by Western, and other Imperialist powers for their resources.

In addition to murdering, and separating people from their families, rape has become an inhumanly frequent matter of international news. In the Congo in particular, an area rich in the Coltan our wireless devices are dependent upon, women have known the threat of rapists bearing arms [with the Eastern Congo considered by the UN the rape capital of the world], but until recently men have either remained quiet about their experiences being raped by other men, or the phenomena has only recently become a reality for them in recent months, with what some consider hundreds of recent cases.

Though I had heard of this in passing, [I haven't spent a tremendous amount of time on the net over this particular Summer season] a recent Kameelahwrites blog post focusing on this crime's new, or newly-revealed face alerted me of the need to be a part of spreading this message, because without knowledge of the horrors our human siblings are experiencing in other parts of the world, we're in danger of fooling ourselves into thinking these issues aren't relevant, or even there. We're in danger of feeling these evils can't touch us, though they are touching our sisters and brothers in ways nothing should ever touch an individual or community.

What is most troubling to me about these evils is the underhanded networking that pulls the strings of these militias, and the way these militias [in alot of cases from the use of drugs- often for child soldiers] are able to distance themselves from their own people and rain unjust horrors down upon them.
It is certain the evils that have plagued Rwanda, The Uganda, The Congo and Darfur, to name only a few, are not in the true control of roaming militias.
The "intelligence" goes far deeper than that, into the direct pockets of those benefiting from the accumulation of resources gathered after the depopulation of the lands that are targeted. It's not a new tactic, and this is what is most upsetting. When and indeed what measure can we take as universal citizens to ensure safety, and basic resources be available to everyone? How do we disconnect the many heads of the greed-feeding network that ravages the human family with soulless regard, and exact strategy?

At present, I say we continue to spread the word. Bring it up at mealtime. Ignore the vibes others may give that it's somehow 'a drag'. Appeal to the selfishness in the community by raising the simple point that these kinds of crimes will eventually be able to strike anywhere. Without strong moves made by the ICC at least, to punish war criminals, who will care if evils that have become all too familiar to lands we may consider far away from us now, come to ours in full-bloom?

We can't afford, for the sake of humanity itself, or for our own personal lives, to pretend we're powerless. That kind of passive response to greed-mongering savagery has only empowered it. I say we at least have to be willing to speak on behalf of those suffering, and share what we can [within reason of course, as we're all struggling to survive] to aid those being stolen from and treated as less than human, or animal for that matter.

On behalf of our human siblings in the Congo [and everywhere else humanity is assaulted by inhumanity] we ask:

Am I Not Human: The Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan Request Protection For Sudanese Civilians

The Lost boys and girls are children orphaned in the second Sudanese war that erupted between the North and South in '83. By '87 over 30,000 young children were forced from their homes in Southern Sudan during a viciously long civil war, as Northern forces destroyed their villages and murdered their parents.

A trek began for them that covered the area from the Southern Sudan to refugee camps in Ethiopia (and Kenya after the fall of the Ethiopian government). 11,000 survived the trek, with 5,000 registered now as refugees across the US.

Thanking President Obama for arranging an envoy to be present during the handing down of the Abyei Arbitration Tribunal in the Hague's ruling on the oil-related boundaries contested by North and South Sudan, and for renewing support of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the National Network for the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan sent a recent letter of appreciation. In this letter they were also clear in their request that a fully implemented CPA be ensured, so civilians would be protected.

For some time Darfurians, for instance have struggled with a smaller-number-than promised peacekeeping force, and obstacles to receiving proper Aid. It is certain that US promises must be kept, as all the delays that could be afforded have by now been exhausted.

It's clear there are many delicate layers to the conflicts in Sudan, with strong emphasis on Darfur, but it's important we keep ourselves informed as world citizens and lend our support by writing letters to the US government, blogging to raise awareness, supporting Aid organizations and the like. What is happening in the Sudan, most notably in Darfur in recent years, will not be forgotten, and promises made by our government need to be kept, just as the International Criminal Court needs to bring the persecutors of Darfurians to extreme justice.

You can take action for our siblings in the Sudan through the links below. Online it takes little time to make a difference.

On behalf of our siblings in the Sudan we ask:



You can take action here:
note: Please share any links to actions you know of that we can take to eradicate genocide at the root.

Call for divestment (A major action that impacted the abolishing of Apartheid can be successful in stomping out genocide in Darfur and anywhere else it raises its head)

http://www.standnow.org/

http://www.thedevilcameonhorseback.com/action/

Lost Boys of Sudan- Take Action

10 ways to stop genocide in Darfur

DreamforDarfur.org


note:
If you enjoy Roots for Humanity and would like to blog about Human roghts during campaigns and also to share news you find, contact us at rootsofhumanity at gmail.com

Am I Not Human: Stand For Troy Davis

How is it possible that in a country that claims to fight for freedom and justice, a man that is likely innocent [after 7 out of 9 witnesses recanted their testimonies against him advising they were coerced by police to testify a certain way] sits on death row after rejected appeals to be seen in court to have new evidence looked over? And why would the state of Georgia refuse to allow the press to see him, though it is his right? It is a twisted rejection of justice that must be undone. I believe with enough of a spotlight upon the State of Georgia, the pressure will bring about the only satisfactory change- a true reexamining of Troy Davis' case and his subsequent and inevitable release.

The NAACP has joined this fight, launching an Iamtroy.com website to collect petition signatures and raise public awareness of his case, alongside Amnesty International who have been fighting for Troy for sometime now. Please take time to familiarize yourself with this case if you haven't already and add your voice to the growing number of voices demanding justice for Troy Davis and others like him who do not belong behind bars for a crime they did not commit.

On behalf of Troy Davis we ask:

We hope to see Troy speaking with the press very soon about his pardon, and release from an 18 yr. imprisonment that was exacted against him without any physical evidence, and with the testimonies of witnesses who recanted in large when they were no longer under the pressure of renegade officers forcing them to make untrue statements against him. It seems to me there are fraudulent law enforcers on several levels that should be locked away for their criminal behavior against the innocent. Hopefully when this is cleared up, they will be made to atone for their crimes.

Help Prevent Child Marriage

Children as young as eight years of age have been forced into marriage too many times to count. They are more susceptible to being victims of domestic violence, and we can't forget that childbearing when too performed at too young an age actually causes death more often in youth than it does for a women of a more appropriate age (from 20 yrs and older).

The voices of the youth have too often been ignored until unspeakable acts can no longer remain in the dark. It doesn't have to go that far. Concerned adults can stand for the rights of children now. We can make enough noise to make a difference.


Click the image to take action to prevent Child marriage.


Note:
If you're interested in blogging for human rights on Roots of Humanity contact: RootsofHumanity at gmail.com

Shine your light.

Am I Not Human: Human Trafficking

The silent, vicious underbelly of world society has supported the slave trade of women, and children for the purposes of forced prostitution and unpaid labor to and unforgivable degree of depravity and length of time, but it's voice has been largely ignored by a media that would rather give coverage to under-garment revealing mishaps of famous personalities, and propaganda designed to generate political support for various profit-generating efforts and/or smear campaigns aimed at political parties that completely distract and direct mass attention away from important issues impacting our world.

While we enjoy the fruits of our labors -- though admittedly many of us struggle to enjoy even that, there are voiceless people who have been reduced to slaves, hidden by a corrupt secret market that exploits the innocence of those who have found themselves alone and vulnerable, or who have even been sold to it by their own families.

Fortunately there are voices who refuse to be silenced, and share vital information with the masses who think for themselves and seek news that informs rather than brainwashes, or dumbs down the intellect.

A film documentary entitled 'Call and Response' has been created to bring to light the devastating effects of the evils in this hidden slavery system that has found itself widespread from the West to the East. Created by a musician who happened upon the horrors of sexual slavery during a celebratory weekend, this film is intended to wake us up to the realities that very real, very innocent children and individuals in general are facing in society --even in the 'Free World'.

The trailer for the film certainly may be shocking for some. Please watch this before deciding whether or not to share this footage with the youth in your home.

We hope you'll spread the word about this film, join the mailing lists of sites that focus on undoing this harmful system so you can participate in action alerts, and pray/meditate for a world that holds precious: 'the right to exist' peacefully.

On behalf of the children and individuals subjected to Modern Day Slavery we ask:

Here are some sites you can visit to be place on mailing lists, and inform yourself about actions you can take to help undo this epidemic:


www.EndHumanTrafficking.org
www.NotForSaleCampaign.org
http://www.humantrafficking.org/



Related intel:

PA court champions children by upholding that viewing child pornography is illegal.