[Mitai-announce] Time to act on Sudan

[Aram Harrow]

Western Sudan is in the middle of a humanitarian disaster that
threatens to get much worse unless we devote more attention and
resources to it.  A small rebellion has sparked a genocidal campaign
by government-backed militias that has displaced over a million
civilians and killed tens of thousands.  Refugees who have
escaped to Chad have told of entire villages being massacred, women
being raped and then branded to stigmatize them forever, wells
poisoned by dumping corpses in them and homes burned down so that the
villagers will never return.  Even worse, the planting and harvest
seasons have been disrupted by the fighting and 1.2 million risk dying
of starvation and disease if food assistance doesn't reach them before
the heavy rains start in June.

Fortunately, there is plenty we can do about this, even from MIT.
The U.N. World Food Program is raising money for food aid, and human
rights groups can use our help in lobbying the U.N. and national
governments to take more forceful action in Sudan.  


Here are the concrete things you can do:

1. There will be a meeting tomorrow night at 8 PM to plan and organize
   actions.  I, and a few others, have some ideas, but we will welcome
   new ideas, flesh out our existing ones and divide up
   responsibilities tomorrow.  If you are strongly motivated to be a
   part of this effort, then please come.  Details on this below.

2. If you don't have the time or energy to help plan events, but want
   to stay informed about the campaign, email me and I'll add you to a
   mailing list.  We'll keep you informed about planned events and
   send out specific requests for help.

Ten years ago, 800,000 civilians were murdered in Rwanda while the
world stood by.  I know this is a busy time and we all have a lot of
important commitments, but think about how you'll look back at this
moment ten years from now, and which decisions you'll think of as
important.


Details of meeting tomorrow night:

Starting at 8PM, planned to end no later than 9:30PM.  If you can only
make part of the time, that's fine.

We'll meet in my apartment (room 112) in Bexley, 50 Mass Ave.
http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?selection=W13&Buildings=go
Enter the courtyard and go in the first door on your left.
If it's not open, call x59691 from the campus phone to be let in.

RSVP if you think you'll come, and if there are many responses we'll
move the meeting to a room on campus.

I'll probably make cookies or cake or have other snacks there.

I hope you can make it,

Aram Harrow
and
Piali Mukhopadhyay

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