From: clive.denton
Date: 2006-08-10 12:38:07
Dear Clive, My name is Sabina. I’m 17 years old and I’m an Amnesty International activist.Today, I am reaching out to you because I am appalled and frightened about the violence happening each and every day in the Darfur region of Sudan. That’s why I’ve made a promise to myself to do everything I can to help stop the violence. And I’m hoping that you will join me in taking action.You may ask, “Sabina, what can a teenager, or even an adult, really do to help in Darfur?” I say this, “We can join together – a hundred thousand strong – to take action and heal this world.”This isn’t naive optimism. I’ve been working in support of the civilians of Darfur for 5 years. I have tried to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis there. This past April, I read my poem, Vigil for Darfur, at Amnesty’s Get on the Bus rally, in front of over 400 demonstrators in New York City. This summer, I spoke about Darfur at Amnesty International’s Youth Activist Kollege in Arlington, Virginia.You see, there are things we can do to help. And here are three things you can do today to help me hold up the candle and make a difference for the women and children in Darfur: Sign the petition urging President Bush to take all steps necessary to ensure a speedy U.N. takeover of operations in Darfur and apply all necessary and appropriate pressure to actors impeding it. Download my poem, Vigil for Darfur (in color or black and white), carry it in your wallet, and pass copies to your friends so that we will all remember to be responsible for one another, even when a vast ocean separates us. Join the Save Darfur Coalition, with Amnesty International, for the “Save Darfur Now” rally in New York City on Sunday, September 17. More information regarding time and location will be available on our website. I know it is nearly impossible to grasp the vast number of people who have been affected by the violence: hundreds of thousands of individuals are thought to have died as a result of the conflict, and over two and a half million people have been displaced. But it is crucial that we stand up now against the devastation.I see so many parallels between my family’s experience in the Holocaust and what is currently happening in Darfur. My namesake, my grandmother’s cousin, was killed in the Holocaust. Through her name, I remember the horrors of that experience. Through her name, I will work diligently so that it never happens again.There’s a lot to be done. And I need your help. Please click here to take action.Sincerely,Sabina C., Amnesty activist avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 0632-1, 09/08/2006Tested on: 8/10/2006 12:33:57avast! – copyright (c) 2000-2006 ALWIL Software.
