Darfur Olympics. Day Eight: The Closing Ceremony

In our closing ceremony, we juxtapose images from Darfur - showing the anguish underwritten by China - with images from the promotional materials for the Olympics. The disparity could not be greater.

Think for a moment about all the time, money and effort that has been spent to stage the Beijing Games. Now think about the time, money and effort that has been spent, over the same time period, to help the people of Darfur.

Now that China's complicity in the Darfur slaughter is known to all the world, we invite you to help us keep the pressure on China to bring security to Darfur. Please visit the organizations featured throughout the Darfur Olympics to find ways to take action. To stay involved with Dream for Darfur, sign up for our newsletter

Thank you for your concern about the people of Darfur and for participating in the Darfur Olympics.

Also from Mia's site today:

Support Darfuri Diaspora Groups

Many of those in the Darfuri Diaspora community hope to provide better lives for family and friends still living in Darfur and Eastern Chad. Darfuri Diaspora groups provide support for the Darfuri population with an array of services from humanitarian aid to assistance with resettlement in the United States. Please visit the websites of these groups to support their vital work:

Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy
The Darfur People's Association of New York
Darfur Alert Coalition
Darfur Association of the United States
Darfur Peace and Development

**Note from GG's editor: We will substitute YouTube code for MySpace code [some prefer it for their subscription purposes] when it becomes available. We will also be posting more video footage & music through the end of the Beijing Olympics next week. Please check out Team Darfur's site...these are people doing their very best as athletes & as humanitarians. Let's show them some support. Ciao-meow.

Day Seven: The Women of Darfur

Women and girls living in Darfur and eastern Chad-- in camps, towns and rural areas--live in constant fear of sexual violence. The perpetrators are usually men from the Sudanese security forces, militias, rebel groups, and former rebel groups. Gender-based assaults occur as part of attacks, but also in times of relative calm.

In this webcast, Mia talks with women about their lives in the refugee camp. [For those who prefer YouTube for subscription purposes, we will replace the MySpace code with YouTube code when it becomes available later this evening or tomorrow. GG does have other aspects to her life, contrary to some people's perceptions. I mean, we're off to Provence, after all...]

Coming tomorrow: The Darfur Olympics Closing Ceremony.

Team Darfur Partners with Darfur Peace and Development Organization among others...

GG urges everyone to check this out. Not enough attention is being paid to the great athletes who belong to Team Darfur. There are wonderful organizations who are partners with Team Darfur, among them Darfur Peace & Development Organization.

xoxo, GG

Les athlètes engagés du "Team Darfur"

We can't resist plugging something French. Don't forget about Team Darfur! They have videos, blogs by athletes, & flickr photo sharing. Not enough people are looking at these...please do. If athletes who are preparing for the most important moment in their lives can actively engage in this activity, surely more people can watch a 2:00 minute (or less) video. C'mon people! GG

REPORTAGE: L'association d'athlètes olympiques "Team Darfur" entend profiter des JO pour demander à la Chine de faire pression sur le Soudan. (Reportage : G. Meyer, N. Handel)

Stephanie McKay tells it like it is...

Stephanie McKay is dedicating her performance to bring light to the widespread rape and murder in Darfur. Help bring attention to Darfur during the Olympics by visiting www. darfurolympics.org. GG loves Stephanie, what about you?

Darfur Olympics: Day Five. Justice for the Darfurian People?

Darfur Olympics...Day Five:

Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested a warrant for the arrest of Sudanese president Omar al Bashir on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the people of Darfur.

In today's webcast, at left, Mia talks about the reaction of Darfurian refugees to the ICC genocide charges against President Bashir.

You can also read the reactions of Darfurian refugees to the charges against President Bashir on Mia's blog.

Coming tomorrow: Mia highlights life in the camps for Darfurian women.

Darfur Olympics: Day Four. Darfur & China

Day Four...

For the past five years, Beijing has been the most important economic and diplomatic supporter of the regime in Sudan, which is slaughtering its own unarmed citizens.

In today's webcast, at left, Mia talks about the Beijing Games against the backdrop of the refugee camp.

Background: In this interview from Spring 2008, Mia outlines how China is complicit in the Darfur genocide.

Darfur Olympics: Day Three. Caring For Families

Today's dispatch from Mia Farrow & Darfur Olympics. Coming tomorrow: Mia talks about the Beijing Olympics at a refugee camp.

"Refugees have insufficient food, shelter, clean water and medical attention.

In Darfur, there are roughly two million people who have been outside the reach of humanitarian aid for years.

As the violence in the region has worsened over the past few months, humanitarian groups have been forced to scale back their operations, leaving a greater number of Darfurians without assistance.

In today's report, Mia talks to refugees about how they survive life in the camp."

REM's Performance for Darfur

As the 2008 Olympics occur in Beijing, genocide in Darfur will still continue with the economic and diplomatic assistance of the Chinese government. REM is dedicating their song to Darfur to ask that China stop supporting the Sudanese regime and take the effective steps needed to end the genocide. Please visit www.darfurolympics.org to learn more.

Talib Kweli Performance for Darfur

Talib Kweli is donating his performance to Darfur to ask that the world does not turn a blind eye to genocide. To learn more about what you can do, please visit www.darfurolympics.org.

Mia Farrow Introduces the Alternative Opening Ceremony for the Darfur Olympics

US Olympian & Team Darfur member Lopez Lomong Carries Flag into Bird's Nest Stadium tonight in Beijing - video

Very exciting video & photographs coming out of China. We're all so proud of Lopez. The Team Darfur blog will be updated soon, but there are some good entries dated 6 August. Also a reminder to readers to access Mia Farrow's alternative programming from IDP camps tonight at Switchovertodarfur channel. More news will be posted over the weekend as it becomes available.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Bisou!
GG & her editor

Team Darfur Member Will Carry Flag into Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium

Great news! Lopez Lomong will carry the flag into Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium. This is great courage & leadership by the U.S. athletes. Bon courage & bonne chance in your events.

From the AP:

Former 'Lost Boy' Lomong chosen to carry U.S. flag

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Associated Press

DALIAN, China -- Eight years ago, Lopez Lomong didn't even have a country. Now he'll be carrying the flag for his adopted nation, leading the U.S. Olympic team at opening ceremonies Friday night. Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, won a vote of team captains Wednesday to earn the honor of leading America's contingent into the 90,000-seat Bird's Nest Stadium.

The 1,500-meter track runner will be the flagbearer only 13 months after becoming a U.S. citizen.

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"When we were in Africa, we didn't know what was there for us as kids--we just ran. God was planning all of this stuff for me, and I didn't know. Now I'm using running to get the word out about how horrible things were back in Sudan during the war. Sometimes these things are not on CNN, so if I put out the word, I hope people can get the information. Right now, similar terrible things are going on in Darfur; people are running out of Darfur, and I put myself in their shoes." From Lopez Lomong's home page.

Joey Cheek's Visa Revoked

Image, Susan Walsh, AP

We are behind on our Beijing Olympic updates, please bear with us. Most of you already know that Joey's visa was revoked. Read here Jill Savitt's Dream for Darfur statement. In addition, the good GG (see "Bad GG video--GenGen Genocide under posting "Those Cute Olympic Mascots") will be posting news, updated videos, & relevant links throughout the Olympics.

The Beijing Olympics & Darfur

Keep the spotlight on Darfur during the Olympic Games. Join with Darfur Peace & Development Organization in a unique kind of activism.

On August 8, China and the Olympic sponsors will kick off the Beijing Olympics.

With your help, we will remind the world, the sponsors, and China that immediate action is necessary to resolve the desperate situation in Darfur.

DPDO is collaborating with Dream for Darfur to webcast the Darfur Olympics -- daily alternative programming during the first week of the Games.

The Darfur Olympics will feature reports by Mia Farrow from a Darfur refugee camp, exclusive video clips of conditions, background reports and daily opportunities for action.

To kick off this week of activism, watch the "Alternative Opening Ceremony" on August 8.
Musical artists REM, Talib Kweli, Carly Simon, and many others have donated music videos to help us ensure that the world does not forget about Darfur.

SIGN UP to watch the DARFUR OLYMPICS and the ALTERNATIVE OPENING CEREMONY

Mia Farrow: "I will be broadcasting from the camps as of the 8th"

To keep the spotlight on Darfur during the Games, we are webcasting the Darfur Olympics from August 8 - 15. On this website you will be able to watch daily alternative programming: exclusive video footage and reports by Mia Farrow from a Darfurian refugee camp, highlighting the desperate need for action. You'll be able to access educational materials about the Darfur crisis -- and take action online.

To kick off this week of advocacy, you can watch our "Alternative Opening Ceremony" on August 8 featuring musicians who have donated music videos to our effort to make sure the world does not forget about Darfur.

Tune in on August 8 and spread the word to friends and family. With your help, we will make sure the world, the Olympic sponsors and specifically China do not forget about the people of Darfur.

Those Cute Olympic Mascots

xoxo/The Good GG

Switch Over to Darfur

The beginning of many posts to come. This is beyond urgent & as much fun as it is for GG & her editor to muse about idylls in the Mediterranean, Darfur remains our focus.

xoxo to all...GG