Darfur Peace & Development - Annual Report 2008 & Urgent Request

Darfur Peace & Development Organization (DPDO) has released its Annual Report 2008*, here. DPDO is the only Darfuri-led U.S.-based NGO still operating on-the-ground in Darfur, Sudan.

Emergency request: We were going to leave this at the release announcement, but donations are off due to the global financial crisis. While this is understandable, DPDO finds itself short to pay day-to-day operations, much less development. If you look at administrative costs, you will see that they are very low.

DPDO is asking for emergency donations of $1, $5, or $10 through the website & its Facebook page. Things are tough, really tough. If you can help, please know that anything you donate goes straight to people on-the-ground.

A big thank-you to all.

(*Printed copy requests through the website or download as a PDF).

[Peak Near Wilfag by Susan Burgess-Lent, DPDO/all rights reserved/cover of DPDO AR2008/all rights reserved]

December's Journey of the Darfur Tents

We've received some questions about the Tents of Hope & their journey from Washington, DC to Darfur. Well. As one might expect, this is not an average shipment. Just remember your own holiday package travails in years past & multiply it by, um, a lot.

Darfur Peace & Development Organization (DPDO) was the recipient of the tents in November. Program Director Susan Burgess-Lent's step-by-step explanation of where the Tents of Hope are now, where they're going, & why they've not left New Jersey yet, is here (along with additional photos). There's a timeline & explanation. They will be shepherded carefully, we are totally confident, because DPDO is not only committed, but peopled with the most wonderfully stubborn folks we have ever met! More as the tents make their way from Newark to Darfur (via Libya). Fingers crossed for mid-February.

Cheers, GG's editor

3 photographs/Susan Burgess-Lent/DPDO (students at Shobani School of Peace; Darfuri children painting tent; repacking tents in Newark, NJ) all rights reserved

photograph of completed Amnesty International Tent/Charles Joy/
Group #297 Amnesty International/Silver Spring-Takoma Park, MD

collage by GG/use only if permission is received from Susan Burgess-Lent

Darfuri children's drawings: an indictment

Children's drawings from Darfur were deemed suitable as evidence in the International Criminal Court's case against Sudanese government officials. What more to say?

Please go here for more information about the drawings (one exhibit just closed at Harvard). UK-based Waging Peace has been instrumental in the collection of Darfuri children's artwork. Above is no. 16 of 20 drawings on the site (artist's names are undisclosed for obvious reasons). All are accomplished, as well as informative, & we can only hope that they will be given the opportunity to develop their skills.

There are many places to donate, but GG must confess a partiality to Darfur Peace & Development Organization Schools of Peace. (DPDO also has many other worthy & successful programs, see here.) Whatever, wherever you decide to send your donations, know that they are so appreciated & never taken for granted.

xoxo,
GG's editor

drawing no. 16/20-wagingpeace

Darfur Heroes in September

GG’s editor is pleased to report that the Save Darfur Coalition has named good friend Suliman Giddo, president & co-founder of Darfur Peace & Development (DPDO), a Darfur Hero.

Suliman’s story, & that of his compatriot & co-honoree Marwa Salah Eldin Abdalla, is featured on the Save Darfur Website/Blog for September.

Please read about these courageous Darfuri Diaspora leaders & their struggle to be heard in a country that is allowing itself to be distracted by pigs-in-lipsticks nonsense.

(GG Central awaits a press release from Miss Piggy. She must think this is as ridiculous as we do. We’re just saying….)

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

Audrey Hepburn & UNICEF

UNICEF has been much on our mind. They are helping Darfur Peace & Development with much-needed school supplies. We are so grateful & it brings to mind one of our very favorite people: Audrey Hepburn. There are many wonderful people who serve as Goodwill Ambassadors, just as Audrey did. Please support UNICEF. It's just plain good manners--and who would know good manners better than Audrey? [photograph via myvintagevogue]

Giulia especially loves this this photo of Audrey in Breakfast at Tiffany's (she has a crush on the handsome orange "Cat.")