Tony, Hi, hope all is well with you. Thanks for following up on the actions. Yes, I think their traditions are just so different that with all the enforced change, solar ovens may just feel very foreign. I think it’s pretty universal to want ” home cooking” but the idea is very creative and people have been very generous raising money for them. I need to research the whole environmental angle to the genocide and suspect that a lack of resources is at play, however, a genocidal government is a genocidal government . I look forward to reading up on it when I get back. In all my reading, I somehow missed this. All the best to you and yes, we need UN boots on the ground asap to ensure safety. Peace, Stacey

Thank you, Isaac, for being a part of i-Act. We appreciate you watching and spreading the word. Peace, Stacey

Thank you, Megan Goldner to you and your AMAZING mom! So many people we’ve talked to who have been inspired to help others have had moms like yours. I can’t wait to come to Texas with Camp Darfur! My boyfriend’s family is there and it will be great to meet your family while doing Camp Darfur in his hometown. You are such a wonderful family of activists and we are grateful to work with you!!!!! Peace & Love, Stace

Rachel V., We ate lots of tuna and breakfast bars( until they ran out!) that we packed and skipped dinner almost every night. There were a few omelets at NGO cafeterias for which we were VERY grateful. Seeing the people’s conditions here changed my relationship to food and I lost my appetite for awhile. Looking forward to an Inn & Out Burger and some greens though. YES, BRAVO to the i-Act team back home. They are INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!! Big Hug, stace

Thanks Teresa! Looking forward to seeing you and your family and talking in more detail about the work here and at home. Hugs, Stace

Thanks for following the journey, Ann. Would love to hear more about your work. Wishing you the all the best in your endeavors, Stacey

Nancy, missing Ahmat was a big disappointment. Hopefully many will continue to act and raise awareness back home. All The best, Stacey

Jules, Thanks and I can’t wait to see you and share the pictures of those your bracelets touched! Safe travels and I’ll see you soon. So Grateful for your friendship , guidance and faith! Always, stace

Lisa Goldner, see you at Camp Darfur in Texas! Yes, we’ll miss everyone but carry them in our hearts. There is a lot of sadness leaving, knowing the people of Darfur cannot go home but I feel sure that people like you and your family will continue to shepherd them safely home with your actions! So Many Blessings to You All, Stace

Missy, I am so glad that you feel closer to those you’ve prayed for for so long. We are grateful for your prayers and continued action. Much Peace, Stacey

Thank you diana y. for your beautiful words and support of the refugees. YES, we must stop this genocide and it is possible!! Keep up your dedicated work. Peace Always, Stacey

Yes, Marilyn, stepping through the fear was very freeing for me. I’m sure it will continue to resonate in my life as it has each time I’ve faced a fear. Would love to check out Glide when I get to NoCal. We have much work to do but wonderful souls like you to do it with! Let’s stop this genocide, my friend. Peace & Blessings, Stace

Hey Tony: Yes, the role environmental issues play are is also important. You are right in that the immediate solution has to be for the world to act now, and long term issues can be worked on with the assurance that there will people there to live in a balanced environment. Thanks Tony!

Hello Isaac: Thanks, and I really also hope that people connect with the people they met through our days of i-ACT and that it moves them to act!

Hola Connie: A de ser la combinacion de ranflis, tu y la computadora. Espero que la estes pasando bien. Ya casi estamos en casa :)

Hello Megan: Wow, you and your mom, Lisa, are pretty amazing. I lived in San Antonio for a short period as a teenager, after moving there from Monterrey, Mexico, where I grew up. Stace and I, and maybe others from our community, will definitely come to your home town with Camp Darfur and help to create some great action. And, you know, you and your family are a part of the team, Stop Genocide Now & Team i-ACT.

Hey Rach: We had periods of eating a little and periods of eating just a bit more. We brought tuna and nuts, and I got pretty tired of that. We asked for eggs at any opportunity that presented itself, thinking that it was something that could be cooked easily, and it would assure us that it would be something well cooked. I was hungry at times, but it was bearable, knowing that a meal would come soon enough and being so busy. I don’t think I lost as much weight as last time. I’m so, so ready for some big meals, though!

Hi Tere! Thanks for all the support and for the help with the tickets. See you soon!

Hello Ann: Thank you and thanks to Pam for spreading the word. Your travels through the Middle East must bring some fascinating experiences. So many problematic political situations around the world…

Hola Nancy! Yes, I’m also sorry that we did not get to Ahmat, but it is the nature of this escalating crisis. The violence is spreading. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Hello Mimi Schiff: I am reading this in N’djamena and close to going home. Thank you so much for your company! I look forward to working with you in person soon.

Hi Marilyn: And THANK YOU so much! We will come with Camp Darfur to Davis; let’s work on that. It was so great to read your comments every day. Thank you for being so involved and being an upstander!

Hi Missy: Thank you for “doing your part,” and thank you for committing to continual action. We cannot take a break from this because each day means so much.

Hello Diana Y: What a great post. It is messages like yours and others here that inspire me to do more. Thank you.

Hi Stacey’s Mom :) Thank you so, so much for your great support and for having such a great angel of a daughter. I look forward to setting up tents next to you sometime in the future.

Marilyn, I know how irrational my fear of flying is. With human conflict, I always feel there is hope of communicating on a human/heart level whereas the skies and mechanics lack that opportunity. I have, however, noticed that flying has become easier and that I’ve actually been able to look out of the window several times and appreciate the beauty of Africa! it’s a start and some growth. Yes, let’s connect back in the states. I’d love to hear your ideas. I’ll contact you when we return! The school sounds great too! The conditions of the refugees up north and those here the longest are hard to swallow. May they be home safely and soon. Much Peace, Stace

Mama, Yes, I imagine the mother’s worries and fears here too. How hard it must be for them! Lisa has been such an inspiration and the quote you refer to from Elie Wiesel reminds me so much of our intention with From America With Love. I love and cherish and respect you. Everything I am comes from your example on a daily basis. Always, Charlie

Hi Teresa, the refugees do not have the choice as to where they go and in what weather their camp is situated. Unfortunately the numbers are great and there is much red tape! As we work to stop the genocide as our first priority perhaps we can get more blankets to the colder camps. So much of this trip has been about crying and smiling at the same time for me, so I know what you mean. Big hug and sorry all my loved ones are calling you about the flight!!! Stacey

Dear John Morlino,

Your work has been an inspiration and I look forward to meeting you in person one day. May your latest effort reach President Bush’s ears and heart. Thank you for your work and constant leadership. Much Peace. Stacey

Kristina, we are all family and we must all look after one another. The songs brought great joy and hope to me also. Blessings, Stacey

Dear Stacey’s Mom: Another great quote from Elie Wiesel. Thank you so much.

Hi Tere: Yes, even the simple things are pretty complicated out here, and now even more, with all of the chaos on both sides of the border. There are, if you include the Chadians that are now displaced, close to 300,000 diplaced people on this side (Chad). There are 2.5 million displaced inside of Darfur. Aid workers are not allowed to work. Inside of Darfur, it is the Government of Sudan that masterfully has death traps. On this side of the border, the instability and daily violence has caused aid to come close to stopping in some camps.

My friend John Morlino: I can’t wait to read your next article. Thank you for dedicating it to the people you have met through i-ACT. Thank you for your heart and for your tireless work for Darfur. I’ll see you soon. g

Hello Kristina: Thank you. I’m so glad that you liked day 14, and I know you’ll love day 15, with all those children. It was such an amazing experience to be sitting there with them for such a long time, very calmly, and see how they were all friend and how the small children would take care of the even smaller children. Thanks for being with us.

Hey Rachel! YES, let’s make some serious NOISE! It is time to increase the level of NOISE, until our leaders and the world cannot do anything but act.

Mi Zahara: Si, tenemos que seguir como una verdadera comunidad que actua para ayudar a sus propios, aunque esten un poco lejos. Ya pronto estamos de regreso. Un beso. g

Well, we have reached the end of one road and found ourselves at the all important beginning of another. As we headed to board the plane that would take us back to Abeche we received the sad new of another attack on a camp in Guerreda. Two refugees were killed. We had tried so hard to get to that camp on the day where the bloodshed happened. I felt a strange mix of gratitude that we were not there and deep sorrow for the same reason, perhaps we could have been of help in some way. I keep seeing the faces of all those we’ve met and wondering how terrified those near the attack must have felt with the fighting so close again. The details are as yet unclear but in truth, they really do not matter. The only thing that seems to matter is that two people who survived a genocide died an unnecessary death yesterday. The military presence at the Abeche airport was enormous and I had such a sense of the life one must lead here at this time.

We saw Yusef again in Abeche, I was so happy to see him.It is somehow extremely comforting to know how quickly we can become attached to those we hardly knew a few weeks ago. Ali spoke of his fears about going back to the camps with the recent attacks and all of the uncertainty. I remembered that this man, who is so good with the refugee children, is hardly grown himself at 24. He talked about his commitment to making his country more secure and prosperous. I was inspired by his views on committing to a goal in life for the betterment of your country not just the ” ambiance of life” as he called it. I felt overwhelmed by the sadness of leaving him here awaiting the next attack, unsure of where they will strike and only wanting to study and provide for his family. These team members were an enormous part of our work for which I am forever grateful and I will miss them dearly.

Every person we have met and talked to has been a blessing that came about in a completely unplanned way. Every day was a miracle to me, as we continued to be safely and divinely led to the very people who needed to connect and tell their story that day. We’d walk into a camp and just let the day take us where it needed most to go. That is part of the luxury and freedom that comes with ” citizen reporting”, no middle people. We experienced those on their first week in a camp and those on their fourth year. Those who lived in the very first village attacked and those born in these camps who knew no other life. We’ve carried messages from Texas, Germany and Philadelphia, to mention a few, to UNHCR tents in the middle of Chad. We’ve carried messages from those who have traveled countless desert miles and survived years of untold suffering right back to Redding, CA, Mexico and Scotland. We’ve had the rare privilege to be a small part of connecting regular people, who care more about each other than politics, to other regular people. We’ve travelled this road, accompanied, on both sides of the world, by the very people I aspire to surround myself with and emulate. Those of you who posted comments and did not receive a response please know that we somehow did not receive it yet but felt your presence regardless. My gratitude and hope in this particular moment are immeasurable.

In truth, there were moments that I wished we were coming here at a safer time. There were moments when I felt incapacitated by my fear….of flying, of dying, of war.Many moments before we left were a struggle to confront my cowardice and utilize the faith of those who held fast when my own wavered. Somehow, a war torn country so far away felt imminently more frightening then the work I’d done on the war torn streets of Philadelphia! Just another lesson for me that it’s all the same where ever you are. Today, I can say that every moment of worry was worth it because I faced and conquered those fears. I learned that fear is just courage that has forgotten to be inspired by the hope of a better world. Now, I must face the fear that this will not be enough to stop this genocide. Once again, I turn to the faith and solidarity of the countless people dedicated to ensuring the safety of the Darfurian people. I have learned much from the brave souls of Darfur and from each of you. May our journey be swift, destination be home and world be one.

The real work begins………

In solidarity and Salaam, Stacey

” Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.” - M. Kuhn

Stacey’s replies to comments

Alexi S., Thanks for watching and I, too, hope we can get through to many people! Peace, Stace

Hi Gina, I look forward to meeting you! I appreciate your comments on communication and am so glad that you saw the resilient joy living on inside of the children. May they go home soon. Peace, Stace

Marilyn, Things were very crazy here with security so day 15 turned into 14 and day 16 was Day 15. very confusing but the days do not matter as much as the experiences brought out of the camps. I hope you find both days helpful and inspiring! Thank you for all you’ve done and for all of the support. You are a hero to the Darfurian people! Peace Always, stace

Hi, Anonymous, we’ve been spreading the well wishes every where we go and the people here are grateful for the love and support! Peace, Stacey

Hey Connie, no guilt! You’ve been so active and involved all along, you deserve the rest. The welcome and reunion were so beautiful. Your brother obviously made quite the impression last time! That, however is no surprise. Amor y Paz, Stace

Rachel, You are so very right. NO mother or father should EVER experience the feeling of not knowing what will happen to their child or any avoidable suffering. Life is hard enough growing up without additional worry inflicted by outside forces. I keep ALL mothers and fathers and children experiencing these circumstances in my prayers. The children’s music did bring light and hope to us all and not only is the walk too far but the red tape and already over cramped situation in the other camps makes a move difficult. We are talking about many camps up north with THOUSANDS of people. Thanks for everything and BIG HUG, stace

Thanks for writing and although I am not one for guns, ever, it was nice that they were concerned with our safety. Much Peace, Stacey

Hi Zahara, Noemi, Gabriel and Irais! Well, we completed our mission! Day 14 was hard seeing the conditions in the the cold and the difficult stories but once again the children lifted everyone’s spirits. Now the real work back home begins!!!! PAZ, stace

Mama, not clear with all the confusion but trusting i’ll get home when I’m supposed to. Thanks for trying so hard, being a rock and I love you! Charlie

Rene!!!!! Finally, one of your comments showed up, So happy! Not sure about the traveling yet. We can change Gabriel’s ticket but mine is causing some problems. Say some prayers. Your love and support have been an immeasurable help along the way, Rene. I look so forward to sharing all of the stories with you, and RESTING a day or two before round two with the work for Gift of Peace Tour begins. Soon…. I Love You so very much. Mucho Amor Y Paz, Stacey

Hi Tony G., Yes, there are several people/organizations providing the solar cookers. They’ve been helpful but some problems occur because it is very different than their customary way of cooking and much of the wood gathering is also for building fences, roofs, little cooking areas. Hopefully, they catch on more rapidly and will lessen at least some of the outings for wood. Thanks! Stace

Hi Phyllis H! Yes, our families and loved ones made brave sacrifices to support our journey here. It is sometimes easier when you are the one going, so I admire their courage too!

I guess it is all relative, our experience of life that is. Hopefully this trip will help us all appreciate what we have and work harder to create a world that works for everyone. Let us now gather even more strength to recommit to stopping this genocide! You’ve been a true supporter and fellow journeywoman! Peace, Stace

Marv, It’s great to hear the word and movement is continuing to spread! Keep up your amazing work in Redding, CA. What an inspiration your town is to all of us. Keep walking/standing with Darfur, they do feel your solidarity here! Peace, Stacey

Lisa Goldner and Family, a reporter asked me last night if I thought our work was doing any good. I told him about you and your family and all of your eloquent posts and committed actions. You are why we do this and YOU have made a difference to our journey and the Darfurian people. The Franciscan Benediction brought me to tears, because that is the life I aspire to live. Thank you for your continued efforts on behalf of the people here and it looks like we may have opportunities to do some foreign sites for i-Act. I will carry the Eli Wiesel prayer with me as I do the photo of the Cambodian man. Salaam and Many Blessings……stace

Yes, Meron, Gabriel is a hero! Blessings, Stacey

Consuelo, May this time we mean,”Never Again” and may we stop this pain now! Much love to you, Stace

Hi, Markus C., Yes! A german site would do a world of good. The pictures from the school children would also be wonderful! German DVD with german commentary for schools and other places would be a huge blessing and aid in spreading the word into the EU. So many wonderful ideas! I have to head back out on the road across country almost as soon as I return for The Department of Peace & Nonviolence project so pleas contact any of our team members at the email Carolyn left you so we can move forward asap.! So Much Gratitude and Light to you, Stace

As we were leaving the little village we visited up North, we received sad news about another village, Guereda, and camp we wanted so much to go to, Kounoungo. The day before, there had been fighting between different armed groups. Then, either as a deliberate attack or from being caught in the cross fire, two refugees were killed. This is a camp that I visited last year, and it is a camp where we have friends, especially one young man. It pains me to think of the fear and uncertainty that must envelop a camp full of people that fled unimaginable horrors back home.

Refugee camps are supposed to be safe havens. While life might be far from perfect there, it is supposed to be a place where people can feel protected and maybe start to heal. That is not happening here. The humanitarian workers should not be having to risk their lives every day in their efforts to keep people alive.

I had thought that I would write this last journal entry with feelings of accomplishment and looking ahead to the start of meaningful action for Darfur. With the way the situation is going out here, it is not easy.

We did make it through 15 Days of i-ACT, interactive-activism. Please, please do not step back from this work as a community. The stories we presented are the stories that were there each and every day. Nobody set up the interviews. We would “walk the camp,” and the stories would be in front of us. I, again, hope we did justice to the people that shared so much with us. We are far from professional journalists, interviewers, cameramen, or editors, and I’m sure you could tell!

I am so sorry if I missed one of your comments, which I’m almost certain I did. With our running schedule, it was so easy to not always be 100% on our tasks.

I look forward to continuing to work next to you. Please keep commenting and send me e-mails.

When contacting our leaders, please remember to mention that GENOCIDE IS NOT NEGOTIABLE. THE INNOCENT CIVILIANS OF DARFUR (including all those beautiful children you met today) DESERVE IMMEDIATE PROTECTION FROM A ROBUST AND EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING FORCE. WE CANNOT LOOK THE OTHER WAY, AS A GENOCIDE RAGES ON, BECAUSE OF DIPLOMATIC CONSIDERATIONS. STOP THE GENOCIDE NOW!

Paz, Peace, Salaam, Gabriel

Gabriel’s replies to comments

Hi Tere: :) Yes, the pictures do say it all. Well, we made it safely up North. We are for sure more aware of the security issues in this area. It was not exactly comfortable having an armed escort to the camp, but I guess it eliminates the threat of bandids. It does add the danger of having rebels wanting to attack military personel. We made it back OK to our homebase with UNHCR. We fly out of this little village tomorrow morning.

Hi Pam: I’m so sorry that we were not able to get to Ahmat. We have met a wonderful person that will see him and will deliver the package to him. She also volunteered to get a message from Ahmat and e-mail it back to us and the HRW Student Task Force. We really tried to get to his camp, but there was just not any transportation at this time, with his area being right in the middle of great uncertainty and volatility. We kept asking until the last minute if we there had been any changes, with maybe a flight being added, but it did not happen. :( I really wanted to see Ahmat and have him see the HRW STF From America with Love video. I am sending a DVD of it to him, so he will get to see it. I know that we will continue our friendship and relationship with him. We have to work so hard so that there is peace and stability in both Darfur and Chad.

Hello N.E: Yes, everyone we meet at the camps is so welcoming and hospitable. It is really like coming home to family. Thank you for your note.

Hola Noemi! Today I met a girl that had a name similar to yours, Naima. She was also very pretty like you and so, so bright and inquisitive, like you also :) I’m getting closer to coming home. Thank you for writing to me, Stacey, and the people we meet every day. I’m always thinking of you! hugs, papi

Hey Michael! Yeah, my Spanish has not helped me too much out here, but I have to show them that I also speak another language :) There are so many languages out here! Thanks Maco!

Thanks Mimi Schiff! You are so right. We have to believe that our voices, united, will make a difference. For those that do not believe that what we are doing is effective, ask them to please give us more ideas for acting, but doing nothing cannot be the answer. Thank you for being willing to stand up. Those five days at Camp Darfur was about community, and it was a privilege to be there with you.

Hola mi Zahara: Si mi chava, para mi tambien fue sentimientos encontrados al ver a Nourasham y a sus ninos. Me siento triste al pensar que ahi estan y ahora sin el papa. No quiero que sigan ahi y que yo tenga que regresar despues, sin que nada cambie o las cosas se pongan todavia peor. Espero que otra gente me ayude a mandarlos a casa, a un Darfur en paz. Nos vemos pronto mi Zaharita. un beso, g.

Hello Kristina Katsova! Thank you for your kind words, and Happy New Year to you!

Dear Lisa Goldner: YOU are amazing! You are the model for what we were hoping i-ACT will promote, interactive activism. Thank you and your family for all that you are doing. I also hope so, so much that the next time we meet Nourasham she and the kids will be back in a peaceful and restored Darfur. Thank you for helping her to get there.

Lisa, the Franciscan Benediction is so inspiring. Thank you so much for everything, really! The prayer of Elie Wiesel is…wow! Salaam, Salaam, Salaam.

Hi Rach! I am so glad that the video was able to share some of what we were experiencing in spending time with Nourasham and her family (and her neighbors!). It felt like family. Big hugs to you and all the family. Your two wonderful sons will have to come to Africa with me some day (you and big David can come also). love, g.

Hello Albert Yu: Thank you for your note. We also think it’s important for people to be able to shift perspectives and allow ourselves to see through other eyes. We are a lot more alike than many think!

Hello Stacey’s Mom: Thank you so much! You are another great example of an i-ACTivist. Thank you for contacting our legislators and for going out there and getting the word out. We need many like you!

Hello again Mimi Schiff: Thank you for your concern. We’ve stayed relatively safe, and we’re just about ready to head back home. Thank you for allowing us to share all of this, heart to heart :)

Lisa Goldner: It has been such a pleasure to read your posts every day. We have to meet someday, so we can give you a big hug. Maybe we can bring Camp Darfur to your home town in Texas some day soon.

Hey Alexi! Thanks! It sure has been pretty hectic during these 15 days of video because we have to do it all in one day, the visiting of the camp, video recording, downloading the video, editing, uploading, blogging, answering comments. But, very much worth it. I’ll look at all the videos, once I get home, and see how many editing mistakes I did! :)

Hi Gina: Yes, the smiles and tenderness in the children was just the best. I saw so many little faces! Big hug to you and the kids. Thanks!

Hey Anonymous: It’s always funny answering to “Anonymous.” It sounds like this last A knows me, so Happy New Year to you too!

Hola Connie: Wow, Playa del Carmen sounds pretty nice. I wouldn’t mind that kind of sand right about now :) Don’t feel guilty. Enjoy your vacaction, and then come to DC with me for some direct action at the Sudanese Embassy. We just cannot allow business as usual for a genocidal governement.

Hey Rachel: Yeah, those two kids, the singers/dancers, were amazing. They just kept on going! We did not ask them to sing. It was so nice. About refugees moving to camps in better or safer areas, it is not possible. They are registered and placed in a camp depending on when and where they arrived, and they would not be allowed to move to another one. The walking from one to another would not be safe either. This last camp was so cold! And the children, some of them, had too little clothing for even summer. It was not easy to see.

Hola mi familia! Un abrazo a todos/todas. Que bueno que le gusto el canto a Gabo :) Hay tantos ninitos como el! Ya regreso pronto. Gracias por dejarme venir Zahara, Mimi, Gabo, e Irais!

Hello Rene Rivera: Thank you for your note to Stace. She appreciates so much the support we have been receiving from so many. She has many great friends.

Hola Tony G: There are NGOs that bring the solar cookers to camps. We briefly met some women that work making them, but we did not see any families that were actually using them. I think that it is great to find ways for women to stay safe in their daily lives. It is also so important to do all that we can to get protection to Darfur, so that the women, girls, and the entire families do not have to change some of their basic ways of lives, especially one as important as how they cook.

Hi Phyllis! Yes, my wife is Zahara, my daughter Noemi-we call Mimi (10yrs), and my son lil Gabriel-we call Gabo (almost 4). You know, the thing is that if I did not have a family, I probably would not have found it in me to come out here and help people to connect with our extended family from Darfur. Being a father makes me who I am right now. All of my family has been so involved in our campaigns, so they understand that it is important for us to be out here. I do miss them a lot, though.

Hello Marv! Thank you for all the work you do. That’s great to hear about the TV station doing another story on our trip. I look forward to coming up to your community to deliver the drawings the children of Darfur created for the children of Redding.

Markus C: Gracias a tu por tu compania. Si, Esteici, como la llaman aqui, es un angel. Un abrazo.

Hello Daniele and Rafa! Thank you for following us on this trip, and to Gelson also! We are doing this for the people of Darfur, because of the terrible ongoing crisis, but we are also doing it for Rafa and Gabo. The world we leave them has to be better than the one in which we now allow genocide to happen, again and again. Hugs to all the family. g

Meron, my friend: I do remember the beginning of that 100 tag team fast. I did not really know you then, and I was so impressed at how you chose your birthday for a day of fasting. Then, a year later, all the way from Canada, you came to the first Camp Darfur to spend some days in a tent, during the coldest days that I remembered for LA. Thank for always being there! Let’s start thinking about your coming birthday :)

Thanks for the definition of a hero. I really, really do not feel like one. I feel like I’m just putting one foot in front of the other, one step at a time, if that makes any sense.

Hola Mom: Yo tambien contento de que pronto voy a casa con todos ustedes. Yo, despues de ver tanto sufrimiento que ha durado tanto tiempo, tampoco he perdido las esperanzas. Tenemos que pensar en lo que SI podemos hacer para ayudar y no dejarnos paralizar por lo duro de la tarea. Gracias Mom!