More responses from Stacey #2

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

More responses from Gabriel #2

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.

We’re going back!

i-ACT returns to refugee Camps on Chad-Darfur border for another 10 days of citizen reporting.

Stay tuned for Day 1 on 10 July 2007!

The 14Day Challenge

We want to thank all i-ACTivists who will follow Gabriel and Stacey throughout the 14 days. So, we came up with an idea: the 14Day Challenge. Every time you click on a day’s video on the day that it was posted, notice that in the Action box there will be one word in bold. That word will remain bold for 24 hours only, and then a new word of next day’s Action will be bold. Collect all 14 words from the 14 actions and send all those words to 14day@stopgenocidenow.org – if you get them all correct, you will be awarded an i-ACTivist e-Certificate. The first 100 participants to send us these words (even if fewer than 14) will win a free “Humanity Before Politics” T-shirt.

More responses from Stacey #1

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

More responses from Gabriel #1

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

The Beginning (Day 15 from Stacey)

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

Day 15 from Gabriel

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!

Action

It may seem as if we’re saying goodbye – but we’re not! i-ACT continues through the following campaigns:

1. i-ACT Extension: We’re leaving behind communications equipment with refugees so our interaction continues even after Gabriel and Stacey have left.
2. Camp Darfur: Invite Gabriel and Stacey to your school, college or other venue! They’ll set up an interactive camp experience for you and your peers.
3. From America With Love: Record video messages for refugees like those you saw in Day 12 video. Invite Gabriel and Stacey to record your messages or make your own videos and send them to us!

Above all, we ask that you remember you are now a part of a global family that proudly stands up against genocide. Our mission is to bring people together, so one action that we urge you to repeat is to tell people about our work.

Day 14 from Stacey

Hello Friends,

Yesterday, we said goodbye to Yusef and headed north.We journeyed on the smallest plane yet! There was a lot of dust and turbulence as I noticed everyone looking out the window. I asked Ali if everything was normal and he said,”yes.” Turns out, as Ali told me once we landed safely, that we were caught in a sand storm and the pilot had missed the airport! It’s actually just a dirt path with some stone markers, not a typical runway and there is no “airport” to speak of, so I can see how they could miss it even in perfect conditions.

When we arrived in the new town we had to go check in with the top official of the city, comparable to our mayor. He was very apologetic about the current insecurity here, said he hoped for more tranquility for the NGOs and remarked that we had great courage to come here at this time. Gabriel and I looked at each other realizing that when the ” mayor” says something like this things must be pretty chaotic! This is the first time that we cannot go to the camp without armed security escorting us. This does little to comfort us because we’ve been told that the rebels are less likely to shoot at those unarmed. We met with the head of security in a darkened room with absolutely no light, which gave everything an even more ominous feel. Everyone here, however, has been very kind and helpful. There is only skeleton staff in the northern towns so I imagine comraderie is at an all time high. A woman we met from UNHCR spent six months in Darfur recently. It was very refreshing to speak with her because her heart is still so wide open. Many people working for NGOs that we’ve met have a harder exterior, probably to protect themselves from the onslaught of so many emotions. She was telling us about the terrible, almost inhuman conditions she’d seen at the IDP camps in Darfur due to the fact that so little aid could get into help. She’d seen tiny huts that she’d at first assumed were for the animals and later realized were the people’s living quarters. She spoke of the lack of food and almost complete lack of hope. She was clearly distraught by what she had seen and her very personal description of it was difficult to listen to. The hardest part to hear was about the awful condition of the many women being raped. I could see on her face how painful it must have been to witness these conditions. We asked about the security in the camps here and she said it was difficult to be sure right now because of conflicting reports and skeleton staff. She did say however that it was a very insecure time all around. She also mentioned a general fear among NGOs that Darfur would soon be completely forgotten.

Today,as we entered our last camp for this trip I was struck by the high winds and blistering cold. Small children, some with only summer dresses, came to greet us. I so wanted to give them my scarf and vest but there were too many to decide who would get them. It was a debilitating feeling. The tents themselves looked worse than the other camps and there was an overall feeling of desolation. We met people who spoke of the NGO’s evacuation and feeling so left alone with a lack of blankets. Many spoke of needing more wood and we were told that they went as far as 15 kilometers to find it. These outings result in clashes with the locals and women being attacked. One of the women who told us she had been beaten gathering wood was from the very first village attacked in Darfur and had therefore been here the longest. It seemed sadly fitting and reflective of the longevity of the genocide that we ran into her on our last day in the camps.The sense through out this camp is very much one of cold, abandonment and desolation.

It was depressing to know that we were leaving all of the beautiful souls that we’ve met and this would be our last stop. The children gathered and sang songs of welcome right before we departed, which felt sadly ironic. Their music gave me substinance for the journey home, where the real work is just beginning. I only wish as we left them here with so little aid to care for them, that our mission here was solely to offer them substinance for their immediate journey home.

In Solidarity, Stacey

Stacey’s replies to comments

Yes, Tim, may the people of Darfur be brought safely home this year. Thank you for being an inspiration and leader with your work to end this genocide. Many Blessings in 2007, Stacey

Marilyn, Yes it is quite windy in many of the camps with much dust and a chill in the air. Up north it gets VERY cold indeed. It is in the 70′s around Abeche and 40′s up north. The new arrivals need go through an interview process whereby they are granted refugee status. If there are unattended ( without parents) children, the details of who is best to care for them and/or commitment of relatives to care for them must be dealt with during this process. There is often a backlog entering the new arrivals into the database. There is a lot of red tape with block assignments, village information ,tent provisions and food rationing cards. It all serves to take a great deal of time to get these people settled ( as much as they can feel settled) as refugees. Yes, I imagine that the cold weather must be VERY difficult with no tents, especially after the trauma and travel. Peace, Stacey

Teresa, I, too feel a great responsibility to live up to the hopes the refugees have placed in America. As the end of this journey begins the greater challenge arrives. May we all stay united in our sustained efforts to stop this genocide now. Hugs, Stace

Marilyn,Thank you for the reminder that it’s all about individual moments connecting towards the greater goal. Thank you also for writing one of those individual moments with this comment. The situation in Darfur has changed me after seeing its direct effects but then so has the bravery and resilience of her people. Peace, Stacey

Thanks for joining us on the journey, Emily. Peace, Stacey

Hi, jc! Look so forward to meeting you and it has been an honor to work with your brother. All the Best in 2007, Stace

So good to hear from you, Darin. Yes, the children were very moving in both parts of this one world. I hope we can work together with the work you are doing in Uganda and the work we do. It is all connected. Thank you for the support and the vision you fulfilling yourself with your work! Look forward to talking when i return and here is to a peaceful 2007 for our global community! Peace Always, Stacey

Jules, Hoping to be at Agape on Sunday if all flows as planned and we can get out of Chad Sat. Then will rest on Monday before jumping into The Gift of Peace on Tuesday. Thank you for all your care for the people here and being a rock in my life. You were the first one to say to me, ” Everything is going to be fine there, no matter what is going on.” I believed you because your faith was so strong. I am so grateful that you are my friend, my sister and my teacher. Peace & Blessings, Stacey

Mom, Yes, we’ve learned ( you and I) that anger is not always negative as long as it’s channeled toward nonviolent action. I’ll share a lot with you about the 18 yr old when I get home. It is more than I can write here and I am still processing much of our conversation. FAWL was an incredible experience for the new arrivals,Gabriel and myself. Hopefully it will inspire more action to stop this genocide. I love you with all of my heart! Salaam, Charlie

Hi Susan, Glad you are back online. I know the feeling as I was without internet for two weeks before coming here. We forget what we did before all of this modern technology! Happy New Year and May we see peace in Darfur and Chad in 2007. Many Blessing to You, Stacey

Hi diana, Yes the children were indeed quiet. I’m not sure if it was the days events or the normal conduct in school. I, too would like to send tons of notebooks and pencils and crayons! Perhaps the boys anger will move toward inspired and nonviolent action like so many before him. I’m sure MLK, Gandhi, Mandela had to transmute their anger into the inspired lives they lived. Peace, Stacey

Thank you, Christine for following along this journey. Yes, the woman saw things very differently. The faith and strength we see here are both astounding to witness. The other day we got stuck in the sand for twenty minutes or so and I thought we might have to walk out of that desert. Then I remembered how many Darfurians had done just that and was renewed by their resilience. Many lessons to be learned by their unwavering faith! Blessings, Stacey

Consuelo, Yes, we do need these stories on television. These are true heroes who have survived insurmountable odds.Thank you for all you have done on their behalf and I look forward to hugging you when we get back. Paz, Stace

Thank you, Athina for you encouragement. We hope to bring hope and courage but most of all we hope to help stop the genocide. Thank you for being a part of that effort. Happy New Year, Stacey

THank you Reina Roberts for watching every day and for all you do to help the people of Darfur! Peace, Stacey

Anonymous, yes it was good the high Commissioner was here. Now we need his movement towards swift action to protect the people of Darfur! Peace, Stacey

Yousuke Arai, YOU are great to be involved and active so young! Keep leading the way. Much Peace, Stacey

Thanks, Jacob! Hopefully you’ll get to watch the other days in order to meet the beautiful people of Darfur. Peace, Stacey

David W, yes we are trying to fill the gap where Numbers become living breathing people. I;m glad you were touched and hope you spread the word about what is happening. One person at a time, we can change the world and end this genocide. Happy New Year, Stacey

Day 14 from Gabriel

There is an amazing full moon outside. We’re in a small village in north-eastern Chad, close to the Darfur border. It is very cold here, and it is windy, and there is sand everywhere. As I stepped off of the plane and in to this, I thought about the children in the camps that are in this area and what their freezing nights must be like in their tents.

It is also an area of heightened volatility. Aid agencies have pulled out all but essential personnel. Some agencies have pulled out completely. I am so in awe and grateful of the brave people that decide to stay and continue to provide enough for the refugees to live on.

We visited the Prefectur (spelling?), or local high official, to inform him of our mission. He received us in this very large room with a very impressive rug that covered just about all of its floor. The man had a very serene presence, especially for someone that is in the middle of so much instability and danger. He warmly welcomed us and wished us well on our visit. He told us that we had to have a lot of courage to come to this area at this time. I think we would have wished to hear something else (like, things are stable and getting better), and, as we have been doing through out, we have use humor to keep us in the moment and focused. As we got in the car to leave the compound, Stacey and I look at each other, thinking the same thing, and say: “If the Prefectour is telling us that we’re brave…!!!” We laugh because we really do not feel courageous or different from what we are back home, so being in these situations just has an interesting effect on us.

The local UNHCR officer, Hala, has been so, so nice. She has made it comfortable for us here at their compound, and she stops by to make sure we’re OK. She is normally stationed in another village serving other camps, but my friend Emmanuel, whom we were to meet here, had to leave on a family emergency, so Hala is filling in for some days.

To the HRW Student Task Force, I am so, so sorry that we will not be able to reach Ahmat this time, not in person anyway. We will get to him the wonderful package that you sent and will get a communication back from him. We tried to find a way to get to his camp, but security in that area did not permit it. There were no flights we could take, and driving is just not doable, since there has been so much happening in that area.

Thank you to all for coming with us on this journey. We will do one extra day of posting, Day 15, so please stop by again. We will also look at how we, all of us, can work together, as a family trying to help family, to help make things right in Darfur.

Paz, Gabriel

Gabriel’s replies to comments

Hello Tim: Happy New Year to you! Yes, this has to be the year that all the people of Darfur go back home. We have to start with renewed energy our efforts to stop this genocide. Thank you, my good friend.

Hello Marilyn: Yes, it is very windy. During the day, the temperature has been pleasant, around 70 degrees. As soon as the sun goes down, the temerature drops quite a bit, getting cold at night. Living in a camp, you are breathing in sand all the time. The newly-arrived refugees are very exposed to the elements, since they do not have a tent. They try to build some barriers, as protection from wind, from straw and sticks. For the registration process, I’m told by Ali that they go through a screening process, during which UNHCR wants to make sure that they are refugees. They list each refugee and their relation in the family. They ask them a series of questions before they are given a ration card, which gives them access to the food and aid. They also have to be registered with the camp security. They are then given a tent and settled in a “block” (the camp is divided in to blocks). This process can take a few days to over two weeks, depending on many factors. As a rule, I would say that nothing is simple.

Hi Tere: The days have just been flying by. About the new arriving refugees, you can just see the trauma and confusion in their faces. They are really not different than us. What would it be like for us to be sitting in our living rooms, sharing moments with our family, and then be brutally forced out of our homes and cities, with no idea of when or if we would ever get back or have a future at all. They do still have a positive view of what American can do. They do have hope.

Hi Emily: Thanks for your note.

Hey JC! Yes, it has been great to share this trip and the hard work with Stacey. She has been having to expose herself to so much, physically and emotionally.

Hello Darin: Thank you so much for that note of encouragement. You are so, so right. We are one. It is a global community, and we have to act responsibly as one. Thank you, and thank you for lending your friend Stacey for this, as they say here in Chad, mission.

Dear Julia: Thank you for the bracelets! The women and girls that have received them like them so much.

Dear Stacey’s Mom: I am completely with you, when you say that it is good to see the anger in the young man, that it is good to see any emotion, where it would have been so easy to give up. Thank you so much for your company all these days. It is only a few more before your daughter is back home. Much love. g

Hi Susan! Thank you for your note. I look forward to hear your thoughts, as you catch up with the daily videos. Hug!

Hello Diana: The children in the camp classroom, the ones that were watching the Redding children, were so well behaved. They were also very in to the watching of the video, and they just loved getting the letters and drawings. They also took very seriously the task of drawing a picture for the Redding children. We have to continue to create bridges, so that children grow up together, not apart.

Hi Christine: Yes, the resilience of the people we meet is beyond our comprehension. What is so sad is that so many of them are being lost. So many other people–women, men and children just like the ones we have been meeting–have been killed. As we heard from the new arrivals, this is happening right now!

Hey JC! Thanks. It is so hard to edit down from the hours of video–stories and images–that we collect to the minutes that we then bounce off a satellite to you. I’m always worried that we might not “get it right.” There is not too much time to get stuck on that, though, since we have to get the next day up! It’s definitely a marathon of activity, but it has flown by, and we’re just about at Day 14. Yep, it was incredible news from Connie :) I was starting to think of names :)

Thank you Julia.

Hola Mom: Si, como me gustaria que mas y mas gente conectara con la gente que estamos presentando en nuestros videos. Al ver a una verdadera persona, no nadamas numeros y estadistica, es mas facil que motive a alguien a actuar. No puede seguir esto asi. Lo que me hace mas triste es que esta gente que estamos conociendo es la que, comparadas con otra que todavia esta adentro de Darfur, es la afortunada. Gracias Mom. Hoy pudimos descansar un poco y ya falta muy poco para que regresemos. Un abrazo a ti y a toda la familia. g

Hi Athina: Thank you for the well-wishes, and I hope that we, all of us, have an impact on this expanding crisis soon, very soon.

Hello Reina! Thank you and everyone from Venice High for coming with us on this journey. Let’s work together to stop this genocide!

Hello Jousuke: Thank you for your kind words, and keep up the good work at Pali High. I look forward to being back there soon!

Hi Jacob: Thanks for watching Day 1, and I hope you make it through the other days. I’m not sure when you posted this, but I’m glad you’ll be following us.

Dear David W: Thank you. It might not be the easy way, but I do believe that connecting person-to-person has so much power and potential to create change. All that I have done since starting to work on this issue has been, in a way, about personal relationships. It is very much about family and expanding our definition of who belongs in our circle. Our circle is our globe, earth.

Day 13 from Gabriel

Hey Everyone!

When you read this journal entry, Stace and I will be in an area that is in the norther part of eastern Chad. We will be flying there, since the security situation does not permit driving. Most aid workers have been pulled from the camps that are in the north, leaving only skeleton crews that deliver only basics to keep refugees alive.

We have decided to add a day, so it will be 15 Days of i-ACT. We will have to wait for a plane to bring us back down, on our way to the capital and then back home, so we want to go back to the visit the camp up there and give you an opportunity to meet more of the people of Darfur.

Please tell everyone you know to check us out through the 15 days, and tell them to stay involved. Let’s start 2007 with meaningful and sustained action. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to look back, at the end of 2007, and think, in this year I helped to stop a genocide.

Paz, Gabriel

Gabriel’s replies to comments

Hello Phyllis! It is 2007 now. Happy New Year to you, your family, and all of your students. That’s where there is a lot of hope, Phyllis, in those young people that you get to work with every day. I know that, when they come to positions of more power (because they already have so much power right now), they will not allow atrocities like the ones occurring in Darfur to go unanswered.

Hey Rach! I’m sorry that you had trouble posting, but I know that you and family are always with us. Please say hi to all, and tell Max that I’m thinking of him.

Hello Stacey’s Mom! Yes, I was blown away when Nourasham’s neighbor came over to me and said, “You are Zahara’s husband!” My wife and I both have names that are very common among the people we have been meeting. Gabriel, or Gibril (as they pronounce it), is a name that is in many families, and there are many Zaharas also.

Hola Mimi! It was so cool to find Nourasham, but, yes, very sad to hear that her husband had been killed. Nourasham’s family and home are very much like families and homes in our community. The home is just bursting with tenderness and love. You would love to hang out with the kids. Hadia and the new baby girls are adorable. Gracias por escribir, Mimi. Te extrano pero ya pronto voy!

Hola Mom: Gracias por pasar tanto rato con Zahara y familia y por mandarme recados. He podido comer un poquito mas estos ultimos dos dias, asi que me voy a recuperar un poco, en cuanto a la dieta. Muchos saludos a todos y un abrazo. Pronto nos vemos.

Hello Patty W: Thank you for being with us, and I will pass on to all we meet that there are many out there thinking of them and doing what they can to create peace. Happy New Year, and I know I’ll see you soon back in one of our mutual stops.

Hey Christina R: Thank you, and Happy New Year to you! I do miss my family, especially at a time that I’m used to being with all of them. It’s been nice to have so many of you with me, though, so my family is growing :) Thanks, and I’ll see you soon!

Dear Meron: You are right. None of it is OK. Men and boys being killed, women and girls being raped, entire families being displaced and starved, none of it is OK.

Hi Connie: Nourasham definitely has the courage and will to keep going, after her husband being killed. Her children look healthy, and they are very much loved. They also look happy, but I cannot tell what’s inside of them. Their father was a trader by profession, so they might think that their papa is out on business and will return, as usual. Thinking of my almost 4 years old Gabo, I don’t think that children that young can understand the “never” part of “never coming back.” Nourasham, who does not have any other family in that camp, is the one that does see the void, and she must still stay strong for her four little ones.

Hey Tere: Happy New Year! Thanks for spreading the word. It can be discouraging that more don’t take a few minutes to pay attention to something where so many lives are at stake, but we can’t give up. We have to keep trying, and some will join us. It’s not easy to get people “in the door” on a subject as unpleasant as genocide is. That is why, in part, I also have always focused on the beauty of the people and culture that will be lost, if we all decide to stand by. And, there is so much beauty!

Hi Mimi Schiff: We have to remind “the powers that be in America” that we give them that power, and that they must use it appropriately, or we will take it away. I know it might be a bit naive, but if enough of us decide to set priorities that include humanity at the top, we can change the powers to be.

Dear Lisa: Thank you so much for lighting candles for us and everyone out here at your mass celebrating World Day of Prayer for Peace. I have told Nourasham that many “out there” now know her and her children and are doing so much to help them get back to a life that is full. Let’s make 2007 the year in that Darfur shines in all of its colors.

Hi Marilyn: About next steps upon my return, it has to be about increased action around the country. Our actions must match the situation on the ground for the millions that are in grave danger. We must demand action from our leaders, and we cannot accept political babel as a response. They’ll all say how much they care and they have done, but it is not enough. A group of us, at the grassroots level, have been involved in pushing I Stand With Darfur (http://www.istandwithdarfur.org), a campaign of direct action. I hope that people around the country take this on as their own, as we tell our leaders, No More Business as Usual, as another genocide takes place. There are so many things we can do, and I look forward to hearing ideas . We need to create awareness, but it has to be awareness that leads to immediate action.

Hello Markus: Thank you for your kind words and wishes, and I wish you a great 2007.

Hello Anonymous from Senegal: Thank you for your insight and perspective. I do feel a bit like a fish out of water, but then I also feel completely at home. I completely agree that I will not understand but a small fraction of what I’m encountering, but I hope that we keep taking steps in the right direction, getting closer. From the people we are meeting, there has not been one that has expressed a wish to wait for the AU to find the solution. We should support the AU in getting stronger and more efficient, but we cannot sacrifice the people of Darfur for the process of building a force that may eventually be able to protect. The world has to take on the responsibility to protect. About the people we have met: Dignity-yes; acceptance-no. Not one person is willing to accept death, rape, displacement, and starvation as their lot in life. They are a strong, vibrant people, that want to return to their homes.

Hey Connie: I agree. No matter where you live, you demand from your representatives that they act. This is a crisis that is going on 4 years! How much longer do we wait? It should not be the United States alone; it should be the world! The survivors only know what they have seen: the AU has not been able to do it so far, and they do not accept the fact that the perpetrator is in-beded with the supposed protection force.

Hi Rachel: As you say, the politics of it is complex, but it is innocent civilians that are paying the price. If we put ourselves in their shoes, it is clear that we would be calling for help from anywhere to save our children.

Hi Mimi Schiff: Thank you for sharing the history of the Hamburg. We now have millions of people that are being, in a way, sent back in their own “Hamburg.” We know that it is happening. We have known it for a very long time.

Dear Lisa: I also hope that the President would be watching our videos and seeing the real people that are living through this present day genocide.

Hello Tynia! Thank you for your note. The HRWSTF has been very present, coming along with us on this trip. Please get more people involved and ask them to do the daily actions!