Hello friends, familia:
We are coming to our last four days of i-ACT. It has been so great to have so many of you follow us along and share in the ups and downs of visiting with our family from Darfur. I can see, from your comments, that you are also connecting with the individuals that we are meeting each day, and I believe that connecting at that, personal, level is what is needed to really become invested and motivated to act until there is true peace in Darfur.
Please tell others how you have been affected by the stories presented through i-ACT. Today, tell five people you have not told already. If you have already told everyone you know, you are going to have to start reaching out to strangers :)
The babies we met on Day ten is all the motivation we need to act and keep acting.
Please, do not let up because you hear stories of a possible protection force going in to Darfur. We have heard this many, many times, and the killings continue. The people we meet have told us over and over again that they do not trust the Governent of Sudan, and they will not return until there is a true and effective peace keeping force.
I send you many thanks from the people we are meeting and telling them about how YOU have been standing up for and with Darfur. I have seen such sincere expressions of gratitude and, in a sense, communion when they hear of how many regular people in the US and elsewhere are acting on their behalf.
A big hug to all.
Peace,
Gabriel
17 replies on “Day 10 from Gabriel”
Hey Dad,
It felt so wonderful to see such healthy and beautiful babies. It felt so good because after seeing the baby that was very sick from day 9 it made me feel so sad. Its almost getting close to day 14 in i-ACT but all the videos have been great. A big hug to you too.
I MISS YOU
Mimi
Gabriel and Stacey, this morning I wrote a(nother) blog post about what you’re doing…I’ll continue to try to spread the word. What a welcome reprieve it must have been for both of you to meet those beautiful, healthy babies and their families. Safe travels as you journey back to one of the original camps you visited. Be well.
Gabriel and Stacy,
I am sending prayers your way. My sister was in Chad and was asked by the US Embassy to leave due to the possible uproar after Saddam’s death and her American passport.
You both are very special people, and we will keep talking about this to everyone we meet.
Surrounding you both with light,
Marissa
Hey Gabriel……..it’s Gayle from Oz here!!!!
Haven’t missed a minute of your extraordinary work and have watched most days events at least twice to fully take them in.
You and Stacey have done a truly wonderous job – the benchmark for advocacy and activism has been raised 100 fold.
It’s New Years Eve down here and then the coming days involve lots of air travel…. so this will be it for me in writing at least – but you will both continue to be in my thoughts regularly throughout each day.
Thank you for making Christmas a little fuller and more fun and loving for “the gorilla in the mist” and thank you for your generosity of spirit toward me.
You are held in very high regard, my dear!
Happy New Year to you and Stacey,
love Gayle
Hearing about the hanging of Sadam, and how people all over the world are content that justice was served;how hypocritacal our goverment’s are!!!To pick and choose depending on political interests, who is evil and where to take action.War is not the answer but political and economical sanctions can make a difference.Sadam was found guilty for crimes against humanity the killing of shiite’s and Kurd’s unforgiveable but also Al Bashir is reasponsable and is getting away with this genocide.We must educate ourselves so that the majority demand our goverment’s take action weather or not it is in our economic or political interest:HUMANITY BEFORE POLITICS!
So gabe and stacey keep educating us so the we may have the tools needed to demand.Amor y paz.Connie
Hey Gabriel. Its Auriel and Ginny from Crossroads School and we just wanted to let you know that we have been watching every day. Its quite amazing what you are doing and we send our love to you, Stacy, and everyone you encounter. Thank you…this is so important.
Auriel and Ginny
With the hanging of Saddam today please take extra precautions to keep safe, specially when back in Chad.
Today I was listening to a broadcast talking about the passing of President Ford and they were interviewing a couple of politicians which I unfortunately cannot name as I was not in front of the tv but was overhearing this but they mentioned how President
Ford was not in agreement in the way the US invaded IRAQ and asked why the US would not enter Darfur to stop the terrible situation there rather than investing so much in IRAQ and the answer was “the US will NEVER send forces to Darfur not even for humanitarian purposes”. How sad that they will actually admit this publicly.
There is a long road ahead so the pressure on the government must continue!
Be safe.
Dear Gabriel,
What a contrast between the last two days. Watching a family seeing a sick child, with no recourse, and seeing the happiness of two new mother’s and two gorgeous babies. It once again proves that in the midst of strife, war, and chaos grows life.
We must now do what ever we need to in order to make our voices heard. For the children of Darfur, for the people. We must do what ever we need to in order to make sure that those beautiful babies and children have the future that they deserve. That their families can have the peace that they deserve.
Please take care of yourself, you have a great amount of courage and love, keep in safe on your trip North.
Mimi Schiff
Hello, Gabriel and Stacey! Glad to hear the women in camp are able to give birth safely to healthy babies!
The LA Times on Wednesday printed a small World in Brief article under “United Nations: Sudan ready to discuss cease-fire.” Bashir wrote to UN Sec-Gen Kofi Annan that Sudan was ready to implement the UN’s three-step plan to strengthen the 7,000 strong African Union force, and dropped his opposition to a hybrid UN-AU peace force. The article also, however, reported that Al Bashire had backtracked on Darfur agreements in the past.
AND, last Sunday’s LA Times Calendar section (Dec 24) reviewed a photo book titled, “The Other Side of War: Women’s Stories of Survival and Hope.” This book features women from Darfur in Sudan, Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, the Congo, and Rwanda. It also features the efforts of the NGO Women for Women International founded in 1993 by the author Zainab Salbi. These women relate their suffering, but are not just victims. They learn leadership and job skills, take out micro-credit loans to start small businesses like fish farms, restaurants, or stores, or till fields. Very inspiring. I plan to get this book and share it with the students of the Venice High School Human Rights Watch Student Task Force.
I wish you both, Ali, Yusef, and Mustafa and Moana, and all the memorable characters you’ve met so far a Happy New Year!!
Stay safe, Phyllis
Hey Gabriel,
Nice to see that you have not given up. You are such a courgeous person!! I feel honored that I was able to know you for a short period of time. I pray that the angels protect you and Stacey as you continue your journey. God bless you!!
Your ex-co-worker,
Thamar
Dear Gabriel
sorry for interfering. I woke up with the feeling, that you spoke too openly about your plans in your last video. Every insider must know by now what your plans are.
Suggest changing them!
Warmfelt greetings
Markus
Dear Gabriel
I was a blessing to see the healthy beautiful babies. I was so nice because there were sick babies in camps prior to today
Peace and Love
Samuel
Dear Gabriel and Stacey,
It made me very happy to see that healthy babies were born. With so much bad news coming from Darfur, to see something like this is really amazing. I hope more babies will continue to be born healthy.
-Yasmin A.
hello,
it was great seeing those beautiful children. showing us that even within all this death and chaos, beauty and life still prevail.
stay strong
Gabriel and Stacey, i love what you guys are doing to help this genocide and the people in Darfur and Chad. I really appreciate your concern for people that you don’t even know. You guys are great. Keep up the good work. Toodles.
Dear Gabriel,
The feeling of seeing a healthy newborn baby is very wonderful to see. Its good that the baby’s sickness wore off. How you bring joy to the barren land is very delightful to see. We will always believe in you and support you 100% of the way.
Sincerely,
Alan
Hello Gabriel from Seattle, Washington. Enjoying once again the chance to follow your adventures. I have planned lessons that will incoporate many of your video clips and related information, as I’m a middle school teacher with a Human Rights unit that begins next month. I especially enjoyed the footage from the “school” that you found. Keep up the great work!
Alan