Understanding Burma: An Evening With Tim Aye Hardy (Thursday, July 1st)

Hi everyone,

As many of you are already aware, OC for Darfur has expanded its focus to include additional regions where mass atrocities are occurring, such as Burma.

It can be challenging to understand the complexities of ethnically based violence in any country. In Burma, a country that does not allow journalists on the ground, information often gets out only through the underground courage of those who put their lives at risk to tell the story.

We are very excited and grateful to be partnered with University Synagogue and the Irvine Chapter of Amnesty International to offer an event, Thursday, July 1st, entitled, Understanding Burma: An Evening with Tim Aye Hardy.

I had the privilege of meeting and getting to know Tim through the Genocide Intervention Network Carl Wilkens Fellowship. He was born and raised in Burma, and a student organizer of the 1988 protests. His participation in this left him needing to flee the country because his life was endangered.

We will be screening the Academy Award nominated documentary Burma VJ, and having a conversation with Tim after the film. It is a rare opportunity to get him out here to Orange County from his current home in New York. We look forward to hearing his firsthand account of life in Burma and really hope you will join us for this event.

Barbara English
Orange County for Darfur, a project of Living Ubuntu
ocfordarfur.org | calendar | blog | facebook

Understanding Burma:
An Evening with Tim Aye Hardy

Thursday, July 1st 2010
7:00p

University Synagogue
3400 Michelson Dr.
Irvine, CA 92612

Cost:
Free

What is going on in Burma? How is a military machine of 500,000 soldiers able to deny a country of 50 million it’s most basic rights? Why has Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Price Laureate been under house arrest for over 14 years?

Join us for a screening of Burma VJ and a conversation with Tim Aye Hardy.

Visit

http://livingubuntu.org/events for more information. Please RSVP on the website.

* * *

Next OC For Darfur planning meeting is on Tuesday, June 8th

Hi everyone,

Orange County Progressive Summit 2010 is on Saturday, June 12th

We have a busy week coming up. We have visits with the offices of Senator Dianne Feinstein and OC Congressman John Campbell later in the week and the OC Progressive Summit this Saturday.

The next OC For Darfur planning meeting is this Tuesday, June 8th at 6:30p. We will meet at Patty’s office in Newport Beach. Here is the address:

Patty’s office @ 6:30p
2424 SE Bristol Street, Suite 300
Newport Beach, CA 92660

We will discuss:

• Update on what’s going on in Sudan, Congo and Burma.
• Our meeting with the offices of Senator Feinstein and Congressman Campbell this week.
• Orange County Progressive Summit this Saturday, June 12th.
• Event with Tim Hardy on Burma on Thursday, July 1st.
• The United States and the International Criminal Court (ICC).

We would love to your support and involvement. Hope you will join us.

Barbara & Anshul

Orange County for Darfur, a project of Living Ubuntu
ocfordarfur.org | calendar | blog | facebook

OC For Darfur planning meeting is this Tuesday, April 13th

On this occasion last year, marking 15 years since the start of Rwanda’s descent into the inferno of genocide, I bowed my head to acknowledge our faults and our inability to bring the victims back. I said then, “What we can do—both for the victims and for those whose daily lives are still marred by the aftereffects of the genocide—is to rededicate ourselves to our shared commitment to human rights and human dignity. We believe that in war, there are rules. We believe that even in the pursuit of power, there are limits. We believe that even in a violent world, there are rights. We must be voices for action, even if we are sometimes lonely ones.”

I believe that still, for now and forever. Ladies and gentlemen, we have both a duty to mourn and a duty to act. We have both a responsibility to remember and a responsibility to protect. Genocide is not unstoppable. Atrocities are not inevitable. They need not be part of the landscape of world politics—unless we let them be.

– Susan Rice, on the anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide
April 7 2010 (complete speech)

Hi everyone,

Thank you to all who were able to attend our screening of “Rebuilding Hope” this past Saturday. We had close to 50 people attend. For most of us, the most endearing part was having a heartfelt, honest discussion with Wai, Simon, Issac, Ivan and our other Sudanese friends afterward. Thank you for driving down all the way from San Diego to join us. We will be posting the pictures shortly.

The next OC For Darfur planning meeting is tomorrow, Tuesday April 13th at 6:30p. There is a change in the location for this week. We will be meeting at our Living Ubuntu office in Newport Beach. Here is the address:

Living Ubuntu’s office @ 6:30p (*different location this week)
1151 Dove St. #210
Newport Beach, CA 92660

We will discuss:

• Update on what’s going on in Sudan, Congo and Burma.
• Trip to San Diego this Saturday for the opening of Sudanese-American Youth Center.
• Jewish World Watch OC Walk to End Genocide on April 25.
• The United States and the International Criminal Court (ICC).

If you’d like to get involved, we hope you will join us on Tuesday.

Barbara & Anshul
Orange County for Darfur, a project of Living Ubuntu
ocfordarfur.org | blog | facebook

OC For Darfur planning meeting is this Tuesday, February 2nd

Hi everyone,

This Wedneday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) will issue a long awaited ruling on whether Sudanese President, Omar Al-Bashir committed genocide against citizens of his own country. Last year, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Bashir for crimes against humanity and murder, but decided that the evidence presented by chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo did not meet the “threshold required by Genocide convention and Rome Statue to establish that the gravest crime [genocide] has been committed in Darfur.”

Many of us eagerly await this ruling as it will certainly have an impact on the elections in Sudan in April. Click here to read the entire article.

Our next planning meeting is this Tuesday, February 2nd at 6:30p. We will meet at Patty’s office in Newport Beach. Here is the address.

Patty’s office @ 6:30p
2424 SE Bristol Street, Suite 300
Newport Beach, CA 92660

We will discuss:

• Update on what’s going on in Darfur, Congo and Burma.
• Planning for the documentary screening of “God Grew Tired of Us” this Thursday.
• Orange County Walk Against Genocide in April.
• What should we do to commemorate Genocide Prevention month in April?

If you’d like to get involved and help with the planning of any of these activities, I hope you will join us :)

See you on Tuesday.

Anshul Mittal
Orange County for Darfur
ocfordarfur.org | calendar | photos | shop | blog | facebook | twitter

OC For Darfur planning meeting is this Tuesday, January 19th

Hi everyone,

This past Thursday, The Sudanese People Liberation Movement (SPLM) nominated Yasir Arman to run against president Omar Al-Bahir in the first democratic elections in Sudan since the coup d’état in June 1989 that brought General Bashir to power. Mr. Arman inspired by President Obama’s "change" campaign is hoping to walk a similar path.

“SPLM is a national liberation movement has been struggling for many years and made great sacrifices, it stands with the issues of change and ‘change’ is the first word in the program of the SPLM, as well as the issue of a real transition to democracy, and justice for marginalized and vulnerable, human rights, the rights of women, is the most important is what we want done” he said.

Click here to read the complete article. Many of us in the activist community fear that these upcoming elections will not be "free and fair" and people of Sudan will not have an opportunity to genuinely express their voice and pick their leaders.

Our next planning meeting is this Tuesday, January 19th at 6:30p. We will meet at Patty’s office in Newport Beach. Here is the address.

Patty’s office @ 6:30p
2424 SE Bristol Street, Suite 300
Newport Beach, CA 92660

We will discuss:

• Update on what’s going on in Darfur, Congo and Burma.
• Upcoming book fairs, documentary screenings and other events by Huntington Beach Reads Program [link].
• Orange County Walk Against Genocide in April.

If you’d like to get involved and help with the planning of any of these activities, I hope you will join us :)

See you on Tuesday.

Anshul Mittal
Orange County for Darfur
ocfordarfur.org | calendar | photos | shop | blog | facebook | twitter

Global Day for Sudan this Saturday, January 9th

Hi everyone,

2010 is an important year for Sudan. Elections are scheduled to be held in April and the referendum where the Southern Sudanese decide whether or not to stay part of Sudan is only a year away. Will the Sudanese government allow free and fair elections? Will we have genuine peace where the people of Darfur feel safe to return to their homes?

The Save Darfur Coalition and many other groups are organizing a Global Day for Sudan this Saturday, January 9th. The common theme for these events are performers who are drumming for peace. Members of Stop Genocide Now and Jewish World Watch are organizing one such event locally here in Los Angeles. Below are the details.

Sudan on the Brink – a Fire and Drum Rally
Saturday, January 9 at 6:00p

Los Angeles Federal Building
11000 Wilshire Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Click here for more information. Here is a link to the Facebook event.

I hope we keep the people of Sudan in our hearts and minds and stand in solidarity with them as they go through this unprecedented time in their country.

Anshul Mittal
Orange County for Darfur
ocfordarfur.org | calendar | photos | shop | blog | facebook | twitter

OC For Darfur planning meeting with Tim Hardy on Burma | Tuesday, Dec 8th

Hi everyone,

Our next meeting (and last one this year) for OC for Darfur will be extra special. Tim Hardy, is a Carl Wilkens Fellow with Genocide Intervention Network will be joining us in a web conference call to discuss the deteriorating situation in Burma [1].

Born and raised in Rangoon, Burma, Tim grew up under multiple repressive regimes in the country. Part of a family that championed struggles for peace, freedom and human rights in Burma, he also witnessed friends and family members disappear, face imprisonment, flee the country, and be killed, for demanding the basic human rights that every person should posses. Tim has worked with the Uganda North American Association, the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Amnesty International, and the UNESCO Chair’s Global Intergenerational Human Rights Leadership Forum.

Many of us do not feel educated enough about the situation in Burma and we are honored to have Tim shed light on this subject. Here are the meeting details.

OC for Darfur planning meeting on Tuesday, Dec 8th @ 6:30p
18 Elderwood
Irvine, CA

There is limited space for this meeting. If you’re planning to come, please let me know. Thank you.

I hope you will be able to join us.

Anshul Mittal
Orange County for Darfur
ocfordarfur.org | calendar | photos | shop | blog | facebook | twitter

PS: This is the inaugural week for Pledge 2 Protect. Have you pledged to join the movement to prevent genocide? Click here to join.