Save Darfur and Chad

Saturday January 16, 2008
9 a.m. to 12 noon
Admission free
Continental Breakfast

While the world watches the rebellion in N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, a group of Santa Barbara citizens, organized as the Chad Relief Foundation (www.chadrelief.org), are focusing on the situation in the south of that country, hundreds of miles from the fighting, but affected by it nonetheless. Their interest in Chad has been directed toward the 30,000 refugees who have fled a vicious civil war and widespread banditry in the Central African Republic and live in primitive camps outside of the village of Gore in southern Chad. These are the forgotten refugees for whom there is no media attention, celebrity presence or geopolitical significance. Many of these refugees suffer from malaria, respiratory diseases, HIV/AIDS and diarrhea while contending with inadequate shelter and clothing. They have enough food to stay alive, but not enough to conquer hunger. A group of Santa Barbara residents, determined to provide a model of how a few concerned citizens in a very rich country can materially affect the lives of thousands of people in a very poor country, flew to Chad this past fall to investigate conditions first hand and figure out how they could help. This trip resulted in the creation of the Chad Relief Foundation (CRF).
"The fighting in the north has made a bad situation worse," says Bill Felstiner, the President of CRF. "But we are more determined than ever to carry on with our planned projects in the south."

CRF projects now underway will provide wheelchairs for more than 80 crippled people in the camps and surrounding area and a shelter, well and latrine at a border crossing where refugees awaiting transport to the camps had been camping in the bush. Other projects on the CRF agenda include providing training in disaster mental health, rechargeable solar flashlights for each of 8,000 families in the camps, basic school and recreational materials, a dormitory to enable refugee children to attend secondary school and assistance to "vulnerable" refugees in housing and food production.

Information: 884-7131

Many Voices, One Song: Thresholds to a Culture of Peace

3pm Sunday, August 19

Unitarian Sanctuary,
1535 Santa Barbara St.,
Santa Barbara, California

Tickets $12 at the door, or $9 in advance at Folk Mote Music, Chaucer’s Bookstore, or online at www.pax2100.org.

Many Voices, One Song: A celebration in music and spoken word. Four distinct styles of music from four groups, ranging from Gospel to Mexican/South American, to American Folk, to European Classical Vocal, unified in the theme, “Thresholds to a Culture of Peace.” It’s all woven together by Celtic harp and spoken word. Musical performances by: Mama’s Voices (Gospel); The Vocal Scholars (classical vocal); Jorge Mijangos and Sabra Weber (Mexican and South American); Random Distribution (American Folk); Celtic harpist Jeanne Martin

As the finale, all groups join together in “Since Wars Begin in the Minds of Men”, a new anthem composed specifically for this event by renowned composer Ben Allaway.

More info: www.pax2100.org or phone 683-4271