Received: with LISTAR (v1.0.0; list 9-11peace); Thu, 25 Oct 2001 08:07:22 -0500 (EST) Return-Path: <bulletin@9-11peace.org> Delivered-To: 9-11peace@complete.org Received: from c009.snv.cp.net (c009-h018.c009.snv.cp.net [209.228.34.131]) by pi.glockenspiel.complete.org (Postfix) with SMTP id CFAFA3B838 for <9-11peace@complete.org>; Thu, 25 Oct 2001 08:05:24 -0500 (EST) Received: (cpmta 28077 invoked from network); 25 Oct 2001 06:05:21 -0700 Received: from 65.90.43.107 (HELO sylvester) by smtp.surfree.com (209.228.34.131) with SMTP; 25 Oct 2001 06:05:21 -0700 X-Sent: 25 Oct 2001 13:05:21 GMT From: "Eli Pariser" <bulletin@9-11peace.org> To: <9-11peace@complete.org> Subject: 9-11Peace: The Afghan Aid Crisis in Depth Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 09:06:12 -0400 Message-ID: <NFBBILDICDMBFNGCLHNEEENGCGAA.bulletin@9-11peace.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) Importance: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 X-archive-position: 5 X-Approved-By: eli@morethanmoney.org X-listar-version: Listar v1.0.0 Sender: 9-11peace-bounce@complete.org Errors-to: 9-11peace-bounce@complete.org X-original-sender: bulletin@9-11peace.org Precedence: bulk Reply-to: eli@9-11peace.org X-list: 9-11peace

9-11PEACE.ORG BULLETIN, Issue 2

Available online at http://www.9-11peace.org/bulletin.php3

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CONTENTS --------- 1. Introduction: The Crisis in Afghanistan 2. Featured Action: Call on Leaders to Increase Aid Now 3. Understanding the Crisis 4. On the Ground 5. Ways to Give 6. From Our Readers 7. Get Involved 8. About the Bulletin

INTRODUCTION: THE AID CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN --------------------------------------------- by Eli Pariser, 9-11peace.org Founder

It's not complicated. It's actually quite simple. According to the U.N., 7 million Afghans require food and medical aid to survive. If that aid does not reach Afghanistan by winter, it is unlikely that it will get there at all. The bombing campaign has made it exceedingly difficult for aid organizations to operate effectively. And although the U.S. and U.K. have said that they intend to remedy the situation, the few hundred thousand one-day rations that have been airdropped will have little or no effect on this burgeoning crisis. The same, grim assessment has been made by numerous experts and aid organizations: unless something is done immediately to provide these people with food and medicine, thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, will die.

President Bush, in a noble moment, has asked children across the United States to contribute one dollar to the plight of the Afghan people. It's a beautiful gesture, but unless that gesture is backed up with immediate action, it is meaningless. In fact, it may be worse than meaningless: a manipulative stunt with the potential to distract Americans and the world from the damage being done.

As a community of people who believe that the loss of innocent life is tragic whether it's by plane in New York or by starvation in Afghanistan, we have a lot of work to do. We need to take action to let our leaders know that we will not idly sit by while thousands suffer. But we also need to deeply understand the crisis at hand. Below, you can read the story of a 12-year-old girl in a refugee camp near Mazar-i-Sharif. You can look at a map showing where the refugees currently are. You can receive a UN briefing on the crisis. And you can take action. The links below are only a start, but through education and collective action, we may be able to save the lives of thousands. And we have to try.

Next Week: Reconciliation and peacekeeping work worldwide.

FEATURED ACTION: CALL ON LEADERS TO INCREASE AID NOW ----------------------------------------------------- The featured action for this week is as important as it is simple. National leaders need to know that their citizens are concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and will not allow them to neglect the thousands that are suffering. Phone calls are a proven, effective way of making our voices heard.

Please take 5 minutes to phone your national leadership and urge them to:

"Please support a massive and immediate increase in food and medical aid to Afghanistan, delivered through the United Nations."

You can quickly find phone numbers and talking points by going to http://www.9-11peace.org/aid.php3. Please call today.

Please be sure to let us know that you called by going to http://www.9-11peace.org/callmade.php3. By tallying your calls, we can demonstrate that many people support this vital cause.

UNDERSTANDING THE CRISIS ------------------------- Despite the huge number of reporters now broadcasting from Pakistan and Afghanistan, news and information about the humanitarian crisis have been difficult to get. Below are some of the best resources we've seen on the current shape of the crisis, the response of aid organizations, and the history that's behind it.

The latest: http://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/afghan/afghan2.htm Information straight from the U.N. on the crisis in Afghanistan, including news releases, maps, statistics, and an overview. If you only visit one page, visit this one.

The outlook: http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1012/p25s2-wosc.html Doctors Without Boarders/Medecins Sans Frontieres has issued a statement, along with a number of other relief organizations, that a cease-fire is necessary to allow food and medicine into Afghanistan before winter comes. This page contains an insightful interview with a MSF spokesperson on this statement and the problems with getting aid into Afghanistan.

The vital statistics: http://www.9-11peace.org/r.php3?redir=1 Numbers on Afghanistan from the CIA: life expectancy, population, geography, and more.

The lay of the land: http://www.9-11peace.org/r.php3?redir=2 A map of the refugee problem in Afghanistan.

The history: http://www.web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/index/ASA110161999 A 1999 Amnesty International report on the background and origin of the aid crisis, which even then was one of the largest in the world.

ON THE GROUND ------------ What is life actually like for the Afghans caught in this crisis? The photo essay, story, and report below document the daily struggles that refugees face.

Photos: http://photo.eyepress.com/center_afghan.html A photographic look into life as a refugee.

http://www.worldcityphotos.org/A/AFG-Kabul.jpg A picture of the beautiful city of Kabul, prior to the bombing.

Personal story: http://www.9-11peace.org/r.php3?redir=3 The life of a 12 year old refugee girl. This story dates from before the current crisis, but is compelling nonetheless.

A reporter's take: http://www.9-11peace.org/r.php3?redir=4 A soulful report from Northern Afghanistan.

WAYS TO GIVE ------------- Recipients of the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize, Doctors without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres has taken a courageous stand to ensure that the Afghan people receive aid. Your donation will help them to provide food and medical aid to the starving and sick in Afghanistan and around the world. You can donate online by going to: http://www.msf.org/donations/index.cfm.

If you'd rather shop around, the U.S. Government has provided a fairly comprehensive list of relief organizations providing aid in Afghanistan at: http://www.9-11peace.org/r.php3?redir=5

FROM OUR READERS ---------------- We've received emails from many of you suggesting resources for future Bulletin issues. Below are two of the most-suggested ones. Keep sending in your helpful tips to bulletin@9-11peace.org.

The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan's website provides an in-depth look at the terrible conditions that women face under the Taliban, and gives incisive commentary on the current crisis. Visit it at: http://rawa.false.net/index.html

A number of readers wrote in to suggest that we include www.rabble.ca among the alternative news providers listed in last week's bulletin. Says one of our readers, "Rabble also has an excellent discussion board now subscribed to by over 1500 people, called babble. babble is frankly the most amazing discussion board I have ever been on - the discussions are consistently high quality, well-informed, without foul language and personal insults, and open to discussing other points of view fairly, but are generally concerned with promoting peace and critical thinking." The web address is: http://www.rabble.ca

GET INVOLVED ------------- If you would like us to include an action, giving idea, or news article or source in the Bulletin, please write to bulletin@9-11peace.org and describe your item in the subject line.

The 9-11Peace.org Bulletin is also looking for volunteers to do research, proofreading, and translation into Spanish and French. If you think you've got the time, know-how, and energy to do this well, please write to editor@9-11peace.org, put "Volunteer" in the subject line, and add a brief paragraph summarizing your experience and interest.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN ------------------- The 9-11Peace.org Bulletin is a weekly newsletter providing resources, news, and action ideas to over 17,000 people around the world. The full text of the Bulletin is online at http://www.9-11peace.org/bulletin.php3; users can subscribe to the Bulletin at that address also. The Bulletin is a project of 9-11peace.org. Contact bulletin@9-11peace.org for more information.