Posted on behalf of Chann Noun, a survivor of the Cambodian genocide.

Hi everyone,

After having gone through an extremely terrible starvation during the Cambodian genocide era (especially in 1975) and a somewhat mild one in the refugee camps in the mid 80’s, I vowed never to experience any hungry feelings ever again after I had arrived in America. Anyhow, after several years of eating all the fatty American foods, I barely gained any weight. One doctor in Minnesota said the starvation that hit me was so severe that it completely destroyed all my fat cells and it would take a long while for them to rebuild. However, for this very important cause and my absolutely personal experiences, I will break my vow. I choose May 25th to fast. Let’s stand with the people of Darfur and fast in solidarity w ith me on this date.

If you can participate, please send your response to fast@stopgenocidenow.org and let them know that you’re doing it with me.

Peace,
Chann Noun

Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, provided three vans to travel from Vermont to San Francisco in preparation for the April 9th Olympic Torch Relay. The vans have billboards attached that encourage China to engage constructively in Sudan. Due to an accident in New Jersey with one of the vans (thankfully no one was hurt!), the other two vans were shipped to San Francisco and have now arrived. The vans will tour the San Francisco Bay Area to build momentum for the Torch’s arrival on April 9th. Stay tuned for updates!

On-the-ground sources tell us that thousands of newly displaced people have been fleeing the destruction of their villages in Darfur and are trying to make it in to the also unstable and dangerous Chad side of the border.  Attacks come from air and ground, with bombs falling from the sky and dozens of trucks riding in to destroy the Darfuri villages.  A more complete report will come soon.

The situation on the ground is getting worse. They are still in the capital, barred from leaving the hotel. The streets are empty, and the fighting is getting closer and closer. Read Google News for all the latest news stories from Chad. Katie-Jay was also interviewed by the BBC. Gabriel is still uploading reports from the ground, you can find them all here. Here’s the latest video from Gabriel:

Hello from N’Djamena:

We made it safely out of Eastern Chad, right before violence and instability broke out; we could have been stuck there, since the road we last traveled was closed down the very next day. Our friends in the camps are not as lucky, with aid staff being relocated and services being stopped; refugees themselves are now managing the basics, such as food and water. In Guereda, from where we went to camps Kounoungou and Mile, UNHCR staff has been evacuated. Five cars were stolen, and armed men went in to their compound. There is complete impunity and chaos in that area.

In N’Djamena, it is not any more stable. The rebels have surrounded the city, with some fighting going on just a few kilometers outside. Our flight out scheduled for tonight has been cancelled, and it is one day at a time from here out. The airport is closed to all but military flights.

There is an eerie feeling of calm in this city because of the lack of activity in the streets. There are EU soldiers walking through the hotel with their weapons. I am not very concerned for our own safety, but the uncertainty of not knowing when we’ll be able to leave is strange.We are now going to work on organizing our pictures and video material. As I look at some of the faces in our pictures, I feel bad that this instability and not knowing is something that they live with every single day, and they have been living it for five years.

Since we’re here, KTJ and I will continue posting journals and even sending up pictures from the camps we have not sent before. We’ll be in touch, and you let us know your thoughts and any news you hear about Chad and the current crisis.

Hoping for Paz!
g

Despite agreeing to a United Nations/African Union joint peacekeeping mission, Sudan has continued to put obstacles on the deployment of the force. We have started a petition urging President Bush to use the last year of his presidency to push for a stronger UNAMID protection force in Darfur. Lend us your voice by signing our petition!

Gabriel and Katie-Jay will be heading back to the camps, departing for Chad on January 12. They get to see some of our friends, like Leila and Fatma, and you get to follow along, interact with them, and be a part of the actions to bring peace to Darfur. Let’s start 2008 the right way!

Stay tuned for information on i-ACT Rhythm & Hope. Macy Gray will be traveling with the i-ACT Team to the camps, to sing with and for the children of Darfur. This will happen in just a few months. There has been interest from other artists and the potential to make Rhythm & Hope an even more powerful project, so it has been decided to work on making it big in March/April.

It was a busy day yesterday! Gabriel, Connie and Yuen-Lin arrived home safely in time to watch i-ACT featured on San Francisco’s local ABC news last night (video and news article), as well had their question to the candidates answered in the CNN/YouTube presidential debate!

Please read article, by John Morlino: President Bush: Imagine Yourself as a Man in Darfur
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