Never Again:Current Events

LATEST NEWS

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At this time we remember the victims and survivors of the genocide which started on April 4th 1994

Youth of Never Again International are now connecting across borders on Ning
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• Romeo Dallaire's new book will be released in October 2010. This upcoming book, about the plight of child soldiers is entitled "They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children: The Global Quest to Eradicate the Use of Child Soldiers". It is available on preorder here.

• We are actively searching for someone who would be willing to volunteer their time to put together a Never Again International webpage. If you are able to volunteer your services, please contact Melanie

• Never Again International in Canada is working to support youth education in Rwanda to initiate a program to help support school fees. If you feel inspired to participate in this program and give youth the opportunity to go to school, please contact Melanie @ melanie.tomsons at neveragaininternational dot org
• Never Again International in Canada is working with Bridges of Hope International Network of Development Agencies to make child sponsorship in Rwanda a reality. Sponsor a child today through Bridges of Hope and make an impact of the lives of an entire community in Rwanda.

Please contact Melanie @ melanie.tomsons at neveragaininternational dot org to learn more about how you can make a difference!!

• Never Again International in Canadais working hand-in-hand with the youth clubs in Rwanda to coordinate commemoration activities for the 15th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide. Never Again International - Canada is supporting the development of Hope For the Future, a program which encourages active youth participation in fighting against the effects of genocide. Please contact Melanie for more information on ways to support the development of this youth initiative in Rwanda.

To mark the 15th Commemoration of the genocide against Tutsis, the Rwandan Community of Winnipeg, in collaboration with the Rwandan and Burundian Fellowship Group, will be holding a service of remembrance from biblical perspective, this Sunday April 12th from 4:00pm at Calvary temple on the 3rd floor in Room 311. We would like to invite all members of the African community and Friends of Rwanda to join us as we commemorate the 15th year of the genocide against Tutsis in 1994.

• View the Human Rights and Human Wrongs: Redefining Human Rights in a Time of Crisis forum which took place on June 13 at the University of Guelph

• Listen to this week's broadcast of Upfront which features an in depth discussion about the role youth can play in genocide prevention

• Participate in the Global Pangea day event here at the Pangea Day website with the aim of bringing people together across borders.

• Please take time to leave a message here to express your commitment to remembering those who were killed in the Rwandan Genocide and to ensuring further genocides do not happen.

• Participate in this Global Net giving campaign by playing a game that gives mosquito nets and saves lives to commemorate World Malaria Day, April 25. Play the game Deliver the Net here.

• Roméo Dallaire will be giving a presentation at Rice University in Houston Texas on March 25. He will be speaking on the topic of dealing with contemporary genocide. For anyone who is in the area, registration is required at in advance. The event will be taking place from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at Baker Hall, Dore' Commons of Rice University. The talk will be available live here: Dealing with Contemporary Genocides

• Behind the scenes work is continuing on Never Again International's main website. Updates are forthcoming.
• Never Again has a collaborative blog where members can write for the world about Never Again's activities and their own ideas on genocide, education etc. If you would like to become a member of the blogging team leave a message for ClareWhite
• If you're interested in joining discussions on media, politics and other current affairs by youth from across the world, visit Never Again's Media Group page.
• Have you signed up to our Frappr map yet? Let members know where you are and find out where they are
• See photos of Never Again members and activity on Flickr. Please tag photos "neveragaininternational" to add them to our Flickr album.
• Please use the wiki as much as possible to archive your work as this helps new members see what we're up to. You also don't need to worry about how to make new pages as on the Community Portal you will now find a little tool that makes it incredibly simple - just type a title and go!
• You can find Rising Voices, our global youth newspaper on Exact Editions.

• An upcoming conference, Witnessing Genocide: Truth, Reconciliation, and the Media. will be taking place in Indiana from April 6-7.
• Ruth Gonzalez is representing Never Again International in Washington this week, March 30 - April 1, 2008, at the Congo Global Action Conference. For more information on the event, please see CONNECT FOR THE CONGO: WORKING FOR HOPE AND PEACE IN THE DRC
• Socially Conscious NYC Happy Hour on Thursday June 21, 2007 at 6:30pm at Leela Lounge in downtown Manhattan. For more information about So NYC, visit http://sociallyconsciousnyc.blogspot.com/
• Working with Darfurian human rights activist Adeeb Yousif, Never Again members in NYC developed the Rebel Letters campaign. This international grassroots peacebuilding campaign grew out of our work and friendship with Adeeb, whom we met in November 2006. Please visit the link and sign the letter! If you are interested in being involved in the campaign outreach, please email outreach@rebelletters.org.
• Welcome to Danielle Coleman from Connecticut College who is interning for the Rebel Letters campaign and Never Again International from May 21 to July 20. She will be housed out of the International Refugee Rights Initiative office in New York City.
• [This past Thursday, Reuters organized a panel discussion at the New York Historical Society composed of Sudanese U.N. ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem, television journalist Ann Curry, actress Mia Farrow, Internatinoal Crisis Group senior adviser John Prendergast,and the U.S. State Department’s senior envoy to Sudan Lauren Landis to discuss the current state of affairs in the region of Darfur.]
• Members in Miami set up a Never Again group, possibly our sunniest location so far. To get involved, go to http://neveragain.epov.org/Never_Again_Miami_network
• Network development in the US: we are looking to expand our network of young people in the US. Please contact Heddy or Marian if you live in the US and would like to join Never Again!
• The One World Foundation is now our fiscal sponsor in the US. You can now make tax-deductible contribution to Never Again. Contact Heddy at heddy@neveragaininternational.org for more information.

Rwanda

• Never Again Rwanda launched a year long theatre program for its youth clubs in Kigali, which culminated in a Never Again Drama Festival in April 2008. For more information, contact nanditadinesh@gmail.com
• You can read everything Never Again Rwanda got up to through January and February at http://neveragain.epov.org/Peacebuilding_Centre_update_Feb_07
• Rwanda organised a Peacebuilding Summit in December 2007: Youth Creating Sustainable Peace Through Critical Thinking - Connectivity & Education: Work, Educate, Learn, Cooperate, Motivate, Encourage. More information and an application form is at http://www.neveragainrwanda.org/press/scripts/full-news.php?2006_12_16_12_44_00_72812d782145018c68943c1a55131de9 - the deadline for applications is February 19th. For more information, contact jed@neveragaininternational.org
• Never Again Rwanda has also updated a new website which showcases its work as a chapter. Visit: http://www.neveragainrwanda.org.
• Mireille has done an exquisite job of decorating, furnishing (with Joseph and Albert) and making the Peacebuilding Centre a welcome resource for the community and Never Again Rwanda. It is well stocked to serve as both an office and living space.
• On-going language instruction has been a big part of the Peacebuilding Centre. For various people at various times English, French and/or Kinya-rwandan may be getting taught/learnt.

UK

• UK organisers of the 'Day for Darfur' are planning a major demonstration outside the Sudanese Embassy, starting at 12.30pm on 13th April.

The rally will have speakers, including politicians, activists and faith leaders. Musicians from a range of backgrounds will also contribute to the rally.

For more details about the Day, or to volunteer as a steward or help with another aspect of the organising, e-mail Hannah Lownsbrough (hannah.lownsbrough_at_crisisaction.org)

Following the rally, a benefit gig will take place at the Jamm in Brixton, from 3pm. The event is organized by RAGE (Rock Against Genocide) and Bands 4 Darfur, more information at: http://www.brixtonjamm.org/

All ages 3-7pm, over-18s 7-11pm. Afternoon session £5 advance / £6 door. Evening AND afternoon sessions £8 advance / £10 door. Tickets available at: http://www.wegottickets.com/evenue/408

http://rockagainstgenocide.co.uk/

http://myspace.com/bandsfordarfur

• Members of the London chapter (which actualy spans as far south as the Congo, as far north as Stoke-on-Trent and as far West as New York!) are working on developing the iR2P concept which developed out of the retreat at Lake Kivu last year. More information at http://neveragain.epov.org/IR2P.
• There will be a further London retreat in France on April 19th-22nd - if you are interested in joining email poppy@neveragaininternational.org.
• Never Again International hosted a talk with the Foreign Policy Centre in London in Parliament. The theme was Will China Help Prevent or Provoke Conflict in Africa? and a podcast is available at http://www.neveragaininternational.org/podcasts/chinaafricamar07uk.mp3 (we're in the process of getting this listed as a podcast stream to subscribe to via itunes so email claremarie@neveragaininternational.org to find out about that).
• The second fundraising party was held in London during March. Photos and a report to come soon.
• If you are a Never Again member in the UK and haven't yet joined the online group, please leave a message for ClareWhite for an invitation.
• UK members are working on fundraising strategy and network building in the country. To help, contact James

• If you would like to become an advocate for genocide prevention in Canada, or a provincial representative in Canada, please contact Melanie
• Never Again International - Canada is now partnering with Bridges of Hope International Network of Development Agencies. Bridges of Hope

Never Again International in Canada is working with Bridges of Hope International Network of Development Agencies to make child sponsorship in Rwanda a reality. Sponsor a child today through Bridges of Hope and make an impact of the lives of an entire community in Rwanda. Please contact Melanieat melanie.tomsons at neveragaininternational dot org to learn more about how you can make a difference!

Upcoming event: Get your hair cut to support poverty relief and community empowerment through Bridges of Hope for the orphanage in Burkina Faso. Contact either Tina at 403-393-4810 or Joanne at 403-327-4842. Please come out to support a great cause!

Time: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Location: Harmony Hair - 2638 South Parkside Drive

Contact: Tina Wiebe Phone: 403-393-4810 Email Address: wiebetina@hotmail.com

• As part of the Winnipeg Peace Festival, an event raising funds and awareness to support children and women in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will take place Saturday, May 10, 6:00 p.m at the College universitaire de Saint-Boniface. The program will include The Beauty of Africa Exposition and live music (including African drumming, jazz and a youth choir), international foods and guest speakers from Global College, Save the Children and War Child Canada.

• A Rally for Darfur will be taking place on April 29th, 2008, 12pm-1pm at the Manitoba legislative building, near the corner of Broadway and Osborne St. North. The event will include some great speakers, music, dancing, and petition signing. Please come out and show your concern for the situation in Darfur.
• With the help of Hand in Hand for Peace, the Global College, the Jewish Student’s Association (JSA/Hillel), and SHOUT, Never Again International participated in a fundraising event to bring Ishmael Beah, author of "a long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier", to Winnipeg this coming March 18th. Ishmael Beah who is a former child soldier from Sierra Leone will speak about his hardships and tragedy of what occurred in Sierra Leone while espousing the values of tolerance, hope and social responsibility.

• With the Global Days for Darfur in September 2007, rallies took place across Canada and in 32 countries around the world. In Toronto, Romeo Dallaire was the keynote speaker at an event to demonstrate the responsibility for international action in this crisis.

• Melanie Tomsons participated in the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide chaired by Romeo Dallaire where Kevin Coppock (Former Mission Head, Eastern Chad for Medecins Sans Frontieres), John Lewis (Programme Coordinator of Human Rights for KAIROS Canada), Alex Neve (Secretary General for Amnesty International Canada), Ismail Adam and Mahjob Abdalla (President and Director for the Darfur Association of Canada), and Ben Fine (Executive Director for Students Taking Action Now: Darfur -STAND) offered NGO statements on the current situation in Darfur

• Never Again International stood alongside Save Darfur Canada in Winnipeg to rally against the humanitarian and security crises in Darfur this past April. Citizens in Manitoba and across the country raised their voices in protest to end violence in Darfur. This Global Day for Darfur took place on April 29th under the Globe for Darfur initiative.

• Never Again International is now establishing a Never Again Winnipeg chapter in Manitoba, Canada.

• Never Again International is working with its partner youth clubs in Never Again Rwanda to estabish a Training of the trainers on the subject of building a sustainable peace. Joseph and Melanie are working alongside the youth leaders to makes this camp a reality. Never Again is also working with the clubs to establish a Rwanda-based youth newspaper to promote the ideas of peace and reconciliation.

China

• The first Never Again meeting in China has taken place. If you are in China and would like to join the network, sign up at the wiki. We'd love to have you! (that applies to all other countries as well, of course!). http://neveragain.epov.org/Special:Userlogin