I wrote a few weeks back about how a committed organisation of students has been fomenting democratic revolution across Eastern Europe and successfully liberating their countries. Unlike our own students here in NZ who, the latest Listener points out, still live at home with their parents in large numbers, these youngsters are getting off their arses and fighting for their freedom. And they've been winning.
President of American organisation Students for Global Democracy (SGD) Charlie Szrom is part of that network, and has written me seeking support for student organisation Zubr in Belarus and their BELL Campaign to remove "the last dictator in Europe, a man named Alexander Lukashenka," and support also for SGD activists in Nepal, Burma, Azerbaijan, Iraq and the Ukraine.
"[To] highlight the crisis of democracy in Belarus, give moral support to dissidents there, and to raise funds for pro-democracy activities" in Belarus and elsewhere Charlie and the SGD is organising a Worldwide Walk for Democracy this October, and they want your help.
If you want to help Charlie and the people of Belarus by organising a Walk in your city and taking part in the international SGD video-conference then you can drop Charlie a line at studentsforglobaldemocracy@gmail.com, or at least put an SGD button on your site like I have.
It's the least you can do really.
4 comments:
Belarus is being helped by Poland via The Union of Poles as well. There have been some serious clampdowns by the govt on The Union Of Poles. They've managed to replaced the leadership with their own, shut down the newspaper they publish and put out their own version of the same thing, and jail a number of the leaders. There are some serious diplomatic goings on between the two countries right now with the throwing out of a number of diplomats from both countries. Poland's gone to the EU to ask for help, but the EU has said this is just a matter for Poland and Belarus to sort out. Belarus is relying on Russia for support. Poland and Russia are also having a major diplomatic problem with Polish embassy workers being attacked by a gang in retaliation for an attack on Russian youths in Warsaw. There's a serious escalation going on up there that's hardly hit NZ yet.
...and all Students in New Zealand have to do is walk to the ballot box for their dose of democracy, and some of them can't even do that...
Thanks for posting Peter!
I would just like to point out that Students for Global Democracy has members from several nations, and while it began in America, it encourages membership from all countries. It would be really great to have a chapter down in New Zealand, for one thing!
Hope you guys check us out.
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