Kenya

We're collecting a list of Kenyan's phone numbers who people can call to support them.

Kenya Post-Election Crisis

http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Kibaki_agrees_to_opposition_prime_minister_post.shtm

Ondinga looks like accepting the Prime minister position of kenya which has not been there.

AndriusKulikauskas January 2, 2008 0:40 CET We can use this page to consider how we might help our friends in Kenya during these troubling days after elections.

Asif, Sasha, Janet, Agnese, Thank you for your concern and help regarding our participants in Kenya and the post-election violence there.

I spoke with MariaAgneseGiraudo and she says the situation is very grave, especially in Kisumu (where Tom Ochuka is) and in Nairobi's slum Kibera (where many of the Nafsi Afrika Acrobats are) based on what she heard from a Kenyan colleague in Italy and from news reports. Also, she has received no replies to SMS and has not been able to call anybody by phone. We also have not received and emails from Kenya. There are reports of a media blackout in Kenya. This means that we may have access to information on the Internet that may not be available to people in Kenya.

Asif Daya, because you grew up in Kenya but now are in Florida, and are well informed, I ask you to lead our efforts to help, if you agree. If you can, please also send me your telephone number so I might call you if there is a need.

Currently, we can think how we might prepare to help when we do have the chance.

• We can share information that we learn about our participants.
• We can organize some money, even a few hundred dollars, to send as needed where needed by Western Union.
• We might prepare some information that we're able to collect here, depending on how bad the media blackout is in Kenya. We can then have it ready to send when the opportunity arises.
• We can write letters and sign petitions to the foreign ministries in our various countries.
• We can make a list of organizations and contacts that are able to help.
• We may be able to organize help from Tanzania and Uganda (please advise!).

Just for clarity, my understanding is that Samwel and Kennedy are of the Lou tribe, as are most of the people of Rusinga Island where Samwel lives. Kennedy lives in one of Nairobi's slums. Raila Odinga, the presidential challenger, is a Lou and Mwai Kibaki, the incumbent president, is a Kikuyu. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenyan_presidential_election,_2007 And here's a Kenyan newspaper that's online: http://eastandard.net

Fred, Agnese and I decided that you should not travel by bus to Nairobi. Soon she will learn about the visa and then we will discuss further about buying your ticket to Rome.

Asif, I have changed your settings at Mendenyo so that your letters go through directly and you can write as many as you please.

• http://whiteafrican.com/?p=841

Help with Nonviolence

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/learningfromeachother/message/1601

Sun Feb 10, 2008 11:52 am

Dear Friends, Kenyatta U seems like a great place to connect with re outreach for peace with students and youth. Is anyone among us linked to them, in close proximity, or could you contact someone there? Thanks and yours in "u-nited" spirit, Janet http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76620 (report on challenges to health/care in Kenya now) http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76606

SashaMrkailo January 2, 2008 2:20 CET I am afraid that there is not much that I can do from here with my meager means. I can only offer some ideas and links. I think it is very important for our Kenyans to have acurate and timely, informations. I persume that there is a media blockout in Kenya. Its just the best way that dictators political manipulants use to control public opinion. So I se they have immediately bocked sms and cellhones. veryy convinient. I think it is good to have a shortwave radio , they can be cheap and reliable because you can folllow international uncensored informations. Here is a link to e-bay with some prices : http://global.ebay.com/gbh/search?browse=0&Query=shortwave

There is knowledge on the internet how to build simple cheap ham radio like this person does http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hb_diypeople/article/0,2033,DIY_13875_2277976,00.html I used to listen the almost only opposition radio station on a car radio powered by car battery ( both taken from my old Yugo) during blackouts.

Second idea: teach people how to peacefully demand their rights. This is very important and the only viable resistance , and the most powerful one. read civil disobedience: http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil.html Brilliant text, I had intention to translate it to Serbian when we had out problems with the local dictator, very powerful reading and empowering. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_disobedience

Professor Brian Martin from Australia is an author of many non violent resistance books Here is his text on communications used in non - violent situations. http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/01tnvs/tnvs05.html

Another idea and I think it could be quite dangerous is to use those digital cameras and picture what is happening. This is a way that can be used to put a serious pressure on the ruling structure.

This is what happens when problems are building up and no one works tos olve those same problems. Politicians an ruling elites manipulate people into mutual warring and killing instead of searching and working on harder problems. Meanwhile criminals (which often are serving as help for the elites) are doing what they are doing. This brings terrible condition to whole people.

Kenyan blog updated yesterday on January 1 http://blog.thinkersroom.com/

SashaMrkailo January 2, 2008 12:37 CET Another idea is to organize blogs as much as possible and from all interested sides which are in conflict. This can be enormously helpful, because it can open people to see other views on reality. I remember Israel-Liban war when people on both sides blogged about it exposing what is really happening. Maybe we can work with raising voices on this. http://globalvoicesonline.org/

Sasha, excellent. Please, could you choose some short texts (or excerpts) for our participants in Tanzania to translate into Kiswahili? They could be about nonviolence but also do you know any writings that would help against ethnic hatred? The Balkan experience is very important! AndriusKulikauskas January 2, 2008 10:34 CET

SashaMrkailo January 9, 2008 18:21 CET i have choosen this text, although it is a longer text http://www.worknets.org/upload/SashaMrkailo/nonviolence.pdf will se if we can translate that, or is it bette to try something shorter for now.

AboutThisPage

• AskAbout=TT Kenyans ask where they can find information about Kenyan politics?
• ShopWithUs=<a href=" http://www.mamamikes.com">Purchase cellphone air time from Mamamikes for friends in Kenya</a>

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:11:03 UTC POTASH: You just might want to read the opinion pieces Kenyan writers are putting out on the crisis:

www.kwani.org/blog

News from Kenya

February 14, 2007: Kenya Constitution to be rewritten, South Africa styled justice commission to be established.

Sat, 06 Sep 08 22:26:38 +0000 Send me a usename and pass for our wiki. Samwel in Italy

Sat, 06 Sep 08 22:42:02 +0000 Samwel Kongere: I have decided to stay indoor today to write something for my social work. I have taken 14 days in South Italy Lecce - the 'Salento' the land with ancient religious building. I have visited the spectaculur coasts of santa cataldo, otranto, taranto and inward town of Manduria. Today the acrobats and chris are visiting Birindisi. Hope to travel to Rome tomorrow night by train and reach on Monday. Stay posted, Ciao! Samwel