Bloggers Unite for Africa - August 2005

Our blog community while global is intimate enough that we notice each other as links or in comment sections the world over. Some we feel camaraderie with as we track each others’ journeys, others we know of as the global voices for Christian blogging. We watch and comment as an unprecedented need presents itself in Africa. While we wait on the G8 meeting, thousands continue to perish daily, 3.5 million face starvation in Niger, 400,000 Sudanese have been slaughtered and 2.5 million are homeless and on the run and also face an urgent need for food while Western Africa has suffered a locust plague that ruins potential crops.

Now here’s a way we can connect on a very significant level and engage with the needy in Africa. Personally, I am but another blogger but confident that in this new climate of experimenting with the ways we ‘do’ our faith, I am challenging our blog community to unite and connect globally and make a difference for Africa.Being part of a larger cause tends to be more appealing as there is synergy in unity rather than individuality which motivates involvement. So the proposition that we do something that is culturally appropriate to us that raises money. It is pretty basic but if its promoted across your blog and your readers run with it in their blogs, the multiplier could be quite significant.

What: (Believe it or not) A Garage Sale/Yard Sale at your home or church hall. Find some items that you could do without and sell them. Find some items you can’t do witout …and sell them! Source goods from friends, work colleagues, family and neighbours. Put a banner up on the day that describes the cause. If you’re feeling generous, donate the float kitty as well! If the garage sale doesn’t appeal then you may want to contribute an alternative idea or simply donate.

When: The first one will start this weekend and it is proposed they occur throughout August.

Why a Garage Sale/Yard Sale? Rather than making a donation, a garage sale can be a great relational tool for those selling together and is a great promotional for the African crisis for all who donate or buy goods. Its certainly different from simply writing a check.

Which Agency? You decide which cause. It was the Niger famine that initially caused me to run with this but I now find that Niger is the epicentre of what is a larger famine. Sudan of course with its atrocities and hungry refugees are another worthy cause for. I will put up some suggested links at the bottom of this post. Decide which issue you feel most passionate about and send your money to that agency.

Register: In order to feel connected we need to track the spread of this communal action. So as not to promote my own site I have set up a separate blog, ‘Bloggers Unite for Africa’, that we can simply record all who have taken up the challenge, so place a comment, let us know what was raised etc. At the end of the day it will be great to see how many of us have connected over the one cause.

How does this spread?: Cut and paste this post into your blog or alternatively link directly to this post. Within a couple of days this appeal has the potential of widespread impact throughout our blogging community. Shrink the banner and whack it in your sidebar and link it to ‘Bloggers Unite for Africa’.

More info:More info regarding the genocide, the atrocities, the starvation, the displaced people, the locust plagues etc can be found by interrogating google or by reading my sidebar or visiting the following:

http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/
http://www.friendsofniger.org/
http://www.concern.net/pressroom/niger/index.php
http://www.sim.co.uk/index.asp?id=1http://www.theirc.org/index.cfm/wwwID/2070

Suggested agencies
http://www.msf.org/
http://www.wvi.org/wvi/home.htm
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/

or you might like to suggest another agency but those on the ground will be able to respond immediately.