Tents of Hope San Antonio Gathering

The Tents of Hope San Antonio Gathering will take place Sunday, October 19, 2008 from 3:00-5:00 PM. Come join us on Main Plaza in the heart of San Antonio to create awareness about Darfur and to raise funds for humanitarian relief. We will have music along with the beautiful tents that have been decorated by various groups in the San Antonio region over the last year. After this event, the tents will move on to the national "Gathering of the Tents" in Washington, DC. Free weekend parking for Main Plaza visitors is available at the FROST BANK surface lots located at FLORES @ TRAVIS and FLORES @ HOUSTON

Switch Over to Darfur

NEW YORK, NY, July 8, 2008 – Dream for Darfur today released “Gengen Genocide,” an animated video that shows China's cynical use of the Olympics to burnish its own image while underwriting a genocide in Darfur. The video, created and produced for Dream for Darfur by award-winning cartoonist and journalist Mark Fiore, was launched exactly one month before the start of the Olympics.

To watch the video, visit www.switchovertodarfur.org

To learn more about Dream for Darfur, go to www.dreamfordarfur.org

Tents of Hope-Culture Day

The first Tents of Hope-San Antonio event was held May 30, 2008 at the Colonies North Elementary School Culture Day, where students from the fifth grade classes painted pictures of peace and hope for the people of Darfur. Students from the third through fifth grade classes were also given a brief talk about the displacement of the people of Darfur, then visited three centers to learn about the READ campaign, Bracelets of Life, and life in a refugee camp. Finally, the children were given a typical Darfurian snack. If you are interested in participating in Tents of Hope, please email Susan at saidc@earthlink.net

Tents of Hope--San Antonio

Tents of Hope is a one-year campaign in which people respond as communities to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan by creating tents that are both unique works of art and focal points for learning about, assisting and establishing relationships with the people of Sudan. Congregations, schools, and civic groups are painting tents to create awareness about Darfur and to raise funds for humanitarian relief. The project will cumulate in October 2008 with the “Gathering of the Tents” in Washington D.C. www.tentsofhope.org

Tents of Hope—San Antonio

Our goal in San Antonio is to have schools, organizations, businesses, families, and groups decorate refugee tents with images of hope, loss, freedom, and humanity. Once completed, these tents will be used as fundraising points and places of education. Before the “San Antonio” tents go to Washington, D.C., we hope to have local exhibits featuring them.

How can you help? Tents of Hope has been offered an amazing deal: an 8 x 10 tent normally costs $800 to $900, but the manufacturer is selling them to project participants for $500, with a percentage of sales going back to the project.

Help Tents of Hope—San Antonio become one of the participating communities by sending $5, $10, $18, $100, $1,000 etc. This money will fund the purchase of tents, painting supplies, and educational materials, as well as paying the cost of sending the tents and a few community members to attend the final event in Washington, DC in October, 2008.

Make out your tax-deductible donations to: University Presbyterian Church-SAIDC. On the memo line, please write Tents of Hope. (Mail to UPC, 300 Bushnell, San Antonio, TX 78212.)

Please contact me if you are a member of an organization that would like to participate in Tents of Hope.

Sincerely,
Susan Smylie
Tents of Hope—San Antonio, Coordinator
saidc@earthlink.net

Ask the Candidates

Presidential Candidate Barack Obama will hold a rally in San Antonio
tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb 19. This is a chance to bring attention to
Darfur and to find out more about what Obama will do to help end the
genocide. Go to www.askthecandidates.org for more information on how
campaign stops are being used to help bring attention to the genocide
You will find sample questions you can use to Ask the Candidate.

Here is info on the Obama rally, along with a website to sign-up to
attend.

Stand for Change Town Hall with Barack Obama

La Plaza De Guadalupe
1327 Guadalupe Street
San Antonio, TX 78207

Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Doors Open: 12:00 p.m.

http://texas.barackobama.com/page/s/sanantonio

Dream for Darfur Torch Relay

The San Antonio Dream for Darfur Torch Relay, held Monday, Dec 3, sent a strong message to China that they need to hold up their promise of using the Olympics to help strengthen human rights. China needs to use its influence to help end the genocide in Darfur. See below for pictures from the event.

Dream for Darfur

China holds unrivaled influence with the genocidal regime in Sudan. As Beijing prepares to host the 2008 Olympics, join us in urging China to use its leverage to persuade the Sudanese government to allow a civilian protection force into Darfur.

Join us for the San Antonio Dream for Darfur Torch Run, part of the International Dream for Darfur program. The event will be held Monday, December 3rd, beginning at 11:45 AM with a torch lighting at the entrance to Hemisfair Park on Alamo Street. There will be a short torch relay through Hemisfair Park, ending at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC). Join us at noon under the flags in front of the ITC where we will hear from a number of survivors of genocide and Olympian Liza Hunter-Galvan, along with Express-News columnist Cary Clack.

Email SAIDC@earthlink.net for more info or to volunteer. Not a boycott!