65 minutes long.. excited

They're here....

africa. fair and free?

Dear friends,
African leaders can still save Zimbabwe by holding an emergency summit to broker a legitimate government.
On Friday, 27th June, Zimbabwe will hold a cruel sham of a vote for President. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change has just withdrawn from the run-off -- not in a concession of victory, but rather in recognition that Mugabe's campaign of violence and terror has erased any hope for a democratic election.

But against the odds, hope survives. Amidst growing international pressure, Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and the opposition have entered private talks. A unity government may be possible yet.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously held on Monday that free and fair elections are now impossible in Zimbabwe. The UN Secretary-General spoke out. But it is African leaders, most of all Thabo Mbeki, who hold the key. Even Mugabe cannot cling to power without their cooperation. Today, we're launching an emergency campaign, petitioning these leaders to call an immediate summit, isolate Mugabe, and broker a legitimate government for Zimbabwe. Our call will be published in big newspaper advertisements in South Africa, Tanzania, Angola, and Mozambique this week -- click here to see the ads and endorse their message:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_zimbabwe/6.php?cl=101005457

Zimbabwe's neighbours supply its electricity and goods, and control the borders. Many Southern African leaders are already calling for the postponement of the election -- but there's a real danger that they will end up accepting this charade. This would be a grave miscalculation: if Mugabe succeeds in his de facto coup, Zimbabwe's implosion will accelerate, and chaos could spread throughout the region.

So our campaign will publicly name those African leaders who hold Mugabe's last remaining lifeline. If these leaders step up strongly now, they can convince enough of Mugabe's officials that change is coming one way or another -- and set the stage for Morgan Tsvangirai to lead a unity government to pull Zimbabwe back together.

Robert Mugabe saved Zimbabwe from colonialism. Now it's time for African leaders to save Zimbabwe from him.

Help us raise 250,000 voices this week, including a great roar from every country in Africa, to be delivered in an immediate multi-country ad campaign. Click to see the ads, sign, and then forward this to friends:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_zimbabwe/6.php?cl=101005457

With hope and determination,

Ben, Alice, Paul, Graziela, Mark, Ricken, Iain, Veronique, Pascal, and Milena -- the Avaaz.org team

PS: For more information and sources for the facts above, see:

Thabo Mbeki and the emergency talks for a settlement:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article4200177.ece

United Nations Security Council declares free and fair elections "impossible":
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL2026827820080624

Elections going ahead despite MDC pull-out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7468849.stm

Mugabe: "Only God will remove me!"
http://www.thetimes.co.za/SpecialReports/Zimbabwe/Article.aspx?id=788598

Regional leaders criticizing Mugabe:
Tanzania's Kikwete - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806200336.html
Rwanda's Kagame - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806190003.html
Kenya's Odinga - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806190949.html
Uganada's Museveni - http://allafrica.com/stories/200806120016.html

_______


ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

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the sun is still, the brains are flowing...

hapy solstice!
yesterday - today - ehck - both days are equal - and apparently people are coming to blows deciding whether or not it's yesterday ro today - but heck - up to them
for me - going in to work - discussion about that later
then going into london town to be dressed as a zombie and lurch around a bi - fnd my 'crowd' - ah joys...
grin
hope you are well reader
will talk about taleisin, life and being single later on.
Bye...

trailers, spoilers

enjoy

depression, no work today

Storm.. in the morning light
I feel
No more can I say
Frozen to myself

thank you portishead.

LARP and loving it?

role playing: the immersion of yourself into a role different to yourself, and a type of escapism.
SO, when surrounded by 17-20 year olds who wanted to continually refer to tables, comment bout their armour class and what levels they were, I was not having a good time.
Luckily, I was with some old friends and some newly made ones - got drunk, and entered into the world of uni drinking.
again.
BUT - and this is important - my tolerance for both extraneous activity AND drinking is lowering. Quickly. I slept. quickly. And resulted in getting a bit drunk after a good meal and promptly entering the world of sleep. Due to the ability to sleep anywhere i feel safe, I closed my eyes - had a powernap. Then another. Then moved to the other sofa so wasn't in the way of trhose talking [yes, left the campsite when we realised we were not gonna have great fun playing munchkin...]
I'm now typing while everyone else has retired as, yes, I've slept, they haven' - they're drunk I'm now sober[ish] and alone.
So loving it?
No.
I need my old stamina back - I'm becoming outsider in my own groups of friends due to lacking in energy. OR needing more sleep. Or, frankly, self choice on some weird subconscious level as i'm not able to keep up pace anymore???
30 in November. still youngest in this group of friends right now - yet here i am, typing, and they are now sleeping [just before 6am now]
too many thoughts now of negative inclination - now feeling bad in itself, just aware that alcohol, loneliness and general state of needing to be awake/asleep is not conducive to a strong mental health package.
Good night - I'm, good. just needing to accept where i am again before i move one - again.

initial thoughts

well - last night did the ritual of initiation - I am now starting on the path of Bard - new moon - seemed right time - new room, new space.
All good.

Posted some pics up in facebook of me with alan moore. got lots of response quickly as well - lots of envious people out there *G*
better get ready for work
sigh

hope you are well...

briefly

shouted in school.

#hate doing so but heck the kids ake me so annoyed at times - esp when they are choosing not to learn
Anyhow - that aside - running my roleplaying game on Friday - planning for that. not got any idea what to teach my year 8s can't plan for that - improv. tastic.

tired - hungry - unsure what to do re druidry but will try again tomorrow night methinks - shaving first as well...
hope you're well

late at night

first night, properly, in my new room - more space for stuff - books - thoughts
that and the fact that I've scoffed my way through a box of caramel shortcakes from sainsburys - yumyum - but caffeine/sugar.. hehhehhe
no sleep for paul. And i've got to try and organise a fortnight's worth of lessons yet before i go to sleep -and preferably tidy up the fuzz that is my face...

check list:
orderd cable for camera - yep
done things on freecycle - yep

writ the lessons and shave - off i go and do that - sigh - doesn't seem to really matter though as had a friend phone me today with info that his ex fiance has recently committed suicide. Puts things in perspective. I didn't know her but I know him and know the large ripples that his unrest will cause - he's a great friend and I worry for him - so inviting him to London will hopefully help..
hugs to all in my home town who may have known her..

Sleep well all