ISSN 1710-6931 May 4, 2007 Issue 98
FEATURE ARTICLES

RESPECT Means A Lot For This Community In Sierra Leone

by Ramesh Negi

Sierra Leone has been in the international media due to the military conflicts and the subsequent unrest and suffering of its people.

The country has been grappling with the refugee issues for quite a while now. Children, in particular, remain malnourished for want of enough food and resources within the communities. Sierra Leone

A View of RESPECT from the Ground

by Trent Newman

This is part 3 of a 3 part series featuring comments by RESPECT's Uganda Country Coordinator, Tom Fred Obonyo during a discussion with Trent Newman. In Part one Tom Fred spoke of the tangible and intangible benefits of RESPECT's programme in Uganda, especially the Agoro community in Kitgum. In part two he talks about the limitations and barriers facing the community, and the needs of the students.

In order to gain some preliminary understanding of the implementation of RESPECT's programmes and also to glean from a local expert those issues that require the most attention, Trent met with Tom Fred Obonyo, co-coordinator of Agoro Community Development Association (ACDA) in Northern Uganda, and RESPECT Uganda Country Coordinator.

In this issue, Trent provides some background on the brutal conditions in which the Agoro and many other communities exist and the humanitarian situation in Uganda, primarily in Kitgum. From The Ground

One World North America Youth Summit Opening Remarks

by Jessica Rimington
President & Founder
One World Youth Project

Dear One World North America Youth Summit participants

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the One World North America Youth Summit 2007! Our staff and volunteers have spent the past few months working hard to bring you an exciting program and we hope you will enjoy the next four days!

When planning this summit we continually asked ourselves what kind of journey do we want the participants to go on? We hope you will see the summit this way: as a journey to further discover your leadership skills, put these skills into practice with the support of your peers, and consequently help to affect positive change. Youth Summit

PHOTO GALLERY

Participants join game

OWNAYS Participants join in an interactive game led by Cady Voge, Project Ambassador.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RESPECT Project Moves To Next Step

RESPECT International's project proposal has received the 100 votes necessary to be eligible to receive donations through the GiveMeaning™ website.

The funds will be used to pay for postage for correspondence from war-affected refugee and internally displaced person (IDP) communities. They will help pay for refugees and IDPs to send pen pal letters to non-refugee students, and for RESPECT University students to return assignments to their tutors.

You can review the project profile and make a donation to the project online.

AFFILIATES

Youths To Experience 24-Hour Exile Camp

by Vanessa Paul

The refugee problem is worldwide. Millions of people are caught in dangerous situations because of armed conflicts or natural disasters. Fear of persecution has led them to flee their homes and seek safety in refugee camps or tent cities.

On Friday, May 11, and Saturday, May 12, youths in Winnipeg, ages 15 to 22, will have an emotional first-hand opportunity to experience life as a refugee.

For 24 hours, youths will go through being exiled from home, live in congested shelters with little comfort, and attempt to build a community out of difficult conditions. As well, the young people will come face-to-face with coercive border guards, impolite customs employees, and scarcity of food.

This humanitarian experience is expected to be intense and life changing. It will focus on the health, well-being, and empowerment of refugees in our communities and abroad.

It is being organized by a coalition group including the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council, WREN (the Winnipeg Refugee Education Network), Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM), Manitoba Hydro, and RESPECT International.

Marc Schaeffer, president of RESPECT, will be representing the organization by volunteering on Saturday, May 12, to facilitate a letter exchange with Buduburam Refugee Camp refugees in Ghana.

To learn more about registering or volunteering for the 24-Hour Exile, or to make a donation, please visit RESPECT's website or the 24-hour exile website.

As in any newsletter or magazine, RESPECT e-zine is committed to striving for interesting articles and announcements concerning refugee issues all around the world.

If you have any suggestions or would like to contribute an article, contact the e-Zine editor, Angela Carter, at editor@respectrefugees.org.

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