FIRST WOO!!

Thanks for the info on such an important topic. It is important to get involved and do what you can to make a difference. I glad that thos of us who love Harry Potter are willing to stand up and help make a differenc.

The church I work for in the summer has been raising money to help with this atrocity for the last 3-4 years and it is sad that it is just now coming to light (it seems the US govt has been more worried about Iraq than a true area of genocide). Anyways, it is great to see that the word is going out about this. There are many foundations now for this, so if you are looking to help financially as well there are many opportunitis out there.

Thank you so much for doing this. I have been concerned about Darfur for over three years at a summer camp that I went to, and I think that this issue is so important. It is so cool that the main theme of Harry potter (love) inspires us to help others. I can’twait to hear the podcast! I just can’t put into words how awesome this is that people want to help others in a time wher this rarely happens. Thank you so much.

Strong work Potter peeps, and kudos for bringing awareness to the atrocities in Darfur.

Dear Melissa -

I appreciate the effort, really, and also your willingness (and that of the other multipliers in the HP world) to use the power of the fandom for good. Just two things:

First, very important: I sincerely hope that you make every effort to coordinate whatever means you raise or whatever other actions you undertake with those professional international aid organizations and activists who work on Sudan and know what they’re doing. I’ve had opportunity to witness, in Kosovo, the many ways in which well-meaning but ultimately clueless efforts from abroad can contribute to make life for everyone involved harder, if they’re not coordinated accordingly. I’m just an analyst, so I cannot claim hands-on expertise for myself, but I have observed first and second hand the dangers that lie in this. But I am sure you’ve heard this before (even perhaps from the people still working in New Orleans?).

Second, Sudan is a country, not a region (presumably you meant the Darfur region in Sudan?). Again, I am sure you know this, and it was an inadvertent mistake, but it is the sort of mistake that makes especially us rich Westerners look superficial and too arrogant to care or to get it right. Not saying you are in fact any of these things; just that the impression is too easily created.

Also, Sudan is a rich country – Khartoum, the capital, is quite the boomtown, in fact. The problem is not so much that they don’t have any money, or that the country does not have plenty of potential wealth. It is much more a case of political oppression and cronyism, that is, the money goes into the wrong pockets.

So – in short, I am not sure fundraising for Sudan would be the right way to go on this one. I am curious what else you have in mind … Again: thanks for the initiative.

this is amazing, I’m so glad that harry potter fans are helping with such an incredibly important cause. it gives fans an even more important reason to unite.

No one’s raising money for the country – this is an effort to divert money away from the government funding the genocide. Pleaes read the pages we linked to for more information, for more information.

Sorry for the country/region mixup; lots of info and edits, things get switched around.

Thanks guys!

Hey Artemisia,

You know your stuff! Just to let you know this effort is being coordinated with leaders of the Genocide Intervention Network, STAND, the ENOUGH Project, and Fidelity Out of Sudan. So we are making sure that all of our efforts are being done as effectively as possible to stop the genocide in Darfur. Also, the fund raising done on this issue generally goes toward protecting refugees from continual attacks as well as food, shelter, and medicine to people in Darfur or neighboring Chad who need it. Most of the efforts of this house party, however, will go toward supporting our leaders and businesses to take an effective stand against the genocide.

I hope you can join us in our efforts!

Andrew

Hey Leaky -

Any update on the money raised for Book Aid?

Lets not get political. There is absolutely nothing that we say or do that will make any difference. We raise money and instead of it makeing it to the people it was raised for, it goes into some middlemans pocket. It just makes other people rich. Lets keep Leaky just for the Harry Potter books and enjoy it for as long as it lasts. Get off of the soap box.

“Lets not get political. There is absolutely nothing that we say or do that will make any difference. We raise money and instead of it makeing it to the people it was raised for, it goes into some middlemans pocket. It just makes other people rich. Lets keep Leaky just for the Harry Potter books and enjoy it for as long as it lasts. Get off of the soap box.”

That is the easy choice not the right choice. I’m gland the harry potter community is doing this.

Personally, I don’t think this is about being “political” it’s about choosing what’s right over what’s easy. I think Hermione would be proud of us all. :-)

Whoa, emerald. All respect due, but the attitude that nothing we do makes a difference is pretty heavily disputed in HP, and, well, just in general. The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing, a wise person once said. (that’s a paraphrase, however.)

Anyway, every little bit does help.

Guys -

glad to hear it. Currently, I’m on the road again in Europe, but I’ll definitely be checking out in more detail what you’re up to … I’ve never looked at the effects of grass-roots lobbying on transnational financial interactions, that sounds quite intriguing. Nor have I visited the HP Alliance before … you turn your head, and the fandom’s expanded into a new dimension, again.

Cheers, A.