Below are excerpts from an email sent from the National Coordinator of the Tents of Hope campaign recapping the event and updating us the efforts and things needed to move forward even further on the project.
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Dear Friends,
In June 2007, I began a 40-day train trip around the country to speak about Darfur and ask activists, students and people of faith about an idea for a new one-year campaign called Tents of Hope. We launched the campaign in September 2007.
Would the campaign take off? I wasn’t sure. I had many discussions with Darfur activists about low morale in the Darfur movement and I spoke about my concerns with Elly Simmons, a brilliant Marin artist with a long history of social activism. We thought the idea of painting tents would work because it could bring communities together in a creative and fun way. But the task of organizing Tents of Hope was daunting. We had no office, no staff and no money. We only had an idea. I was very discouraged and wondered if we should give up.
Then something remarkable happened. In January 2008, we began to receive calls from dozens of small towns across the country. Youth directors at churches and synagogues and teachers at K-12 schools wanted to use the tents as a way to teach young people about the world and social responsibility. In the end, over 400 cities in 48 states and 8 countries had joined the campaign.
The “Gathering of the Tents” at the National Mall in Washington DC on November 7-9 was incredibly successful. Almost 400 tents were on the National Mall! The tents are beautiful works of art and a powerful message of our solidarity with the people of Darfur.
We did it! In the coming weeks, we will post your stories, photos and media coverage on the website. (www.tentsofhope.org) I encourage everyone to continue this creative dialogue of hope and compassion as we work together for an end to the genocide in Darfur.
The campaign still faces some challenging financial hurdles. We will be sending hundreds of tents to Darfur through the Darfur Peace and Development Organization. We need your financial help to ship the tents to Darfur. Please consider making a donation online at www.tentsofhope.org. Small donations are welcomed just as much as large ones because Tents of Hope has always been about people everywhere pitching in to help.
My understanding of the Darfur Movement has been radically transformed. I used to think that hope would arise from a change of policy toward Sudan by the international community. In other words, I thought that hope for ending the genocide in Darfur rested in the hands of governments. It doesn’t. You are the hope. It may take many years for peace and justice to come to Sudan. At times, we may get discouraged and want to give up. The only thing that will keep us going in this movement to end genocide in Darfur is the strength that we get from one another. We are a community of compassion. Compassion is a powerful force for change. It allows us to see that we all belong to one human family and that we have a responsibility to one another. When you look at the images and messages on the tents, you will see this consciousness of global solidarity in every color and every language.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your decision to act on your compassion and desire for peace and justice in Sudan by participating in the Tents of Hope campaign. Remember, you are the hope.
With gratitude and joy,
Tim Nonn
National Coordinator
Tents of Hope
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