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Google's Holiday Logo December 2009

Season's greetings. This six year old blog Sudan Watch is powered by Blogger. Blogger is owned by Google. I started blogging in July 2003. Thanks to Blogger for everything. Happy New Year to all at Blogger and Google, and to readers of Sudan Watch. Love and peace x x x God bless the children of Sudan.

Millions living in forgotten cities

Millions of people are living in forgotten cities

"...Thatched huts are upgraded into slums. Camp dwellers start exchanging belongings amongst themselves. Barter develops into markets. People try to make a living through prostitution and crime. Idleness fosters addiction to alcohol and drugs. Combatants come to hide themselves for a while within the camp and recruit youngsters for their militias. People in the camps start organizing themselves. The camps develop into cities, with an economy, a power structure and increasing violence.

Camps are cities in suspense. They suffer from shortages of water and sanitation, shaky food deliveries, oscillating relief assistance, despotic rulers, lawlessness and insecurity, both around the camp and inside..."

-Jan Pronk, October 2009 (click here for full story)

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Messages of Peace: That we all look after our neighbours and that peace will spread around the world...

From CORD's Messages of peace:

Bechir Adam Daoud Head of CORD’s Literacy Programme Gaga Camp, Chad:
‘My hope for all of us in the Sudanese refugee community is that next year will bring peace to Darfur and that we can start to return home. We need to learn how to develop more and become less reliant on outside help.’

Louise Lloyd Jarvis Programme Manager Gaga Camp, Chad:
‘Fighting alone will not solve the problem in Darfur. Those people who go to school and get an education are the ones who will solve the problem. Fighting with guns; that will not solve it, even in a hundred years.’ Hedjewa Adam a rebel soldier with the Sudan Liberation Movement

My wish would be that more people understand this, act upon it and lay down their arms.
My prayer is that God is raising up 'Peacemakers' here and it is these men and women who lead the community into the next decade, not the ones who hold the guns.'

Kit Lawry Supporter Relations, UK:
'My wish is that people in the developed world realize how important peace is, for all of us.'

James Griffin Security & Logistics Manager, Chad:
'Against the backdrop of all the problems within Chad – and in Darfur where these children have fled from, the amazing thing is that the children in the camps are still children, and maintain that playfulness and innocence which only they can have. May they continue to be my biggest inspiration.

I am extremely lucky to find great people here who I really enjoy working with and trust. My wish is that this will continue and that the strain of working in Chad will not hinder us growing as a team.'

Serge Ntabikiyoboka Country Director, Burundi:
'Our main wish is to have peace consolidated in the country after the planned elections in 2010. There are real signs of violence at the moment, and the situation may become worse during this period.

Our second wish is to see our programme continuing to expand- and that everyone in the CORD Burundi team enjoys good health.'

Dennis Bailey Country Director, Northern Uganda:
'My wish for 2010 echoes the short prayer said by all members of the African Union as they gather in session:
God bless Africa,
Guard her people,
Guide her leaders and
Grant her peace.'

Angie Archer, Supporter Relations, UK:
‘Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.’

Kerry Bosworth Finance Director, UK:
'My peace wish is that the current child population in the camps in Chad will celebrate adulthood in their own home country.''