[kan-l] KAN Newsletter

[Teresa Crawford]

**** Kosova Action Network Discussion List ****
November 23, 1998
Kosova Action Network
Alice Mead-- coordinator
Mentor Cana--communications wizard

1.GREAT NEWS!!!! If you haven't heard this yet--three of the nine Prizren
students were released last week. The three young women are now at home
with their families. Even Fred Abrahams of HR Watch who was in Kosova at
the time didn't hear about it! So, you see? Letters work!!! Five minutes of
your time. So let's press on. There are six more students in that prison.
Think about it. And write again. Eliot Engel is now in the process of
putting out a statement on this situation and rumor has it, the State
Department is looking into the situation. So this is the perfect time to
increase the letters. Let's get these guys out by New Years.  Also, from
the internet publication, we had some great responses---the Society of
Threatened Peoples in Germany wrote a very moving letter to Albright. A
Spanish NGO group is organizing a consortium to focus solely on Kosova.
Keep the pressure on. Just had a phone call today (11/24) from Senator Joe
Biden's office. He is head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His aide
called to tell us they are looking into these types of arrests and
imprisonments.

2. The AASO students held a demonstration in NYC with between 2,000 to
3,000 particpants, their most successful to date. Any petitions on hand to
sign? Cell phones on site to call those legislators? That would be cool--do
two things at once.  

3. The Mentor of all Mentor's has been installing his new server and
continues to keep everyone informed.  

4. There are two new groups worthy of your attention: The Kosova Children's
Group, a cross-cultural group of NGO's plus UNICEF and UNHCR, advocating
for the human rights of these one million terrified and tyrannized kids.
Contact is officially through Save the Children/UK....I don't think the US
group is in Kosova, at least not the last time I checked.  email is
kcg at eunet.yu  

5. Shqipe Malushi and Motret Quirazi have been working with the UN Women
and Children's organization. Contact them at malushi at aol.com. Fundraiser
Dec. 9 with Bianca Jagger. Be there or be square.

6. Vanessa Redgrave was in Peje a few days ago. Maybe Kosova will show up on
the Daily Star magazine or MSNBC! But may never be as trendy as Sarajevo.  

7. Iliriana Mushkoloj from MIT/Amnesty International not only did an
incredibly good job of organizing the MIT chapter of AI, but she is meeting
with BU, Harvard, Tufts, and other colleges to help their AI chapters with
the letter writing project. If you want to know how she did it, with a
minimum of time involved, her email is: imushkol at mit.edu.  

8. Teresa Crawford of the Advocacy Project and student campus organization
group discussed fundraising ideas with Avni Mustafaj and Mentor Cana. One
suggestion that was made was to support lawyers trying cases of Albanians
arrested on charges of terrorism and other actions against the Serbian
state. It was also suggested a more broad based approach be taken that
includes Trial Monitors and Police Station visitors, since most violent
abuse happens in the first three days. Letter writing to the judge who is
running the trial. Perhaps supplies, consultations, support services and
perhaps support to families of prisoners who may need the money the most.
Also fostering a relationship with groups like CEELI, the Lawyers Committee
for Human Rights and/or the European Law Students Association.  

I would be interested in knowing from you how you think this might work?
What kinds of support there would be in Prishtina or other cities such as
Mitrovica, Peja or Prizren? How much it might cost?  Is there a group
already working on this?  

People at the US State Department seemed a bit behind regarding the trials
and incarceration of the 9 students from Prizren.  They have very little
information and are trying to formulate some sort of response. Recently
Human Rights Watch posted a report on those in prison. One major problem
seems to be lack of information.  Any ideas are appreciated. Teresa
Crawford can be reached at: teresa at advocacynet.org.  

She is also trying to establish an aid link with Mercy Corps for a way to
send money directly to the Mother Teresa Clinics.  So far MCI have been
sending interested people to Interaction. To make monetary donations
directly you can contact the Mercy Corps office in DC and specify you want
the money to go to the clinics. The Mother Teresa's Association is one of
the three charities chosen for this year's Daily Telegraph (a British
newspaper) Christmas Charity Appeal. For information on how to donate oney
that way contact Teresa.

She is also working with The Advocacy Project on several information
projects to support community activists and advocates in war-torn societies
that are making the transition to democracy. They help with use of the
internet and technology, newsletters,, and conduct research into the impact
of the conflict in Kosova on the alternative medical system, the impact of
aid on Honduras, and the Nigerian elections and their transition to
democracy.    

9. Tova of Crabgrass reported that the Kosova/o Support Group in San Francisco
held a fund raiser concert and made $600 which they are using to send books to
the Univ. of Prishtine and to send money to Mercy Corps.

9. Re--Kosova Action Council/DC--is working on three goals at present. 1.
OSCE and its mission, 2. War crimes--visas, access( a good issue to call
and write letters about--they need all the help they can get on this. Write
to the State dept and your Senators), and 3. Repression in
Serbia--persecution of media, professors, doctors, etc. (Again, a good
topic for letter writing. Letters to SEnate Foreign Relations Comm.)  

SO---- In summary, we can do (KAN)a lot if we want to. It takes self-
discipline. Actions to continue--follow-up calls and letters. Probably you are
now competing with American cultural insanity called Christmas consumerism.
But do it anyway. Self-discipline means no whining.

For December--Lets: 1.Support relief and fundraisers. If you're at a party
or meeting, set up a call table and get a few calls in.  2. Publicity. The
photos of Kosova available through Alex Frangos at Human Rights Watch/NY
are excellent for publicity. At 80 cents a piece, you can't beat the price
either.  3. Please write in support of the work of the Kosova Action
Council to the State Dept. and others. We must all stand behind them and
push with them. It's no good to have the same solitary voices protesting
over the treatment of Kosova. We all have to speak out together. It works,
if we actually do it.  

I included all the feedback I've had so far. If you had something else to
add--oops, Father Liolin wishes us all the best and urges us not to ever
forget
our long-suffering friends-- please let me know if there's other
news.......Have a great holiday!  Best wishes--Alice Mead    




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Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 10:24:08 -0500
To: alooscnon at aol.com
From: Teresa Crawford <tmcrawfo at mailbox.syr.edu>
Subject: newletter changes
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Here is the text of the newsletter.  I made a few changes and added a place
people can send donations to for the Mother Teresa Clinics.  It looks good.
 I like the you can do more bit at the end.



November 23, 1998
Kosova Action Network
Alice Mead-- coordinator
Mentor Cana--communications wizard

1.GREAT NEWS!!!! If you haven't heard this yet--three of the nine Prizren
students were released last week. The three young women are now at home
with their families. Even Fred Abrahams of HR Watch who was in Kosova at
the time didn't hear about it! So, you see? Letters work!!! Five minutes of
your time. So let's press on. There are six more students in that prison.
Think about it. And write again. Eliot Engel is now in the process of
putting out a statement on this situation and rumor has it, the State
Department is looking into the situation. So this is the perfect time to
increase the letters. Let's get these guys out by New Years.  Also, from
the internet publication, we had some great responses---the Society of
Threatened Peoples in Germany wrote a very moving letter to Albright. A
Spanish NGO group is organizing a consortium to focus solely on Kosova.
Keep the pressure on.   

2. The AASO students held a demonstration in NYC with between 2,000 to
3,000 particpants, their most successful to date. Any petitions on hand to
sign? Cell phones on site to call those legislators? That would be cool--do
two things at once.  

3. The Mentor of all Mentor's has been installing his new server and
continues to keep everyone informed.  

4. There are two new groups worthy of your attention: The Kosova Children's
Group, a cross-cultural group of NGO's plus UNICEF and UNHCR, advocating
for the human rights of these one million terrified and tyrannized kids.
Contact is officially through Save the Children/UK....I don't think the US
group is in Kosova, at least not the last time I checked.  email is
kcg at eunet.yu  

5. Shqipe Malushi and Motret Quirazi have been working with the UN Women
and Children's organization. Contact them at malushi at aol.com. Fundraiser
Dec. 19 with Bianca Jagger. 

6. Vanessa Regrave was in Peje a few days ago. Maybe Kosova will show up on
the Daily Star magazine or MSNBC! But may never be as trendy as Sarajevo.  

7. Iliriana Mushkoloj from MIT/Amnesty International not only did an
incredibly good job of organizing the MIT chapter of AI, but she is meeting
with BU, Harvard, Tufts, and other colleges to help their AI chapters with
the letter writing project. If you want to know how she did it, with a
minimum of time involved, her email is: imushkol at mit.edu.  

8. Teresa Crawford of the Advocacy Project and student campus organization
group discussed fundraising ideas with Avni Mustafaj and Mentor Cana. One
suggestion that was made was to support lawyers trying cases of Albanians
arrested on charges of terrorism and other actions against the Serbian
state.   It was also suggested a more broad based approach be taken that
includes Trial Monitors and Police Station visitors, since most violent
abuse happens in the first three days. Letter writing to the judge who is
running the trial. Perhaps supplies, consultations, support services and
perhaps support to families of prisoners who may need the money the most.
Also fostering a relationship with groups like CEELI, the Lawyers Committee
for Human Rights and/or the European Law Students Association.  

I would be interested in knowing from you how you think this might work?
What kinds of support there would be in Prishtina or other cities such as
Mitrovica, Peja or Prizren? How much it might cost?  Is there a group
already working on this?  

People at the US State Department seemed a bit behind regarding the trials
and incarceration of the 9 students from Prizren.  They have very little
information and are trying to formulate some sort of response. Recently
Human Rights Watch posted a report on those in prison. One major problem
seems to be lack of information.  Any ideas are appreciated. Teresa
Crawford can be reached at: teresa at advocacynet.org.  

She is also trying to establish an aid link with Mercy Corps for a way to
send money directly to the Mother Teresa Clinics.  So far MCI have been
sending interested people to Interaction.   To make monetary donations
directly you can contact the Mercy Corps office in DC and specify you want
the money to go to the clinics.  The Mother Teresa's Association is one of
the three charities chosen for this year's Daily Telegraph (a British
newspaper) Christmas Charity Appeal. For information on how to donate oney
that way contact Teresa.

She is also working with The Advocacy Project on several information
projects to support community activists and advocates in war-torn societies
that are making the transition to democracy. They help with use of the
internet and technology, newsletters,, and conduct research into the impact
of the conflict in Kosova on the alternative medical system, the impact of
aid on Honduras, and the Nigerian elections and their transition to
democracy.    

9. Re--Kosova Action Council/DC--is working on three goals at present. 1.
OSCE and its mission, 2. War crimes--visas, access( a good issue to call
and write letters about--they need all the help they can get on this. Write
to the State dept and your Senators), and 3. Repression in
Serbia--persecution of media, professors, doctors, etc. (Again, a good
topic for letter writing.)  

SO---- In summary, we can do (KAN)a lot if we want to. It takes self-
discipline. Actions to continue--follow-up calls and letters.  

For December--Lets: 1.Support relief and fundraisers. If you're at a party
or meeting, set up a call table and get a few calls in.  2. Publicity. The
photos of Kosova available through Alex Frangos at Human Rights Watch/NY
are excellent for publicity. At 80 cents a piece, you can't beat the price
either.  3. Please write in support of the work of the Kosova Action
Council to the State Dept. and others. We must all stand behind them and
push with them. It's no good to have the same solitary voices protesting
over the treatment of Kosova. We all have to speak out together. It works,
if we actually do it.  

I included all the feedback I've had so far. If you had something else to
add--oops, Father Liolin wishes us all the best and urges us not to forget
our long-suffering friends-- please let me know if there's other
news.......Have a great holiday!  Best wishes--Alice Mead    






------------------------------------
Submitted by: Teresa Crawford <tmcrawfo at mailbox.syr.edu>