SYMBOLIC OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY LAUNCHES IN AFRICA
INTERNATIONAL PRESS TELE-CONFERENCE ON AUGUST 15
SYMBOLIC OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY LAUNCHES IN AFRICA:
RELAY WILL GO TO OTHER GENOCIDE SITES TO CALL FOR END TO DARFUR CRISIS
Mia Farrow and Darfur Advocates Launch Olympic Torch Relay and
Call on International Community to End the Suffering in Darfur
What: Press Teleconference from Kigali, Rwanda – (photo/videos of trip available at www.dreamfordarfur.org as of Aug. 14)
Why: Dream for Darfur, a global advocacy campaign, is organizing the symbolic Olympic Torch Relay to urge the international community, with a special appeal to the Chinese government in its role as Olympic host, to use all influence possible to bring security to civilians in Darfur. The press conference will cover the first two stops on the relay, and discuss why advocates are staging this event.
The Torch will be lit at a small ceremony near Darfur and then travel to Kigali, Rwanda on August 15 for a more public launch. From Africa, the Torch will travel to other countries associated with genocide: Armenia, Bosnia, Germany, and Cambodia. The Relay will end in Hong Kong in December. In solidarity, a US symbolic Olympic Torch will pass through 25 states (Sept. to Dec. 2007). There will also be a relay in Canada. Long-term, the campaign aims to galvanize a global anti-genocide movement.
When: Wednesday, August 15, 2007
15h00: Kigali
09h00: US Eastern Standard Time
14h00: London
21h00: Hong Kong
Where: VIA TELEPHONE
In the US, call: 1-800-475-3716
International, call +44-0-800-028-9769 (UK number)
RSVP: Matt Chandler, +1-303-832-2444 (o)/ +1-303-523-2855 (m) / [email protected]
Who: On the teleconference:
Mia Farrow, actor and Darfur advocate (miafarrow.org)
Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service
Ira Newble, NBA player on the Cleveland Cavaliers
Jill Savitt, Director, Dream for Darfur
Eric Reeves, Sudan Advisor, Dream for Darfur and Professor, Smith College
Background:
Dream for Darfur, a global advocacy campaign, is organizing its symbolic Olympic Torch Relay to urge the international community, with a special appeal to the Chinese government in its role as Olympic host, to use all influence to bring security to civilians in Darfur before the ’08 Olympic Games begin. Dream for Darfur’s symbolic Olympic Torch Relay seeks to use the Olympic ideals of peace and brotherhood to raise awareness about Darfur today. Details at www.dreamfordarfur.org.
PARTICIPANTS
Mia Farrow, an actor, is also a UN Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. An outspoken Darfur human rights advocate, she has gone on seven missions to the Darfur region.
Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service (AJWS), an international development and human rights organization. She is also a founding member of the Save Darfur Coalition.
Ira Newble, basketball player on the Cleveland Cavaliers team, organized 12 other NBA players to write an open letter to President Hu of China about the Darfur conflict.
Jill Savitt, human rights activist, is the Director of Dream for Darfur, which runs the Olympic Dream for Darfur campaign.
Eric Reeves, a professor at Smith College, is an expert on Sudan (www.sudanreeves.org) and acts as the Sudan Advisor for Dream for Darfur.
Symbolism of the Olympic Torch Relay
The Olympic torch has been associated with the Games from classical times. However, the torch relay was introduced to the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany as a means to celebrate the Third Reich. Dream for Darfur has therefore, adapted the torch relay both to commemorate past victims and as an evocative rallying cry to end the first genocide of the 21st century.
NOT A BOYCOTT CAMPAIGN
Olympic Dream for Darfur is not a boycott campaign, nor does it support a boycott of the Olympics. Our campaign believes that the sports arena is the best forum for countries to “do battle” and we do not advocate withdrawal by any nation from this essential and important forum.
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