The Global Solidarity Fast is taking place at a crucial time when a new government will be formed in Zimbabwe – now more than ever African leaders need to address the crisis of hunger, disease and human rights in Zimbabwe, added Patel.
On Sunday, Kumi Naidoo, Save Zimbabwe Now! representative and Honorary President of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, will be on the 12th day of a 21-day hunger strike that initiated this coordinated global action. He will attend the conference in Addis to appeal to African Union leaders to act and urge the government of Zimbabwe to restore human and democratic rights and declare a national disaster in the country to enable humanitarian agencies to render urgently needed assistance.
Given the repeated failure of SADC to adequately address the desperate humanitarian, economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe, we are here to demand that the African Union acknowledge and accept its role and responsibilities in finding an appropriate, just and democratic resolution to the crisis, said Kumi Naidoo.
Kumi will announce the number of people fasting worldwide and present letters to all heads of state at the Summit. The letters will be accompanied by DVDs of a documentary shot by CIVICUS during a 10-day mission over the 2008 Christmas period that shows a stark reality and contains interviews with civil society activists and ordinary men, women and children in Zimbabwe.
The Save Zimbabwe Now! campaign supports the demands of Zimbabwean and Southern African civil society, who have repeatedly asked that:
The campaign of abductions, torture and other sinister forms of intimidation against civil society and political activists be immediately halted;
A massive humanitarian intervention is urgently implemented;
The first order of business for any new Zimbabwean administration be to repeal unjust laws (the Public Order and Security Act, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act) restoring freedoms of expression, association and assembly.
The campaign calls on the African Union to recognise it's responsability to ensure that the new adminstration in Zimbabwe immediately acts to address the basic needs of the Zimbabwean people.
Editors' Note:
The Save Zimbabwe Now! initiative aims to support the efforts and activities of a myriad of organisations and individuals that have acted in solidarity with Zimbabweans over the years. It also aims to mobilise the support and solidarity of ordinary South Africans to raise their voices with regard to the role and positions of the South African government towards Zimbabwe.
Save Zimbabwe Now! commenced with a fast and hunger strike, in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe. Among the over 80 individuals fasting are Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bishop Paul Verryn, and Nomboniso Gasa and others.
AVAAZ.org is a global web movement with a simple democratic mission: to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want. The 3.4 million-strong membership participates in global calls to action which are then broadcasted to the media, decision makers, and the general public through online and offline tactics. Avaaz.org has been campaigning for justice in democracy in Zimbabwe throughout the last year.
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