Friends of Kenya - Friends of Kenya News, News from Kenya, Project News

Students Send Books to Kenya

2008-08-05T03:41:54Z

Students at Newton-Lee Elementary in Fairfax County, Va., worked together on a year-end project to send books to Kenya.

Books were donated from a book drive, brought in from home and collected from a few teachers’ personal classroom libraries.

Newton-Lee’s Community Club members and second-grade teacher Jensy Richards’ class got together to pack and send 50 pounds of gently used books to Kenya’s Camel Book Drive.

Richards’ class, which worked on several other projects locally during the 2007-2008 school year, decided to go abroad for their last project. The second-graders asked Newton-Lee’s Community Club (made up of fourth and fifth grade students) to help out.

Funding, in the form of a grant of $500 from Friends of Kenya, helped to pay for postage to mail the books and to buy new books from the Camel Book Drive’s wish list at Amazon.com. With funds remaining, another book drive is planned for this coming year. (Click title read read entire article.)

Come to the Peace Corps Reunion in Colorado

2008-07-04T06:19:17Z

A Peace Corps reunion entitled, “Peace Corps & Friends: A Celebration,” will be held in Fort Collins, Colorado, on the weekend of August 22–24. Organized to celebrate our contributions to the world through the work of the Peace Corps, the event is sponsored by Beet Street, an initiative of the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority, known for its dynamic cultural and arts programming. Highlights include keynote addresses by Jody Olsen, Peace Corps Deputy Director (RPCV-Tunisia); Kevin Quigley, NPCA President (RPCV-Thailand); and Carl Pope, Executive Director Sierra Club (RPCV-India). Additional keynote speakers, soon to be announced, will also be featured. (Click the title for the full article)

Submit your View of PC in the 21st Century

2008-07-01T04:47:00Z

WorldView Magazine
Call for Submissions

The Fall 2008 issue of WorldView magazine will center on the theme “Peace Corps for the 21st Century.”

In three years, Peace Corps will celebrate its 50th anniversary. How has it fared in that time? What is its legacy—and its future? Can a bigger, better and bolder Peace Corps be part of an overall “smart power” effort to restore U.S. standing in the world to better help address pressing global problems? (Click title for the full article and how to submit your ideas.)

Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Washington

2008-06-19T03:26:17Z

The Honorable Raila Odinga, Prime Minister of Kenya, spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., on June 17 on the topic of “Kenya: A Way Forward.” (Click title for full article.)

Resettling Kenya’s Internally Displaced Persons Public Event

2008-06-19T03:27:36Z

Tuesday, June 17, 2008
2:00–4:00 p.m.
U.S. Institute of Peace 2nd Floor Conference Room
1200 17th St, NW
Washington, DC 20036

RSVP: To RSVP, send your name, affiliation, daytime phone number, and name of the event to Morgan Miller at cmorris@usip.org.

The most recent post-election violence in Kenya resulted in the displacement of about 600,000 people. This is in addition to the 380,000 people that the United Nations estimates have remained internally displaced since the clashes of the 1990s. (Click title for full article, topics, and speakers.)

Rotary Call for Applications for Peace Fellowships

2008-05-16T09:05:51Z

The Rotary Foundation announces a call for applications for the 2009-11 Rotary World Peace Fellowships (RWPF) and January and June 2009 Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies (RPCS) Program sessions. The deadline for completed applications to be submitted to The Rotary Foundation for these sessions is 1 July 2008. (THIS IS FLEXIBLE.) Programs are open to anyone, regardless of citizenship or country of residence. (Click title for complete article.)

See Photos of Kenya

2008-04-06T02:41:32Z

Irene Abdou writes: I'm a Niger RPCV (1995-1999), and also lived in South Sudan for two years in 2005-2006. When I lived in South Sudan, I traveled in and out of Kenya very frequently, and spent a lot of time there. I'm also a photographer and have a few photos of Kenya, taken mostly at the Coast. Here's a link to her Kenya photo gallery: http://www.photoswithsoul.com/section136113_74880.html.
____________________________________________________
Irene Abdou Fine Art Photography & Creative Images
Germantown, MD
Tel. 202-367-6071
E-mail: photoswithsoul@gmail.com
On the web at http://www.photoswithsoul.com

Friends of Kenya Expresses Solidarity with the People of Kenya

2008-04-04T01:17:22Z

The board of directors, on behalf of the members of Friends of Kenya, wants to express its solidarity with the people of Kenya at this time of transition and collaboration in a new government. As former Peace Corps volunteers in Kenya, we support the president, new prime minister, and members of Parliament as they work with the people of Kenya to bring economic stability, solidarity among all Kenyan people, resumption of schools, and resolution in resettling those who have lost their homes and livelihoods and are displaced.

We again express our poles to those who are still displaced and to those who have lost loved ones in the clashes following the election.

We endorse the efforts of Kenyan leaders and all Kenyan people to establish a workable government and to positively reconcile land disputes and overcome tribal differences.

We will continue to provide financial support to community projects (as we have done since 1986) in addition to our recent contribution to the International Medical Corps for their work with displaced people.

Write for the Peace Corps at 50 Anniversary Story Project

2008-03-10T01:03:10Z

From Dennis Cordell
Editor, Volume on Africa and the Middle East
The Peace Corps at 50 Anniversary Story Project

In three years, the Peace Corps will reach the ripe old (or young, if 60 really is the new 40) age of 50. Several other former volunteers and I have organized The Peace Corps at 50 Story Project to honor that event in writing. It is described in detail with pictures at www.peacecorpsat50.org. We are all actively soliciting non-fiction stories for four volumes to mark this milestone in Peace Corps history.

The four volumes—on, respectively, Africa and the Middle East; Asia and the Pacific; Central America, South America, and the Caribbean; and After the Cold War (Eastern Europe and Central Asia)—will include stories from past and present volunteers, staff, instructors, and “Peace Corps friends.” (Click the title for more information)

International Day of Action for Kenya

2008-03-10T01:05:06Z

Amnesty International has called for an International Day of Action for Kenya on Wednesday, February 27. (See http://www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-for-action/kenya-action). Around the world, Amnesty groups will demonstrate solidarity with the people of Kenya and call on the Kenyan government to protect people from politically-motivated and ethnic violence. Kenyan leaders must end the cycle of impunity that perpetuates the politically motivated violence in Kenya.

In Washington, D.C., we’ll be holding a vigil from 4:30-6:30 outside the Kenyan Embassy, which is located in Dupont Circle at 2249 R St. NW. We’re also in the process of planning events in other cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Denver, Minneapolis, Boston, Atlanta, and Houston. We are looking for Amnesty members and others to help organize and attend events around the country. (Click the title for more information)

Help a Kenyan Artist and School

2008-02-18T12:15:22Z

Arthur Dobrin writes:
What prompts this email is the situation in Kenya. There is the immediate situation and the long-term one. Regarding the immediate: Elkana Omweri Onge’sa, a Kisii sculpture, is our friend of ours. We created a webpage to display the work of his that is now in our house and is for sale.

I can assure anyone who buys one of his pieces that all the money goes to him (and Sema Academy) and this means that it will be distributed amongst his extended family in Tabaka. You can see his work as well as find information about the school (and a photo of Arthur and Lyn) at the website: http://www.semaacademy.org/.

Sema Academy is the long-term issue. If the school survives—and it is on the Kisii/Kipsigis border—then this is still one of the best investments in the country. Education is still key.

Click here for an article Arthur wrote about Kenya and the school.

You're Invited to a Kenya Peace Vigil

2008-02-17T09:57:25Z

A memorial gathering for those whose voices have been silenced

The Kenyan Diaspora for peace, represented in the Washington D.C./Baltimore/Virginia region are requesting the honor of your presence at a peace candlelight vigil to reflect on the many men, women and children we have lost as a nation following our past election. This is a memorial gathering dedicated to those we have lost as well as a symbolic affirmation of our unity as a people. Your participation is of great value. We will assemble on the steps of the
Lincoln Memorial,
Washington, D.C.
on Saturday, February 16, at 3 p.m.

(Click the title for more information and the program schedule)

Peace Corps Kenya Suspends Operations

2008-04-30T01:55:44Z

As an organization founded by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Kenya, we note with sadness the temporary suspension of Peace Corps operations in Kenya and the withdrawal of all remaining volunteers from the country.

We continue to support the Kenyan people at this time of crisis, and to call for the cessation of the senseless hostility that divides Kenyans from each other. We fervently hope that peace will be restored soon in the nation so dear to us.

Click here to read the news release from Peace Corps.

Statement of Concern

2008-04-30T01:56:20Z

The board of Friends of Kenya and, as we well know, many members of our organization have followed events in Kenya over the past month with a great sense of sadness, concern, and apprehension. We send our condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and our pole to those who have been displaced. We hope that peace will be restored soon in Kenya.

Information and views on Kenya Chaos

2008-02-15T12:40:32Z

Andrew Mwavua sent an email with an article and his views. Your comments are invited.

This is the most authoritative article on the laws, regulations and constitutional provisions that were violated by the ECK. My comments are below the article.

Story by DONALD B. KIPKORIR
Publication Date: 1/5/2008
About 5.30pm on December 30, Electoral Commission chairman Samuel Kivuitu and two other commissioners huddled in a tiny room and, exclusively through state-funded Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, announced President Kibaki re-elected. Within an hour, the President was sworn in at State House at a function in which the national anthem was not played and in the absence of the diplomatic corps. Then the country was thrown into chaos.