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Tafari'S JOURNAL October 2005 To the Colorado College Community, I wish I could report good news from Guatemala as I have been blessed with the opportunity to do a Watson Fellowship here, but unfortunately that is not the case. I can report that I am safe, due largely to the efforts and support of the Watson Fellowship itself, but that the situation in some parts of the country is so devastating it's hard to put into words. I happened to live in Panajachel, Guatemala, less that ten minutes away from areas where entire villages have been buried, and the death toll will likely be in the thousands. I was recently evacuated from the area, but those who have been left behind face nothing but more hardship and death if nothing is done. But what may be more horrific than the initial death toll itself, is the lack of international response or recognition. More people will die here than died during the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, but the world does not seem to care. The is no international help. The United Nations is not here, and the United States recently pledged $100,000 in house hold items for people who have no homes. My close friends have lost everything, and many main roads to small villages have been cut off, leaving many people including myself as of yesterday, with dwindling supplies of food and water, and without any guarantee of help arriving anytime soon. Many of you have probably heard about the initial deaths from the mudslides, but few, especially with the latest devastation that is currently passing with the earthquake in South East Asia, will hear about tens and thousands of people without homes or access to food and clean water. Hundreds or thousands more in Guatemala may die merely because of disease. This is a tragedy, but the world does not seem to care. In few words, Guatemala has been forgotten. Thus I write this email for the power of word is all I have right now to help these people besides carrying bags of food, and helping dam overflowing rivers. I appeal to you all to write senators, congressmen, forward this email to others, whatever it takes so that the word may spread. As I said before, I was recently evacuated and am safe, but if something is not done on an international level this will become another forgotten tragedy, and an "incident" written off as another disaster in a country where everyone is poor, and not important. With love, Tafari Lumumba
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