DATE=11/12/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=AFRICAN REFUGEE SUNDAYS (L-O)
NUMBER=2-256110
BYLINE=MICHAEL LELAND
DATELINE=CHICAGO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations says while Africa has some
of the most serious refugee problems in the world, its
crises do not seem to get the attention given to the
world's other trouble spots. The U-N High
Commissioner for Refugee has begun a campaign to raise
public awareness of the African refugee problem among
Americans. VOA's Michael Leland reports, the campaign
centers on African-American churches in the U-S.
TEXT: The U-N-C-H-R estimates there are 21 million
refugees worldwide, and that at least six million of
these are in Africa. It says millions more Africans
are displaced within their own nations. Despite this
crisis, it says African refugees rarely get the kind
of attention, or financial and material support, seen
in places like Kosovo earlier this year. Jeff Meer
of the Washington-based group U-S-A for U-N-H-C-R says
one reason for this is many of Africa's refugee
crises, like the one resulting from the Sudanese civil
war, are not often covered by the international media.
// Meer act //
It is not like a Kosovo, which started and was
over in five months. This is a lingering,
chronic problem in a very, very important part
of Africa that just does not make the
headlines.
// end act //
U-S-A for U-N-H-C-R is working with the Chicago-based
African-American group "Rainbow-PUSH coalition" and
the U-N-H-C-R on a project called African Refugee
Sunday. It is a two-month effort in ten U-S cities
(Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, New
York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tampa and
Washington, DC) to educate people about the African
refugee problem, and raise at least ten-million
dollars for relief operations. The campaign is based
largely in the country's African-American churches.
The Reverend Jimmie Daniels of suburban Chicago says
because Americans receive little news about Africa,
many do not understand its refugee problem.
// Daniels act //
We tend to sit back and think that the
government is taking care of it and the part
that the government is not taking care of, the
Red Cross is taking care of.
// end act //
The Reverend Marshall Hatch of Chicago thinks the ten
million-dollar goal is reachable, because people in
many African-American congregations are already
concerned about Africa.
// Hatch act //
There is this sense in the religious heritage in
the black church, that the blessings that we
have, the reason we have them is to give back,
particularly to Africa and the Caribbean. There
is a strong sense of that in the black church.
// end act //
The Reverend Hatch says while he is disappointed the
response to Africa's continuing refugee problems has
been less than the response to the refugee crisis this
year in Kosovo, Kosovo does serve as an example of
people's willingness to help when the severity of the
crisis is explained to them. (Signed)
NEB/MJL/PT
12-Nov-1999 17:08 PM EDT (12-Nov-1999 2208 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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