Zimbabwe

On Wednesday, the Fellowship of Reconciliation received word that women members of our Zimbabwean sister organization (FOR-Zimbabwe) had been arrested and jailed by their government for participating in a peaceful march this Monday, October 27th. The march brought together some 1,000 Zimbabwean women to call on the three major political parties in their nation to resolve their peace talks and move the country forward, but the women were tear-gassed by the police, 100 were reported to have been beaten, and four dozen were arrested. Yesterday, we received a positive update, indicating that this group of jailed women had been released by the police. However, the overall situation is still very bad.

The news from Zimbabwe, for the first time in many months, offers a modicum of hope. This week we heard that the ruling Zanu-PF party, led by Robert Mugabe, had provisionally agreed to a power-sharing proposal that would bring the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), led by Morgan Tsvingarai, into the government. This is a very shaky moment, with many opportunities for violence or other obstacles to emerge.

In addition to the request we posted earlier calling on African leaders to save Zimbabwe from Robert Mugabe, we also invite you to send an e-mail to your U.S. Senators urging congressional action for peace and the restoration of democracy.

Here is the letter we hope you will send:

Some informative resources for understanding the situation in Zimbabwe, please add more links in the comments.

• News about the Zimbabwe elections from the BBC
• Zimbabwe news from AllAfrica.com
• News from CNN
• Open Congress: legislation pertaining to Zimbabwe

No doubt you have been hearing about the violence in Zimbabwe which seems designed to thart a democratic electoral threat to dictator Robert Mugabe. FOR-USA has strongly expressed our support and solidarity with FOR-Zimbabwe, but there is more we can do to help.

Click here to sign the AVAAZ petition urgng African leaders to take the initiative to restore peace and justice in Zimbabwe.

From Friday through Sunday, June 20-22, 2008, the National Council (governing board) and national staff of the U.S. Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR-USA), held its semi-annual meeting in Nyack, New York. In response to the deepening political crisis in Zimbabwe and a call from FOR-Zimbabwe for support, FOR-USA issued the following statement by unanimous acclamation:

The news from Zimbabwe over the past several weeks has been deeply disturbing to all those who care about human rights and democratic elections. Today's international media reported the arrest yesterday of the opposition presidential candidate, Morgan Tsvangarai, who is trying for the third time to achieve victory over President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, which has ruled Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980.

As someone who has traveled to Zimbabwe, a spectacularly beautiful country with a highly-educated population, and been blessed to know many people from that nation, I have personally felt incredible pain and sadness at the reports I have been reading. I know many Zimbabweans who have left the country in recent years, mostly black, and have heard their stories of the economic despair in the country as well as the political repression that has increased each year.