Syrian refugees - an alternative

Just arrived from AVAAZ:

I am from Homs, Syria -- a city under siege, where children and babies have been tortured and bombed. It is hell on earth, and it is hard to have hope, but right now I see a chance and I am urgently calling on everyone to help.

In 24 hours, for the first time ever, all the major powers behind this war are going to meet. All parties say they want to hear the Syrian people's demands, and they want to show their own public they are doing something. So here is how we get 'a seat at the table' -- we set up a live feed from Syrians to get clear demands presented to negotiators at the talks, and a million of us from across the world back the call for a ceasefire.

It has taken a three year bloodbath to get this conference, now we only have hours to be heard. If we come together and build a ceasefire call and then show up boldly on screen and in global numbers at the meeting, we could help bring an end to the carnage. The more of us that join the cry, the more attention we will get, and the more pressure on the parties to respond -- click for a ceasefire in Syria, now:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/syria_ray_of_hope_loc/
For too long, the world has dithered while children were slaughtered, tens of thousands disappeared, entire cities bombed to rubble, and 10 million were driven from their homes -- that is the entire population of Greece! Now, finally, the parties are sitting down to talk, but unless we show up with a call for humanity, they could focus on geo-political wrangling, not on real ways to stop the terror.

Let's be clear: this is a war on civilians. The Assad regime has not only dropped chemical weapons on whole communities, it has laid siege to entire regions, like my own, shelling day in and day out and denying the entrance of food. Families in my city are being starved to death while two regional powers, Iran and Saudi Arabia, pump weapons and cash to fighters on both sides. These countries have converted a peaceful, popular revolution into a nightmare proxy war hijacked by radicals. My home is now their battlefield and my people the victims. And they will both be at the table on Wednesday.

It is a bitter pill for me to swallow to support negotiations with a regime of war criminals, but if we don't support talks and get them to agree to a ceasefire now, this fighting could go on for a decades. This summit is the only hope on the horizon, and with the right pressure, there is a chance to curb the misery. We urgently need to get started -- click below for a ceasefire now:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/syria_ray_of_hope_loc/

I joined the Avaaz team over a year ago, when this community raised funds to send communication equipment to brave Syrian democracy activists. I remember the incredible gratitude I felt for this community of people that made it possible for the world to hear our cry for help. Now I’m asking you to urgently help my fellow Syrians once more to ensure the world understands that the majority of Syrians just want food, and a night without snipers and a plan that could help lead us to peace and democracy.

With hope,

Mais with the Avaaz team

PS - Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community! Start yours now and win on any issue - local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/

SOURCES

Syrians May Allow the Delivery of Some Aid (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/14/world/middleeast/syria.html?hp&_r=2

U.S. and Russia say Syria aid access and local ceasefire possible (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/13/us-syria-kerry-idUSBREA0C0KK20140113

Syria crisis: US and Russia discuss possible ceasefires (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25711382

US and Russia call for Syria truce (Al Jazeera)
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/01/us-russia-propose-syria-truce-201411311533944404.html

Syria peace talks: Russia and US lay groundwork for Syria (The Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/13/syria-peace-talks-russia-us-ceasefire

Syria: dozens die of starvation in Damascus after being ‘denied food’ (The Telegraph)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10569648/Syria-dozens-die-of-starvation-in-Damascus-after-being-denied-food.html

11,420 Children Dead in Syria’s Civil War, So Far (NPR)http://www.npr.org/2013/12/19/255406234/more-children-become-victims-of-syrias-civil-war just to reiterate what's come to of our morning chat: - seed lists are ready to go -- hit send on 1 and 2 - allocate EU golds bv so they're excluded - wait for bissan's bv so you can exclude from EN chunks - exclude newbies since jan 9just to reiterate what's come to of our morning chat: - seed lists are ready to go -- hit send on 1 and 2 - allocate EU golds bv so they're excluded - wait for bissan's bv so you can exclude from EN chunks - exclude newbies since jan 9

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