MDC TO HELP PEOPLE IN THE DIASPORA

[MDC ZIMBABWE]

MDC has come up with plans to help those in the Diaspora who are bonafide MDC members. In turn Diaspora will help MDC. Its a win-win situation.

Tell us your main concerns and we will do our best to assist.

[Critic]

This were private posts come in let people contact you individualy and gradually (if you are serious) you will get an idea as to how you can help people.

Post an email address and we pass it on to people we know. Word of mouth works better.

[zanuwawora]

Guest-kumushacapelzcom said:

This is such a vague statement...MDC to help the Diaspora with what exactly? Are you talking about distributing mari yamakapiwa neBritain? What exactly is this win-win situation nhai mutengesi?

Distributing money...lmao, Zpf'ers you love money too much!

[MDC ZIMBABWE]

Dear Critic,

I hear you and we know this is a serious issue.
Please send email privately to [e-mail]


MDC Zimbabwe Online

[henry mutambirwa]

could you please be specific

[dinga]

my dear friend

we are struggling to make ends meet out here .. we envisage a new zimbabwe where we will be able to put in place industries and do sustainable development oriented research and improve the life of the common man in the street: but for this to happen we need the MDC structures to persuade the global business community and donors like DAAD, USAID , NORAD to give funding to Zimbabwean students studying out of Zim .... if i tell u that i survive on a mere ZAR700/month for almost everything (food, books, accomodation, travel(normally no foot) - everything ... in Gauteng!!) u will think that i'm lying but i could not find any funding at the same time i could not get a job back home o abroad using my undergrad degree .. so i had to do it .....

we do not enjoy living out ... but we are left with little o no options.

in short tell our rich friends that zimbabweans like Dinga and Tichaonana are suffering because of the evil regime and it's demonic leadership that exists back home, so groom them to take over when this madness has been cleansed.

thats my plea, and u can contact me via email if we are to build a new and better zimbabwe.



on the rigged elections ...
guys, lets rejoice for the STRUGGLE was won, unfotunately it was stolen before we had it in our hands ... but we hope to recover it soon.

[tsatse]

i dont support the whole idea how can MDC have plans to support people in the diaspora while the masses who voted for it are suffering at home it should have plans for us here before it thinks of people who are sitting pretty in the diaspora. If people in the diaspora wish to assist they can do so without those silly 50-50 whatevers

[Daniel1610]

Dear Kumusha,

There are hundeads of zimbabweans and genuine MDC members I know who live in the disapora and most of them asylum seekers. If the MDC was to encourage the British government to deport them, there will be mass starvation back home. My 50 pound I send every month supports a family of 3 back home.
Kumusha, yes MDC is welcome to give us the money they were given by Britain. Do you remember when the MDC imported tonnes of grain in 2000/01? Mugabe refused for the grain to enter Zim and most of it was stolen at the Beit bridge boarder post. Wasn't the MDC trying to share that money?.

Don't be naive kumusha.

I wish the MDC can help sort out my immigration problems or to re-unite me with my family- here not in zim because surely I will die of starvation

D. Ndebele

[zvenyika]

"MDC has come up with plans to help those in the Diaspora who are bonafide MDC members. In turn Diaspora will help MDC. Its a win-win situation.

Tell us your main concerns and we will do our best to assist. "

Extract above from Administrator's posting. This is exactly what Zanu does. It helps its own. One would then be justified in saying voting MDC is just changing the party but the culture is the same. Same nuts Different giver of it!

[MDC ZIMBABWE]

No any political party or organization is primarily in existence to help its membership

Dig

[JOB RUKANDA]

Zimbabweans in the diaspora lets help MDC with the little that we can .

With life you have to sacrifice for the benefit in future.

Today you heard Thabo Mbeki helped Zanu Pf with R1 millionrands but at home they say Political Parties must not be financed by foreigners so is Thabo Mbeki a Zimbabwean.

They want to restrict on what MDC gets but them as Zanu Pf can get money from very were.

Previous year they got money from Gaddaffi

LETS HELP TO SHAME THE DEVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sadzaction]

People is the diaspora don't need money to help - there are other ways!

Following the recent elections, Zimbabweans are in a state of shock and confusion. Those of us outside the country, who have the ‘luxury’ of freedom of speech, need to act to help those who do not have such freedom.

Reflecting this, a peaceful demonstration is being held on 30th April outside the Zimbabwe Embassy in London to protest against the stolen elections and to launch a campaign for Zimbabweans in the UK to work together to take a more active role in helping our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe.

The protest is being co-ordinated by the Zim Vigil who coordinate a weekly protest against gross violations of human rights by the current regime in Zimbabwe. www.zimvigil.co.uk

PLEASE COME AND JOIN US AND ADD YOUR VOICE TO OURS!

We would also be grateful if you could pass this message on to anyone who lives in or has connections with Zimbabwe as they may know people in the UK that you do not. Our action will only make an impact if we can show the strength of our numbers and conviction.

Time : From 14.00 to 18.00, 30 April 2005
Place : Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London

For suggestions for banners, placards etc, please visit the Zimbabwean forum on www.thebottomhalf.com under the title ‘ZIMBABWE VIGIL – STOLEN ELECTIONS DEMONSTRATION – 30TH APRIL’.

[stillmdcbut...]

MDC said:

Dear Critic,

I hear you and we know this is a serious issue.
Please send email privately to [e-mail]
MDC Zimbabwe Online

This is very interesting. I am in the UK, and I know most cities here have an MDC branch. I attend the meetings (monthly) where I live. From these meetings, it is clear that most people have problems with their Asylum cases. I am not sure how you would verify (for most of them) whether thay are bona fide members or not.
As far as I know, once they are allowed to stay, it is not what the MDC can do for them but what they can and should do for the MDC. The obvious thing that comes to mind is financial assistance, demos at the Lybian-owned Zimbabwe embassy, etc.

While it is ok to do this through the forum, maybe the MDC should contact the people through the Diaspora branches of the Party.

[strategist]

Thanks mate.the jist of the matter is that mdc uk is so weak.it should have been their role to deal with issues affecting individual members here.
rather in their naivety they think the fact that thinks are bad home is enough inducement for people to support the party.just the day someone lands here, the priorities change.

the party has no membership register,has cheated asylum seekers b4 selling letters of support,cards at exorbitant prices etc
whereas it would have been easy for them to ask those seeking to contact the office first, provide information to put forward convincing cases, sign post to wellknown solicitors,challenge home office on policy towards zim,etc

they could then have compiled a membership of assisted people and motivate them to participate in mdc issues, and remain constantly in contact with them.
bangladesh citizens took home office to court of appeal and the country was ruled unsafe for deportations.the same can be done for zim using existing cases and the party providing evidence

you could aslo have suggested a scheme with home office to verify events, not neccesarily to support applications

others are not asylum seekers but need scholarships, training programmes. you could do this to develop future mdc leaders.

you could organise pple to assist home through many schemes like. get a group who come say from makoni west in uk.identify a family which suffered through zanu like houses burnt,beaten etc.the group could adopt such a family and donate few pounds a month for food, medication etc esp fro rural folks
at least mari haidyiwe and more will support party knowing if victimised they will get help.
your dispora structures are just too weak and unsophisticated to think


more later

MDC said:

MDC has come up with plans to help those in the Diaspora who are bonafide MDC members. In turn Diaspora will help MDC. Its a win-win situation.

Tell us your main concerns and we will do our best to assist.

[Sadzaction]

Thought you might be interested in a report about the Stolen Elections protest in London on the 30th -

The protest was a great success in many ways.

Large groups of people sang / clapped / whistled appropriate songs accompanied by drums throughout the afternoon which really helped to get the public's attention. The bright t-shirts printed specifically for the day went down very well and had a visually and mentally unifying effect. There were also a great many new eye catching banners and signs, which all communicated our purpose at a glance.

About midway through the afternoon the speeches kicked off, which illustrated the views of different organisations from MDC to NGO’s to Woza - very interesting stuff. (You can find more details about what was said on the Vigil Diary at www.zimvigil.co.uk as well as on the Newsreel report for 2 May on SW Radio).

A HUGE number of flyers were given out on the day and the response from people was very encouraging. Those who were aware of the situation were very quick to sign the petition and collect more information. Those not in the know tended to be shocked by the facts but equally ready with their support. There is no way this education process is a waste of time!

The Zimbabwean newspaper also had a table at the protest, which proved very popular with protesters and the public alike.

All in all, over a hundred people (110 in fact) were there for most of the four hours. Others came later and stayed, others earlier and left. I’d say we had easily over 200 people over the course of the afternoon and the figures show that 42% of the people who signed the register were new contacts, which is very positive!

When I spoke with the groups who were there, many said how great it felt to finally be doing something positive about the situation and to be working together.

However, I think many of the people who said they'd come from various internet forums and e-mail broadcasts, came past to ‘check it out’ but didn't sign the register and moved on after a little while. So, alas, we do not know exactly how many 'fly bys' we had (people who came and went without signing the register). As with most things, you never know how something is going to work until you do it - we have already made plans to ensure that we are better prepared to welcome new comers at future events.

So, in a nutshell, Saturday was the start of the Zimbabwean community in the UK getting together to seriously evaluate how the diaspora can make a real and effective difference. The 'doers' were there – an excellent mix of strategists, journalists, analysts, tacticians, politicians, and activists.

It does go to show, though, that a lot more work needs to be done to convince the many talkers to 'walk the talk'. There are many Zimbabweans out there who are distressed about the state of the country but still feel that they cannot make a difference. We aim to change that. At this time, our goal is to identify an auspicious / relevant date in the future and really build on the resources that exist to spread the word and energise the Diaspora. A new mailing list is being set up and a decisive action plan is in discussion. We will also ensure that we allow enough time to allow for more conventional advertising in relevant publications as well as step up the PR. (I actually met someone who works on Breakfast TV at the protest and she sounded very keen to help where she can!)

We will keep the forum posted on all developments - if you would like to be more involved, please let us know!!!!

At the end of the day, if Zimbabweans can't be bothered to do anything to help their fellowmen, how on earth can we expect others to care, never mind take action?