Sunday, June 1, 2008

Go here : http://www.zimfund.com/
to donate money to the MDC, Zimbabwe's opposition party for much needed medical supplies, basic amenities, lodging, hospital bills, all the issues I described below that the activist community in Zimbabwe is facing.

There are many organizations to give to; and I will compile a list and information about those organizations that might better help you decide where to donate. This is the most urgent need I discovered while there, and the most immediate way to target the problem of the tyrannical, totalitarian government that is currently in place in Zimbabwe.
Now, I realize there are drawbacks and hesitations you may have about supporting a political party in a very unstable country; just because they are the opposition does not mean they are free from corruption, misuse of funds/power. In addition, because the MDC is the only group offering an alternative voice in a very desperate situation, they do have the hearts and minds of most of the people in Zimbabwe their hands, which is quite a great responsibility, putting them in a very powerful position. This is something we need to look at: in a situation such as this, the large majority of people become united with one common goal: overthrowing oppression; putting aside other regular differences which usually serve as a check on power. This is the situation rebel forces were faced with upon independence; though there were several different parties and armies, which were later done away with, once independence came about most people were willing to give power to the one man who offered change and a solution to the problems colonialism and Ian Smith's regime caused. I am not saying that I am thinking the MDC will end up anything like Zanu PF, I am saying, that if they get into office they will have the same level of power that Zanu PF had upon independence, for I am not sure how ZANU PF could continue being a legitimate party option once MDC gains power, once thousands in ZANU PF are brought to justice for their actions of violence and murder, this would make Zimbabwe a one party state once again, giving the MDC a large amount of power which could easily be misused if not effectively checked. It would break the hearts of millions, literally crush them, if the party they put so much faith and trust in in a time when they were in such a dire situation abandoned them; that is what ZANU PF did to them; now you can imagine the level of disillusionment these people are facing, and just how devastating it would be if it happened again. They have given the MDC a lot of trust and support, they have suffered greatly on their behalf, and so if the MDC dare even think about taking that for granted, manipulating the trust of a much abused, desperate populous, they shall be dealt with very mercilessly, as should be done with ZANU PF. Though I can say for a fact that there are some very good people working for the MDC and I do not foresee this happening, it is a very real possibility thta should be taken into consideration when donating.
This is a very trusted, legitimate way to give to the MDC to ensure it does get into the right hands, and donating to them should be a consideration given they currently offer the most immediate proactive and promising solution to Zimbabwe's very urgent problem of extremely poor governance. The MDC has been the much needed second party in Zimbabwe since 1999, and has now gained the much needed popular support to topple this very oppressive force, and now is the time to support them to help them to do this, while all along the way holding them accountable to their promises and the level of responsibility they have taken on. And when they do benefit from our support by receiving the power that they rightfully deserve, our duty will be to evaluate their governance, making sure it is just and effective, for the fight for the democracy at that point will have just begun; having a hands off approach at that point would be very imprudent and irresponsible for any concerned individual. We have to let them know that they do not have our unbridled support - it does come with conditions that will be used to evaluate our level of support in the future. In the end, I see that as the best way to do it; supporting with careful consideration and conditions, and is what I encourage each of you to do in this situation. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you will consider supporting the MDC.

No comments: