Barefoot Peace Walk: 24 October 2009

International Refugee Trust's very first protest walk took place last weekend: Barefoot Peace Walk 2009.

The walk was organised to raise international awareness about the atrocities caused by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in South Sudan, CAR and DRC. We also aimed to show solidarity to those affected by the LRA.

We hope that through our local partners we can let people in the LRA affected regions know about the event and let them know that they are not forgotten.

Throughout the event, walkers were able to sign our petition asking the UK Foreign Secretary for international support to the governments in the
affected countries and add pressure to arrest the LRA leader, Joseph Kony.  If you were unable to attend Barefoot Peace Walk or did not sign the petition on the day, you now have the chance to sign the petition on-line.

IRT is pleased that the event was well attended and that the after event at the Texas Embassy Cantina was a big success. The walkers were welcomed into the venue by the vibrant Gnawa music of Boujemaa Bouboul.

The EU Special Representative for the African Great Lakes Region, Mr Roeland van de Geer, spoke to us about the LRA's background and its context within the regional conflicts, as well as the EU and the international community's role in the Central African region.

Chris Muwanguzi-Mugalu from the London based Ugandan Diaspora highlighted the importance of being together on an event like this and making sure that the people suffering from conflicts that seems to be forgotten by the mass media are not forgotten by us.

IRT would like to thank everyone for attending the event and for your support for the cause. It matters to do something, even if it will not make a direct difference. To show solidarity is highly important and we hope our solidarity will help those who are suffering to keep going until at last peace is restored in the region.

Comments

[Phillida Purvis]

Well done to the organisers - who made it such an enjoyable and worthwhile event!