Stand Up Charlottesville for Darfur II
Friday, September 12

First of all, a brief explanation as to why this is an ACCT sponsored event:

Many now agree that, at the very least, climate change is exacerbating
the suffering in Darfur. In combination with more place-specific environmental issues -- deforestation and environmental degradation -- a 30 year drought caused by a rise in Indian Ocean temperatures has contributed signficantly to the unrest in the country. A very powerful, well armed and corrupt government has used this instability to its advantage, and yes, much responsibility for environmental degradation
rests in the hands of the of the people of Sudan. However, given that we in the United States emit more co2 per capita than any other country in the world, and given that we are not a poverty stricken nation and have choices that we can make about this matter, we are, therefore, somewhat responsible for the underlying roots of the suffering we now see in places like Darfur. That is, if it true as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says that, "The Darfur conflict began as an ecological crisis, arising at least in part from climate change," (said in a Washington Post opinion column. June 2007).

According to a 2005 report from the Department of Energy, the transportation sector is the largest and fastest growing contributor to GHGs in the country, with the majority of those emissions coming from automobiles and light duty trucks. If this issue of global climate change is going to be addressed, as well as related issues such as the situation in Darfur, our transportation system needs to change.

What we can do in our lives to help the situation in Darfur, beyond going to this fundraising concert, is we can reduce our carbon footrpint and especially by getting out of our cars and using more green transportatoin.

The Event:

from Ireland – Lunasa!
from Mali – Vieux Farka Toure!

Paramount Theater - Charlottesville - Friday, September 12th, 7 pm
Purchase tickets at www.theparamount.net

EVENT WEBSITE

Though all ticket proceeds will be spent to alleviate suffering in
war-torn and drought-ravaged Darfur, local concert-goers will
also reap a rich reward as they are transported to musical
other-worlds by Ireland's Lúnasa and Mali's Vieux Farka Toure.



Folk Roots called Lúnasa an "Irish music dream team". The layered
tapestry that underpins their sound is marked by driving, occasionally
jazz-inflected rhythms, impeccable individual musicianship and an
unswerving faith in the music's ability to navigate new territory with
the same confidence as it revisits the old. Connoisseurs of the genre
count Lunasa among the top two or three Irish acts in the world today.
Hear for yourself on youtube.



As a boy, Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure secretly played along to
recordings of his legendary father Ali Farka Toure. Ali, who passed
away in 2006, feared his son would face the same hardships he had in
the music industry. But Toumani Diabaté -- the world's premiere kora
player -- recognized Vieux's gift and urged Ali to accept his son's
chosen path. Ali agreed, and under Toumani's guidance, the younger
Toure flourished. Rightful heir to the domain, Vieux embodies strains
of African tradition that have circled the world, sparked the blues
and rock and jazz, and returned home more rooted than ever. See and
hear him on youtube.

Tonight's beneficiary, Ireland-founded Concern Worldwide
(concernusa.org) is one of the world's foremost relief organizations.
Praised internationally for its work in Darfur, Concern ties
life-saving emergency programming – provision of food, health
supplies, water, and housing – to innovative, long-term development
efforts. One program, for instance, teaches women how to build and use
fuel-efficient stoves. Along with reducing respiratory disease, this
skill prevents violence towards women who would otherwise leave the
safety of camp to collect wood.

Welcome by Mayor Dave Norris.
Speaker: Human Rights Activist, and writer, David Morse.
Special Guest: Reverend Alvin Edwards

Presenting Organization:
Virginia Organizing Project (VOP)

Presenting Business:
The Omni Hotel

Sponsoring Organizations:
Charlottesville Center for Peace & Justice
Amnesty International 157
Alliance For Community Choice in Transportation
UVA Students Taking Action Now for Darfur (STAND)

Media Partners:

WTJU 91.1

106.1 The Corner

TICKETS
$48 • $68 • $88
www.theparamount.net