About Got2gb!________________________
“Our World is Changing, Our Minds are Changing!”
G2GB is an effort to move the idea of change and transformation forward by taking responsibility in the collective creative process of choice and action AND to create balance in our inner and outer world of possibilities. We have to give back to the universe, our planet, our environment, our communities, our children, our selves! (give back NOW)
Why we started________________________________________
World Prompts for Individual Change
From African Slavery, the Green Crisis, Animal Extinction, Oil Depletion, tree planting, organic farming, whatever the cause may be each crisis is important right now in our world. We can transform crisis into an opportunity for awareness, understanding, connections and long lasting change for future generations. This is another human story of individual awareness that prompted immediate action for social change.
From Daria Nefertiye Giraud Takharu, mother of twin boys, Darian Smith Agosto and Eric Smith Agosto:
When I googled “slave boy and slave master” to find our third picture for our story (a picture of a slave master and a slave boy) the first hit that came up was quite a disturbing one. I had never read anything like this but read it to my boys who began to change their demeanor. They stopped chatting loudly in the middle of my reading this article, they held their heads down below them, and they asked me to stop reading the article. I clicked to page two of the article, Many of the boys told me that in order to avoid rape some of the male slaves tried to escape, but were quickly hunted down by their captors. They said that the punishment for resisting rape is severe beatings, limb amputation or death.” My twins begged me to stop reading protesting why they had to endure this horrible story. They could no longer bare the real account, eyewitness and narrative of twelve year old boys being raped by Arab Islamist soldiers in the Sudan and Nuba Mountains. I wanted to cry but I couldn’t. My voice was weakened but clear and slow as I continued to read, I wanted them to know that although slavery in American history happened some two hundred years ago, slavery in the Sudan and Darfur and other parts of Africa was taking place right now in 2003 and to this day in 2008.
“What are we doing about this?” I turned to them.
“I didn’t know this was happening. “ I said as I turned away from their silent bodies that seemed to hang in a shame not their own but of some line of human male spiritual chain or bloodline.
“Slavery still exists!” I said starring at them as they protested my continuation, “What’s the difference between Christian Slavery or Islamic Slavery? What’s the difference? Its all the same to me, its all horrible actions for money, land, oil, resources waged upon “black” people in the name of religion and culture and superiority. “This is so horrible! I cant believe this. This kind of thing stops the family. The rape of little boys messes with their minds. How can they have a normal life? Their masters rape them, the soldiers rape them. How can they be the same? How can they continue normally and raise children of their own, have families with women, continue on their name and culture? My sons’ just looked at me in silence. They just wanted to forget.
Finding this article was spontaneous! It was not planned or part of our reading and although this topic may be out of context and too graphic for the mind of a young child. The fact that this topic exists right in our world should be far more disturbing both spiritually and culturally. We are tied to these people due to our very unique history in America and our ancestors in Africa. And although we are a truly mixed people with ancestry from every European nation, and Trans Atlantic slave route and port, and Native American and Caribbean tribe, we are still connected to those in Sudan, Darfur just as we are connected to cousins and great, great, great grand fathers of Irish or English decent. And slavery is a horrible tool used to destroy identity, culture, race and the humanity of people of any color. And what happened thousands of years ago, and three hundred years ago, happens right now to this very day. And what are we doing about it? Do we even know it exists? Do we ever hear the stories of those men, women and children who are brutalized emotionally, mentally, and physically by slavery?
How you can help our world ______________________________
Get Involved!
Choose an organization, a topic, and research your interest.
Write letters to your Senators, Representatives, local government and State government on issues that are important to you.
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To read this article: “The rape of slave boys in Sudan” Contemporary Review, June, 2004 by Maria Sliwa.
<http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_1661_284/ai_n6140462/pg_2>.
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For more on Darfur and the Sudan:
Save Darfur Organization – <http://www.savedarfur.org/content?splash=yes>.
24 Hours in Darfur – <http://www.24hoursfordarfur.org/>.
Human Rights Watch-- Crisis in Darfur. < http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=Darfur>.
The U.S. Role in Darfur, Sudan: Oil reserves rivaling those of Saudi Arabia? ,< http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=FLO20060606&articleId=2592>.
Genocide Intervention Network–< http://www.genocideintervention.net/?gclid=CNm0gqmSgZQCFQslHgodi3avWw>.
NYTIMES Editorial– The Genocide Continues: Published: June 17, 2008, < http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/opinion/17tue1.html?ex=1229313600&en=6e4fea6a0a2c46c2&ei=5087&excamp=GGOPdarfursudan&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=OP-S-E-GG-NA-S-darfur_sudan>.
Save the Children Organization– Relief in Sudan’s West Darfur State <http://www.savethechildren.org/emergencies/africa/sudan/darfur/index.html?WT.mc_id=x_gg_sudan_txt_2&WT.srch=1>.
The Carter Center –Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.
<http://cartercenter.org/peace/human_rights/index.html?gclid=CN7l-LOigZQCFQo2GgodS3ZbVw>.
Don Cheadle, Black American Actor, Human Rights Activist– Don Cheadle acts to stop Darfur genocide – CNN, Entertainment, < http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/05/04/darfur.book/index.html>.
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United States Holocaust Museum website <http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/history/>.
The term “genocide” did not exist before 1944. It is a very specific term, referring to violent crimes committed against groups with the intent to destroy the existence of the group. Human rights, as laid out in the U.S. Bill of Rights or the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, concern the rights of individuals.
(read more), <http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/?gclid=CMX97qejgZQCFQQmGgodPkH6XA>.
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More to come, stay connected with Love. Inspiration. Action!
daria nefertiye giraud takharu
awakening butterfly
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Got2GiveBack! PROJECT is a www.soulflyhoney-style.com effort!
Please contact: Daria Nefertiye Takharu, Got2GiveBack Project c/o HONEYGODDESS LLC P O Box 7856 Woodbridge VA 22195, got2gbproject@soulflyhoney-style.com.
