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Schools asked to join ‘Tents of Hope'
By Diane Vance/Gate City Staff Writer
Resident Julia Hays brought a national project to the attention of the Keokuk School District and school board April 7.
The campaign to bring world attention to the Darfur region in Sudan, Africa, is hosting “Tents of Hope,” in May with 32 states, 200 cities and four countries participating. Keokuk and Des Moines are the only Iowa cities signed up to participate.
“The tent is a symbol of hope and of displacement,” said Hays. “This is an opportunity to unite our community using art and music to raise social awareness. We need lots of participants.”
Keokuk for Darfur has purchased a white canvas tent. Individuals, businesses and/or groups can make a donation to paint, decorate and create a message of hope on a section or panel of the tent.
“Picture something like the AIDS quilt but this will be on an eight-by-10-foot tent,” said Hays.
First Christian Church in Keokuk has offered space to house the tent while it's being painted and decorated.
“Painting will start at the beginning of May,” said Hays. “We have a target date for the first week in June to be completed. The tent will be displayed in a prominent place in the community.
“We will have a day of celebration. We are bringing Sudanese refugees from Des Moines and an African drumming group that day. The drumming group plays authentic Jubabu cultural music. The celebration will be another way for the community to get involved.
“I'm asking for the school district to participate,” said Hays. “We need dedicated people. I'm hoping teachers, students and artists will get involved. It's an opportunity for students to learn and contribute. We can do school programs.”
Later, the decorated tent panels could be auctioned to raise more money for humanitarian aid for Darfur, Hays said.
“Other fund-raising ideas are welcome,” she said. “If we raise enough money, Keokuk could be represented at the national event Nov. 7 to 9 in Washington, D.C. Tents of Hope from all over the country will be set up on the Washington mall.”
Scholarships and travel to attend the national Tents of Hope can be arranged by contacting Hays.
Keokuk for Darfur meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month at St. John's Episcopal Church, 208 N. Fourth St., Keokuk. Any age is welcome to attend, said Hays.
More information is available at several Web sites. According to the Web site for Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ:
“Since 2003, more than 2.5 million people of the western most region of Darfur, Sudan, have permanently left their homes and between 250,000 to 400,000 have been killed.
“To respond to this tremendous tragedy, Global Ministries, along with One Great Hour of Sharing and Week of Compassion, ask you to consider joining an innovative new project called Tents of Hope. Through this project, your community, congregation or youth group will create an active learning experience using simulation refugee tents to raise awareness of the conflict in Sudan through education, advocacy and fund-raising for humanitarian assistance.
“With painting, quilting and needlepoint people will have the chance to artistically express their concern for the Sudanese people.
Further suggestions for using the tent after it is decorated include:
Show a film on the side of the tent.
Invite musicians to play music.
Host a typical Sudanese meal or serve food that Sudanese refugees eat.
Ask youth to spend a night in the tent to gain a new perspective about the lives of displaced persons.
Invite a refugee - from any country - to speak at an event about what it's like to be displaced from home.
The Web site is at www.globalministries.org.
The campaign to bring world attention to the Darfur region in Sudan, Africa, is hosting “Tents of Hope,” in May with 32 states, 200 cities and four countries participating. Keokuk and Des Moines are the only Iowa cities signed up to participate.
“The tent is a symbol of hope and of displacement,” said Hays. “This is an opportunity to unite our community using art and music to raise social awareness. We need lots of participants.”
Keokuk for Darfur has purchased a white canvas tent. Individuals, businesses and/or groups can make a donation to paint, decorate and create a message of hope on a section or panel of the tent.
“Picture something like the AIDS quilt but this will be on an eight-by-10-foot tent,” said Hays.
First Christian Church in Keokuk has offered space to house the tent while it's being painted and decorated.
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“We will have a day of celebration. We are bringing Sudanese refugees from Des Moines and an African drumming group that day. The drumming group plays authentic Jubabu cultural music. The celebration will be another way for the community to get involved.
“I'm asking for the school district to participate,” said Hays. “We need dedicated people. I'm hoping teachers, students and artists will get involved. It's an opportunity for students to learn and contribute. We can do school programs.”
Later, the decorated tent panels could be auctioned to raise more money for humanitarian aid for Darfur, Hays said.
“Other fund-raising ideas are welcome,” she said. “If we raise enough money, Keokuk could be represented at the national event Nov. 7 to 9 in Washington, D.C. Tents of Hope from all over the country will be set up on the Washington mall.”
Scholarships and travel to attend the national Tents of Hope can be arranged by contacting Hays.
Keokuk for Darfur meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month at St. John's Episcopal Church, 208 N. Fourth St., Keokuk. Any age is welcome to attend, said Hays.
More information is available at several Web sites. According to the Web site for Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ:
“Since 2003, more than 2.5 million people of the western most region of Darfur, Sudan, have permanently left their homes and between 250,000 to 400,000 have been killed.
“To respond to this tremendous tragedy, Global Ministries, along with One Great Hour of Sharing and Week of Compassion, ask you to consider joining an innovative new project called Tents of Hope. Through this project, your community, congregation or youth group will create an active learning experience using simulation refugee tents to raise awareness of the conflict in Sudan through education, advocacy and fund-raising for humanitarian assistance.
“With painting, quilting and needlepoint people will have the chance to artistically express their concern for the Sudanese people.
Further suggestions for using the tent after it is decorated include:
Show a film on the side of the tent.
Invite musicians to play music.
Host a typical Sudanese meal or serve food that Sudanese refugees eat.
Ask youth to spend a night in the tent to gain a new perspective about the lives of displaced persons.
Invite a refugee - from any country - to speak at an event about what it's like to be displaced from home.
The Web site is at www.globalministries.org.
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