HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN

The humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in Afghanistan, as aerial bombardment after the first week of war intensifies, driving more refugees to the frontiers of the country.

United Trauma Relief (UTR) is accepting donations for Afghan refugee relief programs. 100% of all funds will be consolidated and incorporated into the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) program, which includes non-governmental organization participation in a massive relief effort. Please make checks out to:

United Trauma Relief
c/o Sanjay Basu
450 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139
http://web.mit.edu/utr/www

Download the BGAN flyer here

The United Nations has set up web sites on the humanitarian crisis:
http://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/afghan/afghan2.htm
http://www.reliefweb.int/

Amnesty International Local Group 151 has been working on Afghan issues for two years through solidarity work with the Afghan Women's Council. For more information, visit 151 on the web @ http://www.bostonamnesty.org/

DONATIONS FOR WORKERS' RELIEF AND ANTI-RACISM EFFORTS

The horror of September 11th has had far reaching consequences throughout our communities. In addition to the tragic loss of life, thousands of others lost their livelihoods when the World Trade Center towers collapsed, and others have been threatened by the racist backlash. As such, the BGAN steering committee is recommending the collection of funds for the following organizations in solidarity:

HERE New York Assistance Fund
1219 28th St NW, Washington DC 20007
http://www.hereunion.org/

Approximately 75 members of Local 100 were working at the Windows on the World restaurant at the top of Building 1 of the World Trade Center at the time of the terrorist attacks. Another 1,400 members of Local 6 lost their jobs due to the destruction of three nearby hotels. In response, HERE has set up an assistance fund to help those affected by the tragic events.

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
4201 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20008
202-244-2990
http://www.adc.org/

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is a civil rights organization committed to defending the rights of people of Arab descent and promoting their rich cultural heritage. ADC, which is non-sectarian and non-partisan, is the largest Arab-American grassroots organization in the United States. As a result of the events of September 11th, the ADC has been overwhelmed with hearing and investigating thousands of complaints of racial profiling, harrassment and violence perpetrated against members of the Arab, Muslim, and South Asian communities in the US.

PEACE

The main calendar for the new United for Justice with Peace Coalition can be found at:

http://www.justicewithpeace.org

NOTE: BGAN's structure is such that not all member groups necessarily endorse all others' actions, but we publicize them so that those who wish to can lend solidarity. In this case, the peace coalition overlaps with many, but not all of the BGAN member groups. In these times, we hope that we will continue to support each other on all projects of mutual interest while respecting differences of opinion.