Adele Eisenstein on Sat, 27 Mar 1999 14:03:43 +0100 (MET)


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Re: Syndicate: Radio Deep Europe - PLEASE CONTRIBUTE


Dear Lisa, Syndicalists, and all,

It is true that there is a great need for accurate information (I have
just heard that even B92 is broadcasting information from YU state TV in
absence of anything else!), that is obvious.

On the other hand, it seems that a much more desperate need is emerging
very quickly - a much more basic and practical need - and that is getting
food and medical aid to Kosova.
Why don't we really set an aim for ourselves of changing this fucked-up
world? at least for a few (or a few thousand) individuals...

I don't know right now how serious the food situation is in Beograd or
Novi Sad, let alone the villages of Serbia (though I have been trying to
telephone, and it seems the lines are still functioning).

What I do know is this:
A friend of mine is in Budapest for a week since leaving Kosova (she is a
foreigner who has been working with humanitarian groups for several years,
in Croatia, in Macedonia, the past few years in Kosova, and she was
finally forced to leave), and she has still been able to keep in daily
contact with her friends in Pristina by telephone. (they think it might be
finally cut off today in the center of the city)
It really sounds that the situation is completely desperate - yet they
refuse to leave - 

She knows that maybe only some local people from the Red Cross stayed
behind, and she doesn't know if any arrangements were made at all by the
other humanitarian aid organisations before they left -
It sounds like food is running out quickly -

We are trying to find out if any sorts of arrangements at all have been
made by HUMANITARIAN AID organisations -

Any plans for airlifts?
(NATO could really help to coordinate this if they are serious about
"peacekeeping" - not to mention, where is the UN now?)

Aside from the need for accurate information, I think what is even more
desperately needed by now is to get food and medical supplies to the
people who are still there, who do not want to be refugees from their own
homes...

(At the same time, I have heard from several of my friends in Beograd who
do not want to go down to the "bomb shelters" or cellars...)

I think we had better use this information network quickly to coordinate
some kind of practical action, if the mechanism is not already in place -

Let us not wait (I mean the imbecilic "international community") until it
is already too late, and until the people don't have to worry only about
being killed by bombs or mad killers in uniforms, but also dying of
starvation...

Can we somehow put a call out on RADIO DEEP EUROPE (among other places) 
for assistance and contributions?
The Russians are still sending volunteer soldiers on Aeroflot flights to
Beograd to "help their Serbian friends/brothers" to fight - who will send
volunteers to distrbute much-needed aid to Kosova?

very sincerely,
Adele

............................................
> Dear syndicalists, Dear xchange, dear all,
> 
> We are planning RADIO DEEP EUROPE  here in London.  Our intention 
> is to make our first netcast tomorrow night,  Saturday,  for around 
> 1 hour, starting at 5pm  UK time, 6pm CET, from Backspace - a 
> small independent media lab here.  
> 
> WE NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS!!! We know we won't change the world, 
> but we just want to show that there are stories and work going 
> on beyond nationalisms, NATO jingoism and the "Clobba 
> Slobba" headlines we have here.  And we could also use this to 
> start debate on the issues for the "international community", 
> in particular policies on refugees and asylum seekers.  This should 
> be a space for Deep European news and views.
> 
> We particularly need to find out more about the independent 
> media situation in Kosovo iself so please point us to information 
> if you can.