The Ethiopian Diaspora comes of age.
202-225-2976
Legislative Director: Anthony Reed anthony.reed@mail.house.gov
Press Secretary: Ron Bonjean Ron.Bonjean@mail.house.gov
posted by ET Wonqette at Wednesday, September 20, 2006
202-225-2976
Legislative Director: Anthony Reed anthony.reed@mail.house.gov
Press Secretary: Ron Bonjean Ron.Bonjean@mail.house.gov
posted by ET Wonqette at Wednesday, September 20, 2006
12 Comments:
Thanks for spreading the word, Wonq.
I tried to email DHastert2@housemail.house.gov but it won't go through. Do you have another address for him? Thank you!
I found this e-mail for the speaker: speaker@mail.house.gov
However, the letter i sent thru this address also bounced back. Suggestion: Copy and print the letter and send it by fax. The Fax number is 202/225-0697 and sample letter you can use is provided here below:
The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
Speaker,
U.S. House of Representatives
The Capitol Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Speaker:
I am writing to respectfully ask you to allow H.R. 5680 (Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights Advancement Act of 2006) to proceed to the House floor for a vote. This bill was recently passed unanimously by the House International Relations Committee and is designed to promote human rights and democracy in Ethiopia.
I am distressed by recent information suggesting that H.R. 5680 has been delayed from a floor vote because of your opposition, or lack of support for it. I am deeply troubled by this development, if true.
As Chairman Chris Smith of the Africa, Global Human Rights, and International Operations Subcommittee and author of H.R. 5680 has accurately observed: “Freedom and human rights in Ethiopia have seriously deteriorated under Prime Minster Meles Zenawi” of Ethiopia. Chairman Smith has further found in his legislative investigations that “hundreds of elected officials, party activists, journalists and human rights defenders have been thrown into jail on trumped up charges. Violence against dissidents has increased significantly and yet there have been no credible accounts for the slaughter of protestors in the streets of Addis Ababa last year.”
H.R. 5680 is intended to help Ethiopia develop democratic institutions preserve and protect human rights. Specifically, the bill requires release of political prisoners in Ethiopia, facilitates the establishment and functioning of human rights, provides training civil society groups and government officials to effectively perform electoral activities, promotes the growth of an independent judiciary, protects freedom of the press, and enhances the collaboration of Ethiopia and the U.S. the global war on terror.
The bill also provides $20 million to help Ethiopia implement these requirements. It may be that opponents of the bill may have misrepresented its value to advance human rights and democracy in Ethiopia. I am not surprised by such distortions, but I ask that you to review the bill independently. I am confident that you will conclude that this bill will help Ethiopia achieve democracy and enable Ethiopians to enjoy basic human rights shared by all free peoples.
I have always believed that you are a great supporter of human rights and democracy throughout the world. Just this week, you pledged to bring the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.R. 398) to a vote on the House floor before the end of September.
Would you also allow H.R. 5680 (Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights Advancement Act of 2006) to come to the floor before the end of September as well?
I will call your office to follow up on this request. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
The email I sent to Hastert on Monday didn't bounce. Maybe it crashed by yesterday.
We should also have non-Ethiopian Americans involved in this. We have a campaign going where each of us will get 10 co-workers, friends, classmates etc. write to the Speaker. We've made it easy for people... you can use the text that anonymous provided above or the one from the hr5680 site. have your friends sign it (with addresses) and offer to fax it. so if all of us can commit to getting 10 people, that's a lot.
BTW, I am one of those who never took advantage of my vote in this country. Had never even registered to vote. It's right that politics is personal.
Etiye Wonqitu
Although not related to your current thread, I would like to make on suggestion.
I hope you have heard of google adsense. It is a google advertising franchise whereby you register your website with google and they will automatically generate ads on your blog related to the content of your site. You earn money whenever some one clicks on the ads. With such a dedicated audience you have in this blog, there will be many who will click on your ads either to visit the advertisers or to simply generate you some money. You can have buna shy with ur kids with it, or give it to a charity or to an advocacy or whatever. But I bet you can make some easy money here.
For details, visit
http://www.google.com/services/adsense_tour/
Cheers
At this point, calling is much better than emailing, if I'm not mistaken. Fax is also better than email. Best is going to his office.
Correct me if I'm wrong, ETW.
Wonqit, Wonqitu,
'The Hill' one of the dailies of the Capitol Hill have an article in today's issue on the same subject i.e. Ethiopian Diaspora rising profile. ( I like the concidence) The headline reads:
Ethiopian-American group tries to raise profile on Capitol Hill
Full text of the article can be found by pointing your browser to
http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/092106/ethiopian.html
Wonqit, Wonqitu!
'The Hill' one of the dailies of the Capitol Hill have an article in today's issue on the same subject i.e. Ethiopian Diaspora rising profile. ( I like the concidence) The headline reads:
Ethiopian-American group tries to raise profile on Capitol Hill
Full text of the article can be found by pointing your browser to:
http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/
Frontpage/092106/ethiopian.html
calling and emailing are great. Faxing is more than great
Does anyone know who we need to contact in Seattle, WA?
last anon: check the site
http://www.hr5680.org/gaction.asp
two senators from Washington
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=WA
1- Cantwel, Maria (D-washington)
2- Murray, Patty (D-washington)
To find your local congressman/woman check the following link; just add your zipcode http://www.house.gov/writerep/
How to write your liberal/democrat representative or conservative/republican representative - http://www.ethiomedia.com/carepress/guideline_letters.html
Does anyone know what yemechesh might mean in Ethiopian or any other language?
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