Hello Kossacks!
I finally figured out why I've been hanging out on this blog for the last two years instead of focusing on my personal and professional life. I needed to. I didn't know why I couldn't tear myself away from this dang place and focus on my work at the time, I just knew I couldn't. I thought it was addiction. Now, I''m thinking it was serving a higher purpose. Follow me below the fold for a little adventure.
Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya
Twitter @DrsForLibya
LIBYA Al Hurra TV
For those who know me, I am Martha Joy Sullivan, for those who have met me in the last two weeks, I am Skillethead from LIBYA Al Hurra TV, and for those who follow me on DailyKos.com, I am StepLeftStepForward. Through the amazing efforts of numerous Libyans for a free Libya, and their friends both new and old, I have become a volunteer coordinator in a massive effort to assist the Libyan People in this time of hope and change.
I arrived at Mohamed M Nabbous' livestream & chatroom (now: LIBYA Al Hurra TV) shortly after the people had prevailed in the Battle of Benghazi. There was “Mo” sitting in an undisclosed location in Libya, and there were the people from around the world in the chatroom. Communicating. I was fascinated by the dynamics, the people in the chatroom reaching out to help people in Libya. After observing for a day, I took the plunge and posted a comment. I could not stand by while everyone was working together to deliver the latest news from inside Libya to the world. The outpouring of love and humanity, and the determination of these volunteers to fight injustice, was nothing short of miraculous. In no time, I was hooked. I have watched Mohamed's online broadcasting operation move to the Benghazi Court, expand from one webcam to eight, and then become a satellite TV network. All in two short weeks.
Without the passion burning inside the people, there would be no revolution. Without the technology, the Internet, the web cams, we would not have survived, and you, the world press, would not have been able to share these historical events to all corners of the Earth. The People's Technology became a catalyst for helping people overcome iniquity and oppression, the Power of the People the driving force, and Transparency both the means and the ends.
Soon, we in the chatroom found ourselves working with a vast network of Libyan doctors, at home and abroad, in synchronicity with volunteers from the international community, to support victims of Gaddafi's brutality. And thus Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya was born. Now we are moving into the fundraising phase, to collect donations to deliver medical supplies and instruments to 5 hospitals in the country. Our Facebook Cause serves as the go-to place for the latest information and directs people to our donation page at betterplace.org, while our Twitter acct @DrsForLibya will tweet the latest news. Please "like" and follow us to keep abreast of our activities.
This is a video edited and posted by one of our volunteers, showing conditions in Libyan hospitals:
Briefly about Libyan Doctors for Hospitals in Libya:
We are a network of Libyan doctors abroad and in Libya, striving to come together in aid of Libyan hospitals. We collect donations and arrange purchase, shipment and distribution of medical supplies and equipment to hospitals in Libya with our partner, Medeor.org. Our vast network enables us to support the Libyan people and supply Libyan medical facilities and personnel, efficiently and quickly.
This is a non-political and non-secular organisation.
The funds are handled by:
Dr Nagi Idris PhD in Psychopharmacology
School of Pharmacy
University of Bradford
Our medical supply partner is Medeor.org (Germany), which has generously donated 5,000 EUR of supplies for the first transport and has kindly offered to sell us supplies for well below cost. I would also like to thank Anja Listmann and her NGO, Bufamaschu.de, for their wonderful cooperation in coordinating this complicated operation, and so many others who have given their all to making this happen.
If you have any questions, ideas or suggestions, just ask! If you want to help out, I'd appreciate any and all hands on board.
Tahia Free Libya! In šāʾ Allāh.
@JoyStepForward (I just joined and don't even know how to Tweet yet!)
PS to my lovely Kossacks: Consider this a heads-up and call for support at DailyKos. I (unless I hear from a volunteer) will be publishing a blog today about this project. Please help me by passing the info on to all members of "Eyes on Egypt/Witness Revolution" and other relevant groups and Kossacks -- the more the merrier :) We appreciate all the help we can get. And I love you people!
PPS: I'm too busy to tweak this email letter that I sent out to all our partners and volunteers today (including some of you), for DailyKos. Forgive me but I've got work to do! I'll try to pop in and out of here over the next couple of hours but can't guarantee anything. If you want to write a fundraising blog for us or anything else, leave a note in the comment and like our FB page and follow us on Twitter!