From: markf@sco.COM (mark forry)
Subject: Yugoslav Crisis Appeal
Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 09 Oct 1992 19:50:17 GMT



This posting contains information about the current state of the
Yugoslav crisis and an appeal for action.  Like many people in
these groups, I've formed lasting connections in the former
Yugoslav republics based on their beautiful music and dances, so
I'm sending this appeal to you in hopes that you will also be
moved to respond.

For the past 7 months, a cruel war has been waged in the former
Yugoslav republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina; the war has lasted over
a year in neighboring Croatia.  Tens of thousands have been killed,
hundreds of thousands injured, and nearly 3 million made homeless.  
It now ranks as one of the most brutal conflicts of this
century, with over 80% of the casualties being civilians.  Some
recent headlines:

       SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Hercegovina (UPI) -- Serbian forces bombarded
Sarajevo with artillery, tank and machine-gun fire Tuesday, a day after
one of the most vicious assaults in their six-month seige destroyed
offices and apartment buildings, leaving dozens of civilians dead and
thousands homeless.
    Streams of the screaming and crying homeless were forced after a day
of relentless bombing to flee their flaming homes with only handfulls of
possessions.

     STRASBOURG, France, Oct 5, Reuter - The head of a
leading French medical charity blasted Western policy on the
former Yugoslavia on Tuesday, accusing political leaders of
effectively condoning atrocities through ``cowardice and
resignation.''
     ``The lesson for any budding dictator...is: massacre,
deport, purify, build concentration camps -- do what you
want as long as you let a few humanitarian convoys in,''
said Rony Brauman, head of Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF).

     GENEVA, Oct 5, Reuter - A United Nations health expert
warned on Monday that large numbers of Sarajevo children
would begin dying of starvation by the end of this month
unless an international airlift to the city was beefed up
immediately.
     ``The fuse is beginning to burn and unless 240 tonnes
of food get into Sarajevo every day...you will see children
dying of starvation by the end of October,'' Acheson,
Britain's former public health chief, told a news
conference.

    SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) - Serb planes dropped cluster
and napalm bombs on three towns in north-central Bosnia, Sarajevo
radio reported today.
    Bosnia's U.N. ambassador, Muhamed Sacirbey, says the Serbs are
flying 50 to 60 sorties daily, almost exclusively against civilian
and industrial targets.

I strongly urge anyone concerned with this situation to take
action.  Some possibilities:

1) Petition the federal government to take a more active role in
the crisis.  Here is a neutrally-worded petition (that is, it
neither takes sides nor advocates military intervention) devised 
by Sharon Machlis Gartenberg.  Please make copies, circulate it,
and send it to President Bush:

"We the undersigned urge the American government to take the
lead in ensuring stronger international action to the protect
the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"Thousands of innocent people have been killed; hundreds of
thousands forced from their homes in a campaign of "ethnic
cleasning" and terror; and many more are suffereing under
constant artillery bombardment, cut off from adequate food,
water, power, and shelter.  "Negotiations" have only produced a
string of broken promises, which are usually followed by even
heavier, more deadly attacks on civilian centers.

"Sending in food and medicine was a good first step, but it does
not help the scores of people killed or wounded daily, or bring
much relief to the hundreds of thousands trapped in the
murderous bombardments.  The tragedy in Bosnia-Herzegovina
demands that the world do more than talk to stop the carnage.

"Each day's delay brings more death and suffering.  As the
world's most powerful nation, the United States must play a
major role in demanding immediate, forceful action in Bosnia."

Please contact me if you'd like a written copy of this petition.

2) Write to your elected officials, advocating one or more of
the following:
- increased food, medical supplies and shelter materials to the
remaining residents of Bosnia, and to the refugee centers in
surrounding countries
- providing increased protection to non-combatants in UN
administered areas
- supporting an international war-crimes tribunal to
investigate war-related atrocities in Bosnia and Croatia, and to
bring the perpetrators to justice
- supporting a UN-sponsored demilitarized zone in Bosnia
OR lifting the arms embargo to Bosnia and Croatia
- increasing international pressure on Serbia and Montenegro
(the principal aggressor states) by tightening the UN sanctions,
freezing foreign assets, and diplomatic isolation
- supporting the "no-fly" zone in Bosnia
- supporting a broader allied military intervention.
There is also a White House comment line -- 202-456-1111 -- that
supposedly passes messages to the President.

3) Send donations to one of the organizations listed below.

My connection to all this:  I lived in Yugoslavia at various
times over the last 14 years while doing folk music research,
and I have friends throughout the country.  Two are trapped in
Sarajevo (they've been living in their basement since June), a
family I know lives in a village that's been hit by artillery
and rocket fire (I haven't been able to contact them), another
friend and his family were "cleansed" (robbed and driven from
their homes) last fall, and numerous others have left the
country.

Please help if you can -- and please let me know if you want
more information -- thanks.

==============================================================
Here are some organizations helping war victims from all the
former Yugoslav republics.  The list was culled from an
Associated Press listing and earlier responses from the net.
Where possible, I've included a brief description of the
organizations.  If you know of other groups conducting
humanitarian operations, or if you can supply more information
about these groups, please let me know and I'll post the
results.  To the best of my knowledge, these are reputable
groups and are not supplying arms or engaged in factional 
politics; if you know otherwise, please let me know.

AmeriCares
  161 Cherry Street
  New Canaan, Conn.  06840
  (203) 966-5195

American Bosnia-Hercegovina Relief Fund 
  277 West Midland Avenue
  Paramus, NJ 07652 
  (201) 670-1765
  -- a charitable organization founded and run by the Office of 
     Humanitarian Relief of B-H UN Mission.  Make checks payable to
     "ABH Relief Fund."

American Croatian Relief Project 
  c/o St. Joseph Croatian Catholic Church, 
  2112 South 12th Street, 
  St. Louis, MO 63104, 
  (314)771-0958
  -- All donations are accepted.  However, the refugees are
     currently especially in need of shoes, baby items (including
     food and formula), all types of medical diagnostic and
     surgical equipment, surgical instruments, eye prostheses,
     orthopedic appliances, dental equipment, and hospital
     supplies.  Donations are tax-deductible.

American Red Cross
  P.O. Box 37243
  Washington, DC  20013
  (800) 842-2200
  -- make checks payable to "Yugoslavia-Conflict Relief"

Croatian Fraternal Union
  100 Delaney Drive
  Pittsburgh, PA  15235
  (412) 351-3909
  -- for $50/month, arranges sponsors of war orphans.  The
     children remain in Croatia, usually with another family member.
     The agency says the government's policy is not to handle
     adoptions to other countries.  All the victims are in Croatia,
     but the Union sponsors all children -- Croatian, Muslim and
     Serbian.
 
Humanitarian Appeal for Victims of the Yugoslav Civil War
  PO Box 338
  London WC1A 2AB  UNITED KINGDOM
  peacenews@gn.apc.org
  -- provides help to grassroots organisations dealing with 
     refugee programmes.

International Rescue Committee
  386 Park Avenue South
  New York, NY  10016
  (212) 679-0010
 
MAP International 
  P.O. Box 50
  Brunswick, GA  31520
  (912) 265-6010

Macedonian Orthodox Church St. Mary
  120 Napoleon Avenue
  Columbus, OH 43213 
  (614)231-7851
  (614)231-7870 (FAX)
  vkb57@cas.org (Internet address of Vasil Babamov)
  -- sends medical supplies and equipment to the republic of Macedonia.

Ministerium fuer Arbeit und Soziales
  W-Hoepfner Ring 4
  3037 Magdeburg GERMANY
  (49) 391-382-3703
  -- the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Saxony-Anhalt.
     It is an agency of the German government caring for orphans from
     Sarajevo.

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
  1718 Connecticut Ave.  NW, Suite 200
  Washington, DC 20009
  (800) 220-1115, (202) 296-1157
  (202) 387-8546

U.S. Committee for UNICEF
  333 E. 38th Street
  New York, NY  10016
  (212) 686-5522

-- 
Mark Forry                I liked it better when healing the planet 
Technical Publications    meant long hair and rock music and marching 
The Santa Cruz Operation  against the war, when it meant telling
uunet!sco!markf           everyone else what needed to be changed.
markf@sco.COM                           -- Sy Safransky
(408) 427-7509            Standard disclaimers apply.

Xref: sparky rec.folk-dancing:1887 soc.culture.magyar:790