Difficult to help.... (r)

[brelief@xxxxxxx]

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>SENT 10-30-95 FROM CONKLIN_CHERYL @MAILMN
>
>Hello,
>
>I signed up on the Burmanet D-list a little over a month ago.  I
>immediately sent a message to the E-mail address listed for 'volunteers'
>in the Burmanews header saying that I was interested in helping out -
>and have yet to receive a reply.
>
>A little over a week ago, I responded to a message from some group at
>Carleton College; their E-mail message said to write to them to find
>out about activities for Burma Day on October 27th.  Again, I received
>no response.
>
>I find this very frustrating; as we all know, one of the keys to political
>activism is getting as many people as possible involved in spreading
>your message to the general public.  Who knows how many people have
>inquired to members of this D-list about how they could get involved -
>and then given up because their offer was ignored?
>
>Just my two cents worth.  I'm planning on sending a 'boycott Pepsi'
>E-mail to 30 or 40 of my dearest friends, and then spend my volunteer
>time on a project that's a bit easier to coordinate.
>
>CC
>
>
Dear CC
Sorry that you're feeling frustrated.  We too had no response from one of
the "coordinators" (in our case the person who had taken on the job for
Arakan/Bangladesh border etc.  Finally, after the third query,  he replied
that he was quitting--he had gotten just too many messages and detailed
questions to handle!)  

We wish we had gotten your question about volunteering before you gave up.
What is it you would like to do?  If you're interested in volunteering on
the Thai/Burma border we have some concrete suggestions, which would depend
on whether you could work with the students or others on computers, editing,
teaching English, or medical.  Let us know if that sounds suitable for you.

A word in defense of the Free Burma  people -- they have done yeoman's
service preparing for October 27th.  There aren't a lot of folks involved
and we think they were probably stretched to the limit.  The campaign is
just getting underway really.  The 27th was a kick-off, so why not try them
again now that some of the pressure is off.  We feel sure that they will be
glad to have you with them and they'll probably have lots of suggestions as
to how you can get involved.

Thanks for taking up the Pepsi Boycott cause!  It's important!

The work for Burmese democracy is about as important a project as you'll be
likely to find anywhere, but it is woefully in need of enthusiastic folks
like yourself. With the net you'll get the information you need to be
informed of the issues.  Why not try again!

With metta,
Ken and Visakha Kawasaki