On February 6, 2008, we launched our Awate Defense Fund (ADF) campaign where we formally announced our intention to file a libel lawsuit against an individual who has defamed the founder of awate.com, and invited you to contribute towards this effort.  This memorandum, prepared on 2/15/2008, is our Update 1 on your contributions so far.

I. Financial

We identified our Phase I target of $30,000 by February 29, 2008.  As of 2/15/2008, 80 individuals have pledged $18,800. This is the amount that has been donated online and checks. Some Awate supporters, particularly Eritreans who visit home or hold Eritrean passports and who fear retribution by the tyrannical regime of Eritrea, have requested that their donation be kept entirely confidential.  This shall be honored. To balance the need for full transparency with the equally important need to maintain confidentiality, we will:

          a. Send each donor a receipt for his/her donation via e-mail or snail mail;
          b. Indicate the full name, initials, or “anonymous” (depending on the donor's request) when we are tabulating the donations;

We are very satisfied, humbled and encouraged by the donations so far and we encourage those who were taking a wait-and-see attitude to jump on the justice train now and make their donations.

II. CO-CHAIRMEN: Sub Committee of Fund Raisers

Many awate.com supporters have volunteered to be co-chairmen of our fund-raising efforts.  They have argued, persuasively, that Eritreans who receive their information second-hand outnumber those who receive it directly from the source.  They are concerned, as we are, that many people may not be aware of this fundraising campaign and they have volunteered to initiate the grassroots effort required to mobilize people.

The names of the fundraising co-chairs who have volunteered their services is as follows:

Washington DC:      Rezene Habte; Omer Suleiman, Dr. Yonas Mahari; Fessahaye; Mihreatab, Bereket and their friends
Dallas:                    Beshir Hamde; Derei Debas; Semere Habtemariam, Dawit Maasho
Australia:                Fouzi Saad, Tekheste Habtu; Solomon Haile
Germany:                Abdulaziz
Canada:                  ELF branch –Toronto; Berhan Beyan
San Jose:                Fekadu Lijam
San Francisco:         Gebrehiwet Ashera
North California:       Belainesh Negash
Seattle:                  Paulos Misghina
New York:               Teklai Abraha -EPM-MN; Daniel Tewelde,
Ohio:                      Mantai Mesmer       
UK:                        Dr. Haile:
South Africa:           Daniel Rezene

Co-chairs, if your name does not appear on the list, please contact us at: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

III. Endorsers

Many civic societies and forces of justice have endorsed our move and we are grateful for all of them. We appreciate the unwavering stand and dedication of all those involved everywhere- the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. This excericise has truly shown the solidarity among the forces of good in their struggle for democracy, peace and justice.

IV. Experts: Sub Committee of Legal Experts (SLE)

Since the Awate Defense Case is going to be handled by a paid independent lawyer, the SLE’s contribution to the case will be limited and supplementary.  But, as we indicated in our initial announcement:

“We all have been frustrated by our inability to help our people in Eritrea who are abused, arrested, tortured, made to disappear and killed by the Eritrean regime.

“We have watched in frustration as its agents and apologists have insulted our heroes, thrown chairs at our meetings, and blackmailed our people. Heroes have been defamed as traitors; human rights activists as spies.”

According to its concept paper, the “SLE is expected to develop a broader litigation proposal against possible Eritrean human rights abusers all over the world. The ultimate objective of the SLE is not only to garner support to the current ADF proposal but also to make itself an appropriate platform that serves our broader objectives of accountability.”

Using international law as a weapon, a group of Eritrean lawyers are organizing themselves to combat the PFDJ’s human rights violations.  Until a separate communication channel is created for the SLE, lawyers, judges, law students are invited to join the group by sending their names to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . The SLE will make its own announcement soon—an announcement which awate.com will be honored to publicize.

The Awate Defense Case has served as a trigger but the larger concern is the wanton violation of Eritreans human rights and how the abusers have, so far, been able to get away with their crimes with impunity. With your help, we can create an unstoppable momentum that will, at long last, raise a voice for the voiceless and give a fighting chance to justice.

More updates will follow.

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