On August 9 & 10, 2008 Eritrean Justice and Human Rights Advocacy Association- Edmonton has convened a peace rally to call for peace and justice in Eritrea, and  to oppose a sham “festival” organized by agents of the Eritrean dictatorial regime. The peace rally included Eritreans residing in the Edmonton area as well as those who have travelled from the nearby cities and provinces.

Other than draining the morale of PFDJ sellouts, the peace rally has achieved two high points. On August 9, the “festival” had a scheduled soccer program, which in the past used to begin with the Edmonton Mayor’s blessing on the field. A week prior to the event, Eritrean Justice and Human Rights Advocacy Association- Edmonton sent a letter to inform the mayor about the true nature of the so called festival. The honorable mayor answered the association’s letter rather stridently with a no show.

The other achievement was realized when PFDJ’s planned seminar was dealt a disarray as a result of an effective protest march by the association on August 10, 2008. The entire “festival” was a laughing matter. It was undoubtedly apparent the dictator’s agents have lost any sense of self-confidence:  they had to juggle between releasing basic information to the attendants of their festival, and keeping the same information secret to keep protesters at bay. It sure must have been a daunting task. In the end, their conflicting planning collapsed at its own merit. They were told to vacate the premise they rented to convene a seminar as the managers of the premise were uncomfortable with the presence of protesters, police and journalists. Ambassador Ahferom Brhane was unable to hold a seminar and his travel from Ottawa was simply a waste of time and money.

The future will not be as accommodating and as forgiving to PFDJ as it was in the past. The aforementioned task undertaken by Eritrean Justice and Human Rights Advocacy Association- Edmonton is deemed the most effortless yet. The association’s plan and mandate is comprehensive. It will work with Canadian and Alberta human rights organizations and other pertinent legal firms to expose and bring to justice those who have sold their conscience to serve a criminal regime from abroad that continuously harasses Eritrean-Canadians while they themselves enjoy the protection and sanctity of their human rights under Canadian citizenship and justice system.