Ottawa Welcomes: Walk for Somalia
Ottawa, September 23rd, 2011 – Twenty Canadians began an eight-day, 400 km journey on foot from Toronto on September 19th to advocate and bring awareness to the humanitarian crisis currently unfolding in Somalia. They will arrive in Ottawa on Monday, September 26th 2011.
We are walking for the millions of Somalis who have been affected by this famine; for every man, woman and child who has been neglected from their basic human rights in Somalia; for every parent who has lost a child or a loved one in this humanitarian crises; to revive and restore the dignity that has been robbed of the Somali people for the last two decades, and more importantly, we are walking to call upon our government and our fellow Canadians to help support this goal and ensure that a crisis like this never happens again.
Walk for Somalia is a non-political, non-sectarian initiative that calls on the world to address the inhumane conditions facing millions of people in Somalia. Walk For Somalia is led by young Canadians who are mobilized in taking a stand on this humanitarian crisis. Established in 2009, Walk for Somalia has raised $30,000 for two internally displaced camps inside Somalia , mobilized 1000 participants to walk in downtown Toronto on October 10th, 2009 and hosted countless discussions and forums in local universities to educated and inform the Canadian public about the humanitarian challenges facing Somalia .
Eight-day walk details include:
- The walk began on September 19th in Toronto; Walkers visited 20 towns & cities en route
- The walkers will arrive at Bayshore and Carling Ave in Ottawa at 6p.m. on September 26th 2011
Goals of the walk:
- To raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis
- To ask the federal government to extend the donation matching period (to embolden Canadian generosity)
- To raise funds for famine relief
- To ask for government and agency accountability in delivering aid
“Walk for Somalia’s journey from Toronto to Ottawa is transformational, it is historic and it is highlighting the level of concern amongst Somali-Canadian youth on the devastating humanitarian crises in Somalia. We will welcome them like heroes”
- Mohamed Sofa, Somali Relief Ottawa
Website: www.walkforsomalia.ca
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WalkForSomalia
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Walk4Somalia
Media Contacts:
Mohamed Sofa | mohamed.sofa@gmail.com | 1-613-725-4538
Ige Egal | ige.egal@gmail.com | 1-416-500-2741
