Call for a special Global Week of Action in commemoration of Day 500 of #ChibokGirls’ Abduction
#BRINGBACKOURGIRLS GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION
21 – 27 AUGUST 2015
A SPECIAL COMMEMORATION OF 500 DAYS IN CAPTIVITY OF OUR #CHIBOKGIRLS
Tuesday 18 August 2015
Today is 491 days since 276 innocent schoolgirls of Government Secondary School, Chibok were abducted in their school by terrorists. On that night of Monday 14 April 2014, and a few days after, 57 of them managed to escape on their own but 219 are still with their abductors. It is also 476 days of daily advocacy to ensure their rescue and safe return.
Next week Thursday, 27 August 2015, that is 9 days from today, it will be exactly 500 days of their abduction.
Although we have had diverse high-level advocacy activities to mark specific milestone dates since their abduction, we had never envisaged that our girls would still not be rescued nearly 500 days after their abduction. We are extremely saddened as the 500 day mark approaches.
However, in the last few weeks we have had cause for a rekindled hope, our confidence boosted, and are more assured that sooner that later our girls shall return. This, as a result of some pragmatic steps our government has been taking recently. Our new president’s December 2015 deadline to have the terrorists decimated, what we see as the compliance by our military of the presidential order to annihilate the terrorists by November, and so on.
Even though ever hopeful and expectant of their rescue even before Day 500 on 27 August 2015, we have organized a Global Week of Action to commemorate the tragedy of their abduction.
This Friday, 21 August 2015 marks the beginning of our Global Week of Action #GWA, themed, “500 Days On, Chibok Girls — Crying To Be Rescued, Never To Be Forgotten’’.
On social media the Global Week of Action we are enjoined to use the hashtags #GWA #500DaysOn #ChibokGirls #CryingToBeRescued #NeverToBeForgotten #BringBackOurGirls.
This week of events is to remind the world that our 219 #ChibokGirls are still in captivity and not yet back 500 days on, and for everyone to call on their governments to do something to help bring them back. Not only governments, everyone can do something however little, to keep their tragedy of their abduction alive and to keep the hope that we can have them back.
During this special Global Week of Action, in Abuja there will be a diversity of activities and events like, Asr Prayers this Friday at the Unity Fountain our usual meeting venue, as well as a special prayer service at the same venue on Sunday. Tree planting, an engagement with the UN secretary general at the Unity Fountain, march by #ChibokGirls Ambassadors, and so forth. To access the schedule of events, kindly logon to our website at:
Day500 Global Week of Action: http://www.bringbackourgirls.ng/day500-global-week-of-action/
We call on all to hold special prayers at their various places of worship this weekend. We encourage many more who are empathetic to the cause of our #ChibokGirls in Nigeria, and around the world to join in this Global Week of Action.
Next week Thursday, 27 August 2015 which is Day 500, we enjoin everyone, wherever you may be to wear red, or at least a touch of red in the memory and honour of our #ChibokGirls. We also solicit that you carry out any activity or activities that suit your convenience, for this purpose. It could be a march, candle light vigil, tying a red ribbon, delivering letters to elected representatives, etc. Also, be kind to remember sharing images of the events using the hashtags.
We must all continue to lend our voices to call for their rescue. We find their continued captivity extremely disturbing.
Wherever you may be around the world, we urge you to join us in voicing out that our innocent #ChibokGirls (who are global citizens) are Crying to be Rescued, that the world must ensure that they are Never to be Forgotten. We cannot afford to move on without a positive closure on this monumental tragedy that befell young women who went to school to be educated, and us all.
Conclusion
Our #ChibokGirls are the symbol for all the oppressed, repressed, disadvantaged, hurting, unsafe persons everywhere, especially women and children. The advocacy for their safety and safe return is a symbol of the defence of the dignity and sanctity of human life. We must all prioritise their safe return.
Thank you.
Signed:
For and on behalf of #BringBackOurGirls
Oby Ezekwesili
Hadiza Bala Usman
