This post was first put up on this blog a couple of weeks ago, but the situation in Zimbabwe has yet to improve. Because the last couple of weeks have been a little hectic for everyone, what with Christmas and New Year etc etc, I thought I’d post this up again as a reminder of what can be done to help the situation in Zimbabwe.

Action speaks louder than words (even if you use a loudspeaker). I have received a couple of emails from concerned readers who don’t know what to do.

First of all, read about it. That way, you can raise awareness without getting the facts wrong, you can write papers about it for school, you can blog about it, you can send an email to all your contacts about and, most importantly, you can respectfully hound your government into taking action. A great place to start is on the CBC website, here and here, as well as on the BBC website, here.

Second of all, raise awareness. Talk about it, blog about it, email your friends about it, get the word out. Send emails and/or letters to your school newspaper, to your corporation’s newsletter, to your local newspaper. If you don’t feel comfortable talking at length about the topic, just write a short introduction about how you are concerned with the situation in Zimbabwe and questioning why no one is doing anything, then refer them to websites (like the three mentioned above) where they can find information, then encourage them to get in touch with their government representatives.

Third of all, contact your government representative to get them to take action. Here are some things that Canadians can do (international readers, please feel free to post advice relevant to your country! You can also email them to me at [email protected] and I’ll include them in a future post). Remember: be respectful but firm, and make sure your tone is informed and urgent.

• To reach her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, email her at [email protected];
• To reach the editor of the Conservative Government’s official website here.
• Check here to see who your MP is, then send them an email and a letter (yes, and!).
• Send letters to your local newspaper

I’m also looking into different ways to get in touch with the various branches of Canadian government. If you have any ideas, please do not hesitate and post your advice below!