David Swann: Blog

Dr. David Swann is the elected member of the Alberta Legislature for Calgary Mountain View and the Liberal critic for the Health and Wellness, Human Services, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Aboriginal Relations.

David Swann: Blog - Dr. David Swann is the elected member of the Alberta Legislature for Calgary Mountain View and the Liberal critic for the Health and Wellness, Human Services, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Aboriginal Relations.

With Darfuris in Ottawa

This has been an inspiring and discouraging 2 days with our seven Darfuris, witnesses to the genocide going on in their homeland. The press conference with Sen. Romeo Dallaire, David Kilgour, Sen. Grant Mitchell, Dr. Keith Mills (MP), Glen Pearson (MP), Paul Dewar (MP), Mario Silva (MP), Green Party Human Rights critic Joe Foster and Tara Tavender from the Save Darfur Canada coalition went well but we haven’t seen much news coverage of the key messages – “Canada must not turn away from this evolving human catastrophe. We must take some leadership to get troops on the ground with the UN Mission in Darfur before it’s too late.”

We have since met with dozens of MP’s (eg. Min. Stockwell Day and Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Kevin Sorenson) so the word is getting out. Now is the time for people to barrage their MP’s and the PMO. Every Day. This is how we let them know we really care about the plight of real children, women and men whose lives have been disrupted and\or destroyed. The UN has called for troops and support from member countries and Canada has not yet pledged resources for this new force. We must.

Please join me at Prime Minister Harper’s office in Calgary (Glenmore Landing) all day on Friday after 9am where I’ll be on my 5th day on a hunger strike (clear fluids) to draw attention to the important role Canada is not playing yet.

Thanks for writing, calling, meeting or demonstrating to stop this first genocide of the 21st century.

Not on our Watch!

David

A Court Date for the Adoption

After 24 days we finally have a court date for the adoption process – 200 miles away from Jinja where Mark was fostered by my daughter Tandy. Judges are hard to find here but the lawyer seems to think we can complete the Uganda part of the process on December 12. We then must fly directly to Nairobi to get citizenship for Mark before he can return to Canada – hopefully on schedule on December 18! We spent eight hours on the bus from Mbale to Gulu yesterday with 85 people and 65 seats! I didn’t dare get up to go to the washroom at halfway and lose our seats. Just back from the IDP camp – the largest, with 75,000 people until 4 months ago – existing since the start of the civil war in 1986. There were stark conditions, yet always friendly and courteous people, sitting and working at food production while children play in open spaces. The heat was profound (35 degrees) and some students in temporary huts and classrooms but most older children had no spaces. Continue reading

David in Uganda

David Swann is currently in Uganda for one month.  He will be returning on December 18 after helping his daughter with an adoption.  As he sends updates to the office we will be posting them so that everyone can hear about David’s trip!  Stay warm!

 
Message from David: “I arrived in Uganda with my daughter Tandela and her orphan child Mark to finalize his adoption, hopefully before Christmas!  It was a two day journey with minor glitches only and we were quickly immersed in a sea of people and vehicles in Kampala, the capital city of several million. Here at the Equator it is hot and humid (sorry for you there in freezing temperatures). 

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