NEWS
09/01/2011
The Journey of Hope…from Violence to Healing is going to Uganda October 4-13th.
Edward Edmary Mpagi asked me to bring the Journey of Hope to his beloved country of Uganda and help him in his battle for abolition of the death penalty. Edward was sentenced to death and spent 20 years in a Ugandan prison. He was released and exonerated when it was proven that the purported victim had been alive many years after his supposed death. There had been a rivalry with another family and Edward had been set up. Edward is now building an orphanage/school in Kampala for the children of death row inmates and other poor prisoners.
Amnesty International London brought Edward to the US in 2007 to address the United Nations in New York. Following his talk at the UN, Edward flew to Texas and joined the Journey of Hope in San Antonio. He journeyed with us on to Austin, Dallas and then to Houston. In Houston we joined with the Annual March Against the Death Penalty and spoke at the rally. A bond with the Journey of Hope was formed.
Edward now fights a lonely battle in Uganda.
I told Edward the Journey would come and help him. The Journey does not have money in the bank or budget for this type trip but we are going. Bill Babbitt and I have our tickets. Thank God for frequent flyer miles, credit cards and friends like Dirk Sisson.
We still need to get airline tickets for Randy Gardner. Bill and Randy both had brothers executed by the state and are passionate about abolishing the death penalty. I look forward to speaking with this dynamic duo as we spread the seeds of love and compassion for all of humanity throughout Uganda. Our days in Uganda will coincide with the World Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty’s World Abolition Day October on 10th.
We will be speaking at public events, schools, and press conferences. We will also be visiting death row inmates, visiting their families and of course visit the work being done on Edwards School project. http://www.dreamoneworld.org/. We want to bring international abolitionist credibility to Edward and support for all of his work in Uganda.
Edward said if we could get to Uganda, they would take care of us. We are two thirds there.
I have discovered that Edward will have to hire a car for us, pay for gas, rent speaking equipment and pay for meals, lodging and additional expenses in order to keep their commitment to us. We would like to raise enough for the cost of Randy’s ticket and to help Edward with his expenses. Edward told me earlier that a hotel is 15 a night. It is not much by our standards, but still a lot for Edward.
If you would like to help with the Uganda Journey of Hope please post this message to your to your likeminded friends. If you would like to donate that would be wonderful.
https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=352022767
And if you would like to pray for our Journey, I say “Amen and Amen.”
The Journey to Uganda will truly exemplify what the Journey of Hope…from Violence to Healing is all about.
God does work in strange and miraculous ways.
Peace
Bill Pelke
President
