February 10 2009: Guelph

Today was the first day, a long day and a longer journey. As the situation in Vanni has gotten worst with Tamil civilians casualties piling up we wasted no time in organizing the Halt Genocide Tour. Leaving work by 3 am I got home, showered, packed, and joined up with Halt Genocide Tour group around 7 am. Driving west in heavy morning traffic we picked up stragglers and arrived in Guelph by 11 am. I tried to get as much rest as possible on the way. Arriving in Guelph, we began linking up with local student activists and leaders, figuring out the lay of the land and making plans. The local MP was away in Ottawa but we arranged a future meeting between the MP and concerned students. The Halt Genocide group split up, with Keerthi and I hitting up the local OPIRG office and other progressive campus groups and associations. We not only found receptive and friendly activists, we found partners in our struggle to contain the Human Tragedy unfolding among Vanni Tamils. We welcomed their offers of moral backing, information, and what ever support they could offer. After a quick lunch we began flyering for our Teach-In at 5pm. The average student either knows nothing or very little about Sri Lanka and we shared as much information as possible among those who were receptive. The teach in was a major success with good attendance and the crowd leaving energized to take action against the Genocide of Tamils. We had to field some questions from attendees who couldn't see the difference between Tigers and Tamils. But we succeeded in impressing upon them that in the current situation resumption of humanitarian relief and internationally monitored ceasefire was paramount in preventing a horrific tragedy.

All these successes were over shadowed by the news that the last members of the last NGO in the Vanni, ICRC, had pulled out in the midst of the SLA's artillery barrage.

-Pio