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The Coronavirus Crisis in North and East Syria: from Rojava Information Centre:

QUICK FACTS
1. Nine years of war, systematic targeting of health and water infrastructure by occupying Turkish forces, lack of international recognition, and the January 2020 closure of the only UN aid crossing into North and East Syria (NES) have left the autonomous region at extreme risk from coronavirus.

With the World Health Organization (WHO) refusing to support it directly, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) is reliant on its own meagre resources and aid routed via the Assad government, little of which ever arrives to the north-east.

At the time of writing (5 April), only 7 potential cases of coronavirus have been identified, though the lack of testing facilities outlined below means the real prevalence is far higher.

Continue reading “The Coronavirus Crisis in North and East Syria: from Rojava Information Centre:”
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5 July 2009: Concert to honour Qala Mara who had recently died.

5 July 2009: Concert to honour Qala Mara who had recently died.

I was invited to sing a song in Kurdish at this concert: Qala Mara is a humble Kurdish man who lived in the Kurdish area that is in Iran. He has been a well recognised shamshal player and there was a concert to honour his memory. The concert was organised by my good friend Hassan Darzi, a wonderful Kurdish singer and violin player. Music by Qala Mara can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P7suTNtRZU

Continue reading “5 July 2009: Concert to honour Qala Mara who had recently died.”
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June 2019 mini tour

I have a mini tour in June 
Friday 7 June: Folk at the Factory in Fleckney – folk music evening with a number of musicians, raising money for local Motor Neurone Disease charity and LOROS. 7.30pm -11pm

Sunday 16 June: The Tap, Queens Road as part of the Clarendon Park Arts festival – an acoustic event 5-9pm (starting at thr end of the street fair) and I am first of 5 ‘acts’.

Wednesday 26 June: music and fund raiser for Extinction Rebellion at Upstairs at the Western, 7.30 – 9.30pm.

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Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

Quaker faith in action: The American poet Mary Oliver died today, aged 83. Her words have carried a special power for many struggling to build a more equal, sustainable and just world. In that spirit we share her poem:

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves. Continue reading “Wild Geese by Mary Oliver”