Tents of Hope

Students at Khabele School in Austin prepare a Tent of Hope for painting. (Photo by Alex Winkelman)

The genocide in Darfur rages on; thousands of people have been killed or displaced, and the international community has barely lifted a finger. But some Austin residents, collaborating with a national organization called Tents of Hope, are working to erect large canvas tents around town as "a constant reminder to people here about the tragedy of Darfur," according to Alex Winkelman, Texas state coordinator of Tents of Hope.

The first Tent of Hope was erected last week at the Khabele School in Downtown Austin. Students will paint it with symbols of solidarity and hope and display it on the grounds of the school. Seven other groups have committed to erecting tents around the Austin area. A "community tent" will be painted at a Hope Is Global rally scheduled for April 13 at the Capitol. It will travel to Wash­ing­ton, D.C., in October for a national gathering and display of the tents. For more info, check out www.tentsofhope.org.