Three weeks ago, the East African country of Zimbabwe held a Presidential election. By all accounts, incumbent President Robert Mugabe was soundly defeated, however his administration has so far refused to release the official results of the election. Instead, Mugabe’s corrupt government has unleashed a brutal campaign to retain power. The opposition says that ten have died, and hundreds have been injured; now, a “human wave” of refugees is fleeing to South Africa and other neighboring countries and Zimbabwe’s crisis is getting worse.

I traveled to Zimbabwe last year and it is one of my all-time favorite destinations. Everyone I met was quick to smile and thrilled that I was visiting their country. By the end of my stay, I felt I had made wonderful, lifetime friends. In view of the current situation, I have been especially concerned for their safety and have tried to stay in touch. The following is an excerpt from an email I recently received from one of my Zimbabwean friends, who shall remain nameless, for obvious reasons:

“Our President has been compared to the likes of Saddam, which is scary to think we had such a man rule us for 28 years. Everyone in the country wants peace and a normal economy once again, regardless of race or social circles. At this point people are getting frustrated and Continue reading →