Day 7 - Mark (Breaking Fast)

The liquid fast has not been as difficult as I expected - I had less energy and felt hungry occasionally, but I think the body gets used to this kind of thing quickly. It definitely helped me keep Bahrain in my mind on a regular basis and compelled me to talk about the situation to other people. I met some people in the U.S. who are interested in meeting to talk more about solidarity with Bahrainis and I also connected with people at the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.

Nikki and I were talking about the idea of fasting as a form of solidarity or resistance, depending on the situation. I suggested that we might use the money we save to donate to the cause we're concerned for. This would work particularly well with an activity that she's done in the past, which is to eat for a dollar a day to see what it's like in some impoverished places. But again, there are so many programs to support and so many people asking for donations - I now put a lot more value into connecting personally to the people involved. I'm in discussion with some people in Bahrain about connecting over the internet to have discussions about how we can support their cause. If anyone is interested or has ideas of how to do this more effectively, let me know.

And of course, if anyone wants to join this fast or help out in other ways I strongly encourage you!