One Way to Help the People of Darfur

[Jamila]

Although Darfur has left the front page of most of our newspapers, things have NOT improved for the people of Darfur.

Pres. Bush will be making his State of the Union speech next week and we have a great opportunity to put some pressure on him to MAKE DARFUR A PRIORITY in U.S. foreign policy by making him state his resolve to end the Darfur conflict in his upcoming address.

Here is the text of an email message that you can send Pres. Bush TODAY to motivate him to step up the efforts of the USA to help the people of Darfur:


As you draft this year’s “State of the Union” address, please don’t forget to include the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. The “State of the Union” address will be given on the eve of the U.S. presidency of the United Nations Security Council. This creates a perfect moment for you to announce your intention to instruct the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, to introduce a resolution at the UN that will “re-hat” the African Union with blue helmets as a UN peacekeeping force with a mandate to protect and to authorize a broader multinational intervention.


As the only nation to have acknowledged the crisis in Darfur as genocide, it is the moral responsibility of the United States to lead the international community in action to stop the violence and protect the people.

This is the moment of truth, the moment at which you will determine your legacy. Will you be the President that takes the action necessary at the UN to stop the first genocide of the 21st century, or will you continue to turn your back on the people of Darfur?


And here is the website that you can go to to send this message:

http://www.africaaction.org


While you are there, I encourage you to also send the corrollary email to Pres. Bush about helping the children of Darfur.

Sending these emails may seem like trivial things but they can MAKE A BIG IMPACT FOR GOOD for the people suffering in Darfur.


Thanks for listening - and for helping the people of this humanitarian disaster.

 

[Dreadsox]

Thanks for posting this! it deserved more than 14 views.

 

[Liesje]

My roommate Ellen (known in these parts as Ultraviolet Light) is moving out on Friday to go to Wash. DC where she's working for the Save Darfur Coalition.

 

[Jamila]

I only hope that more people will sign the petition to remind President Bush of his administration's promise to help the people of Darfur.

They suffer silently, away from the view of the developed world.

May we be human enough to feel their pain and do all that we can to help them.

One way is to SIGN THIS PETITION!

 

[aislinn]

Thank you for the link, Jamila.

 

[AvsGirl41]

Thanks! I sent a letter and sent the link on.

 

[Jamila]

Thank you both, aislinn and AvsGirl41, for taking a moment out of your day to help some of those who are the most unfortunate people in our world today.

Your kindness towards others will be given back to you many times over.

 

[BostonAnne]

Thanks for posting this! it deserved more than 14 views.

I agree.

I really like it when organizations set up quick and easy ways to add your voice.

 

[Jamila]

US Legislation

The following are key pieces of legislation that the US Congress has passed or is considering regarding Darfur.


Proposed legislation

Darfur Peace and Accountability Act

The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (H.R. 3127 in the House, S. 1462 in the Senate) took a big step forward on November 18 when the Senate passed S. 1462. Now the focus shifts to the House of Representatives, which has indicated that it may pass before Congress adjourns for the year. While it has drawn a significant number of bipartisan cosponsors in both the House and Senate, a great many worthwhile bills fall victim each year to the realities of a limited legislative calendar. It is of vital importance that Congress pass this legislation as soon as possible.



Approved Legislation - 109th Congress

National Weekend of Prayer and Reflection for Darfur

Senate Resolution 186
Proposed June 16, 2005 by Senators Brownback (R-KS) and Sen. Corzine (D-NJ)
Passed July 1, 2005 in Senate by unanimous consent.


House Resolution 333
Proposed June 20, 2005 by Representatives Payne (D-NJ), Tancredo (R-CO), Wexler (D-FL), Wolf (R-VA), Lantos (D-CA), Smith (D-NJ), Rangel (D-NY), Conyers (D-MI), Lee (D-CA)
Passed July 11, 2005 in House by unanimous consent


In both the House and Senate, these bills call for a National Weekend of Prayer and Reflection for Darfur. They encourage churches, synagogues, mosques, religious institutions and all Americans to consider Darfur in their activities on this weekend and to pray for an end to the genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur.



Amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (HR 1268) Amendment approved May 1, 2005 by a Joint Conference Committee
HR 1268 made law May 11, 2005 when signed by the President

Contained in HR 1268 are amendments allocating funds to humanitarian and security efforts in Darfur, including:
$45 million for international disaster and famine assistance for Sudan

$55 million for the peacekeeping operations in Darfur and the establishment and operation of a Sudan war crimes tribunal
Approved Legislation - 108th Congress



Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004 (S.2781)
Signed into law on December 23, 2004

Introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act passed unanimously in the Senate and was subsequently passed by a voice vote in the House of Representatives. Among its provisions, this bill:
authorizes the President to address the humanitarian and human rights crisis in the Darfur region and eastern Chad
makes assistance for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement contingent upon the Government of Sudan:

demobilizing the Janjaweed militias
cooperating with aid workers
permitting the return of displaced persons to their homes
installing a new coalition government based upon the Nairobi Declaration on the Final Phase of Peace in the Sudan
directs the President to implement sanctions in support of the peace in Darfur


Declaration of Genocide in Darfur (H.Con.Res.467)
Passed September 7, 2004 in the House of Representatives

The House unanimously passed H.Con.Res.467 to declare atrocities occurring in Darfur “genocide.” In addition, it called upon the US to do the following:

assume responsibility to act and stop genocide as mandated by the 1948 UN Genocide Convention;
consider leading a multilateral or even unilateral intervention to stop violence in Darfur;
impose sanctions, visa bans, and asset freezes on the Sudanese Congress and individual leaders of genocide in Darfur;
establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund so that those driven off their land may return and begin to rebuild their communities.


http://savedarfur.org/go.php?q=US_Legislation.html



As you can see from the above, the U.S. has passed legislation which commits the USA to do all it can to stop the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

The U.S. government has a LEGAL COMMITMENT to do all it can to pressure the Sudanese government to end the suffering of the People of Darfur - all this email action does is to help pres. Bush remember this legal obligation and to get him to state what the Bush administration will do in the next year to live up to its leagl responsibility to the people of Darfur.

I thank all of you who will join in this simple action to help millions of desparate people.

 

[verte76]

I just sent the President a message.

 

[angelordevil]

Thanks for posting Jamila

It's hard to know how to help with terrible issues like this one, but I think the main thing is to get involved the best way you can. Last month, I just walked in off the street and went into my local Oxfam office to see if I could help...with anything. I left the office as the person responsible in the province for checking in on candidates during the Canadian federal election. We wanted to know where they stood on the Make Poverty History campaign.

It sounds corny, but this exerience has left the impression that I really can make a difference...and almost immediately, in some cases.

Here are some Canadian links for organizations in Darfur:


http://www.care.ca/images_of_care/Sudan_Chad/photo_e.shtm

http://www.msf.ca/

http://www.oxfam.ca/news/Sudan/Q&A2.htm

http://www.unicef.ca/help/sudan.php

http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=009518&tid=032

 

[U2Girl1978]

Thanks for posting this!

I sent a letter to the President.

 

[Liesje]

It's frusterating how many people don't even know where "Darfur" is!

Since my roommate left to work for Save Darfur and people ask me where she's working, I've had to explain that Darfur is in the Sudan and this is why you should care......propbably a dozen times.

I saw Paul Rusesabagina (the man whose story inspired Hotel Rwanda) speak a few weeks ago and at the end of his speech he said "you're probably wondering why you should listen to my story and why it matters...it matters because you are the ones who must help raise awareness so that this never happens again."

Let's not let Darfur go next....

http://www.savedarfur.org/

 

[dandy]

It's frusterating how many people don't even know where "Darfur" is, or that it's even a city!

Since my roommate left to work for Save Darfur and people ask me where she's working, I've had to explain that Darfur is a city in the Sudan and this is why you should care......propbably a dozen times.

darfur is actually a sizeable region in western sudan, comprising the three provinces of north, west, and south darfur. there is no city of darfur.

thanks for posting the canadian links, too, angelordevil.

 

[Liesje]

darfur is actually a sizeable region in western sudan, comprising the three provinces of north, west, and south darfur. there is no city of darfur.

thanks for posting the canadian links, too, angelordevil.

brain fart...reading a gazillion things at once at the moment

There, all better.

 

[U2Girl1978]

I also sent a link to a few of my friends who are activists.

 

[Jamila]

This is for all of you -

If Bono has helped people to begin to understand this ONE fact then all his advocacy for the Mother Continent has been worthwhile:

Africa is an amazing, regal, diverse and beautiful continent with millions of people from thousands of different ethnic groups - each rich in their own customs, music, food, clothing, government and spirituality.

It is the original continent of humankind and, as such, it deserves everyone's respect and concern for its future.

Helping the people of Darfur is one way to help Africa.

I am truly blessed by the responses in this thread.