CARRY THE OLYMPIC TORCH FOR DARFUR

IT'S APPARENT

IN TIMES OF GENOCIDE

WE MUST LEAD

OUR LEADERS

What do these locations have in common?

• Darfur, Sudan
• Rwanda
• Yerevan, Armenia
• Sarajevo, Bosnia
• Germany and surrounding countries
• Phenom Penh, Cambodia
• Nanking, China http://nankingthefilm.com/
• The land the United States of America was created upon
  

Human inhumanity is a legacy and a stain on all of us. All of these places have this word in common: GENOCIDE. Do you know what genocide is? It was defined December 9, 1948 at the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide… http://www.hrweb.org/legal/genocide.html

And do you know the date that the United States of America ratified it? Not until November 25, 1988.

A Summary of United Nations Agreements on Human Rights: http://www.hrweb.org/legal/undocs.html

I was on a nationwide, worldwide really, hour conference call today with approximately 75 others via the Save Darfur Coalition offices in Washington, D.C. I consider myself a human rights activist and Darfur community leader in the state of Rhode Island. It was a privilege today to participate in this call. We listened to the worldwide coordinator of the Olympics Torch Relay for Darfur, Jill Savett, explain the progress and plans of this huge endeavor. There will be a Torch Relay for Darfur going through countries that have had genocides: Starting at the Chad/Darfur border, where the current genocide is, continuing in Rwanda, Armenia, Bosnia, Germany, Cambodia ending in China or in a symbolic location of China (if China won’t allow us in China). The Torch Relay will link the Darfur genocide to China, where the 2008 Olympics will take place. The Dream for Darfur Olympic Torch Relay will begin August 8, 2007, one year in advance of the opening ceremonies in Beijing, China of the 2008 Olympics. By the way, Steven Spielberg is producing the opening and closing ceremonies in Beijing, China, land of the Darfur genocide funding.

http://www.dreamfordarfur.org/TorchRelay/InternationalRelay/tabid/205/Default.aspx

But also, there will be a symbolic Torch Relay for Darfur in the United States of America. This United States of America Olympic Symbolic Torch Relay will begin September 9, 2007 which is the anniversary date that Secretary of State Colin Powell initially identified and acknowledged the actions as genocide in Darfur. The USA Darfur Relay will culminate on December 10, 2007, Global Day of Action for Darfur, which is also the date of World Human Rights Day.

www.savedarfur.org/pages/dreamfordarfurolympictorchrelay

http://www.dreamfordarfur.org/TorchRelay/USRelay/tabid/206/Default.aspx

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SaveDarfur.org has a post called "Unity Statement" that's worth checking out...

The emergency in Sudan’s western region of Darfur presents the starkest challenge to the world since the Rwanda genocide in 1994. A government-backed Arab militia known as Janjaweed has been engaging in campaigns to displace and wipe out communities of African tribal farmers (notes…

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Why Focus on China

China has two large oil companies in Sudan, which makes money for the Sudanese government. Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir uses 70 % of the nation’s budget for his military who works in coordination with the Janjaweed to commit the genocide on the Darfuri families. This is proven by human rights organizations, independent films, such as Darfur Diaries, as well as the African Union troops who have for years been documenting the stories and actions, in addition to taking pictures of the carnage. China sits on the Security Council of the United Nations and is in a position to put an end to this four and half year genocide, however it has done not only nothing to alleviate or stop the genocide, but it has done the opposite by making supportive statements repeatedly for Omar al-Bashir, the mastermind behind the genocide.

Email the National Olympic Committee to state your position on the Darfur genocide:

http://www.dreamfordarfur.org/TakeAction/EmailNationalOlympicCommittees/tabid/159/Default.aspx

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Please . . . please, Sign the Petition.

Tell the Olympic Committee to Bring the Olympic Dream to the People of Darfur.

Sign the Petition to the International Olympic Committee:

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/Dream/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=623&t=DefaultTemplate.dwt

The organizers of the Dream for Darfur’s sponsored International Olympic Torch Relay for Darfur met the China Ambassador to the United States last Friday. China proved to be cognizant of this endeavor. We have their attention. It is important that we have their attention. And more.

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Gabriel Starring, who is and has been on the Chad/Darfur border for two weeks, was also on the conference call today and told us that the people in the “refugee” camps just “want to go home” and that they are in “survivor mode” in these camps. He said:

there is “no rule of law”, life is “unpredictable”, there is “no security”, “humanitarian aid is hit and miss”

that when he was there in 2005, camps were relatively stable and things have deteriorated drastically

the people want to find hope and that they want to connect with us

the people are resilient, beautiful and strong and that he feels at one with them.

Gabriel stated that the people are no different than us and that we would want them to do for us if it was us.

Gabriel told us that videos that they have been taking there are uploaded daily and can be seen at www.stopgenocidenow.org Gabriel’s group is going to leave video equipment with the people when they leave, so that the people can feel a connection to the rest of the world, which they so desperately need.

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Then, Mia Farrow spoke to us about her trip there. She said that more than the needed water and food, the people's plea is for protection, safety . . . that the UN is hopelessly paralyzed, that China sits on the Security Council and has rendered the UN toothless regarding Darfur, that Beijing pours billions of dollars into the Sudanese government’s coffers and in effect are underwriting the first genocide of the 21^st century, that China’s oil companies’ air strips in Sudan are being used for planes bombing the Darfuri families and communities, that 76% of China in a poll stated that they believe that China has the responsibility to step up and do the right thing.

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Youtube Submission for CNN question for Presidential Candidate “Debate”

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Scott Warren, of Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, who is the new executive director of www.standnow.org told us that the United States Olympic Torch Relays goals are to:

1. Influence China regarding their responsibility to use their leverage to end the Sudanese government’s perpetrating the genocide on their own people

1. That the 2008 Chinese Olympics are China’s “Coming Out Party” and that by shaming

them - they will do the correct thing

b. To gain media coverage of this issue of our complicity and living out our stated values of

human rights is something we also must be pressured to do as a nation

2. Make an impact on the world, the USA populace and the Presidential candidates

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I plan to organize an Olympic Torch Relay for Darfur in the state of Rhode Island

Once my plans materialize, I will post it on www.savedarfur.org/pages/dreamfordarfurolympictorchrelay

I also will post here about the plans as we go along.

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BY THE WAY, I CALLED PRESIDENT BUSH TODAY AT

202 – 456 – 1111, just as I ask you to do every day.

I was only asked what state that I am from.

Today, my message was:

"I am calling about the Darfur genocide. I believe we are standing idly by and I’d like us to stop that and take action."

When the automated message came on I just waited as if I have a rotary dial phone in order to talk to the person live. This is the President’s Comment Line and she says that she will pass on the message to the President. If you and I call every day until this genocide is over, it is a small step for humankind and toward peace. It’s really up to us to shine a light on our responsibility to stop genocide. Evidentally, our leaders need us to lead them in times of genocide.

The President's Comment Phone Line is open Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
202 - 456 - 1111

email: president@whitehouse.gov

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Call your US Senators & Representatives at

1 - 800 - GENOCIDE

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Genocide flourishes when there is no accountability.

WE CAN’T SAY THAT WE CARE ABOUT JUSTICE

WHEN WE DO NOTHING TO STOP THE INJUSTICE

We each have a voice.

We each have a presence.

We have been called to be human

 in the most basic way

 on this subject.  

Where there is a will - there is always a way.  

And where there is no will - there is no way.

Silence is necessary for genocide to go on.  

Our collective silence is a weapon used by the genocidaires.  

Silence kills.  

And we are responsible for our personal silence.

Let us not be silent.

If Peace never begins, Genocide will never end.

One World.

One humanity.

One Human Race.

One.

• http://www.Savedarfur.org
• http://www.ajws.org/
• www.sudandivestment.org/
• http://www.genocideintervention.net/
• http://www.standnow.org/

What Legacy Will You Leave?

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