Introducing Team Darfur
The buzz is building for this summer’s Olympics. There are many records set to be broken and many athletes will establish themselves as the future of their respective sports. However, some athletes have another thought in the back of their minds - the suffering men, women, and children in Darfur. Most of those athletes have joined with Team Darfur to raise awareness about Darfur and to encourage China, the Olympic host, and all nations of the world to take responsible actions to alleviate the suffering of so many Darfurians.
...Team Darfur now has over 380 athletes representing 63 countries from around the world, and the numbers continue to grow. Team Darfur athletes have shown their support for the people of Darfur by wearing Team Darfur gear, expressing their concerns to the media, participating in awareness-raising events, and recruiting their fellow athletes and competitors to join the movement. Many well-known athletes have joined the cause including Philip Dunn, an Olympic racewalker, who will be competing in his third straight Olympic Games for the United States. Doug Lennox II, an Olympic swimmer from Puerto Rico, has also served as an active voice for Darfur. Both athletes have signed the open letter that asks the international community to call for an Olympic Truce for Darfur.
...To date, athletes have participated in press conferences on Capitol Hill and at the Chinese Mission to the UN, met with members of Congress and members of the International Olympic Committee, and testified before the Senate. Team Darfur athletes were also instrumental in reversing a trend practiced by Olympic Committees in which they attempted to gag their athletes on human rights issues. The United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Belgium all made early attempts to ban political speech by athletes at the Olympics. This news quickly made its way to the press who were anxious to speak with Team Darfur athletes. The attention given to this issue has led both the UK and New Zealand to weaken or reverse their ban on athletes’ right to free speech...
...In just a few short weeks, over 60 Team Darfur athletes will be competing in Beijing. We hope you’ll join us in cheering on their efforts in their sports, and their efforts for the people of Darfur. You can show your support by wearing a Team Darfur tshirt or sweatband during the games, and by following Team Darfur’s athletes at www.TeamDarfur.org.
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China is providing Sudan with military assistance in the troubled Darfur region, A BBC Panorama investigation suggests. The UN has imposed an arms embargo against Sudan which requires nations like China to stop their military equipment from going to Darfur. Hilary Andersson reports from Darfur. See the video at this link.
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