Genocide Arrest Warrant for Bashir
Spirited Rally At The White House
July 14th, 2010 by David TannenbaumDark ominous clouds hung over Lafayette Square. The winds that travel through the sky brought rain, light but persistent rain. The winds carried with them something more invigorating as well. “STOP GENOCIDE IN DARFUR”, “al-BASHIR TO THE ICC”, and “JUSTICE FOR SUDAN” were just some of the spirited chants that echoed across the plaza. Members from Sudanese Voices for Freedom, The Armenian Assembly of America, the Armenian National Committee of America, Africa Action, Save Darfur, and other organizations gathered in support of the ICC’s most recent arrest warrant against Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir.
Picture taken by Mark Lotwis at rally in front of the White House on July 14, 2010.
The rally participants also called on President Obama to fulfill his campaign promises to the people of Darfur. Rain, humidity, and even the occasional water-soaked sign could not dissuade this devoted assembly from having their voices heard. And heard they were, al Jazeera interviewed a few spirited supporters as did a reporter for NPR. Tourists and visitors in the area witnessed a classic spectacle of activist speaking their minds, and many were moved to sign Save Darfur petitions. With the stroke of a pen, ordinary people from Springfield Massachusetts, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, and even Ghana committed their support to the people of Darfur. Small in number, but large in determination, the spirited rally of grassroots activists on a hot, muggy, and rainy Wednesday afternoon is a testament to the fortitude that these groups posses.
Honor these hard workers: Send a message to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton TODAY. Every message matters, every message is needed. ACT NOW!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
to Support Arrest Warrants and Ensure Civilian Protection
14 July 2010
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama:
On Monday, July 12th, 2010 the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber 1 judges issued a second arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir after determining that there are reasonable grounds to believe he is responsible for three counts of genocide committed against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups in Darfur. As faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations working together to bring peace and justice to Darfur and all Sudan, we welcome this new arrest warrant and urge you to lead the international community in pursuing justice for the people of Darfur in parallel with efforts to achieve peace and security for all Sudanese.
It is urgently necessary for your administration to send a clear signal to the Government of Sudan that any acts that threaten civilians, Sudanese human rights activists, aid workers or peacekeepers in Darfur will not be tolerated. After the first ICC warrant was issued for al-Bashir’s arrest in March 2009, Khartoum expelled over a dozen international aid groups and disbanded three Sudanese aid organizations, forcing an emergency response from the United Nations and international community to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur. Despite these efforts, many humanitarian programs, including aid for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, have not been restored over the last sixteen months. Vigilant monitoring and action by your administration and other world leaders is necessary to prevent compounding this tragedy. Such vigilance is particularly critical given that this arrest warrant comes in the midst of a spike in violence in Darfur and a government crackdown on human rights and political freedoms in Sudan in the wake of seriously flawed elections this past April.
The United States government should also publicly reaffirm its support for the ICC’s pursuit of justice in Darfur. As a leader in the international community and a permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), which referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC in 2005, the United States has a vital role in ensuring justice and accountability for the gravest crimes committed against civilians. Your administration should work together with the UNSC and ICC member states to ensure the swift enforcement of this and all ICC arrest warrants for those accused of atrocities in Darfur.
Finally, the United States must intensify its diplomatic efforts to negotiate a just agreement that addresses the root causes of the conflict in Darfur and to press for the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in its last stages. Toward these ends and to prevent a return to broader conflict in Sudan, your administration should put into action the promised consequences and pressures for the lack of measurable progress and continued backsliding on key benchmarks by the Government of Sudan and other Sudanese actors. During this volatile period in Sudan, it is imperative that the ICC warrants are not manipulated by the Government of Sudan to disrupt or distract from the fragile Darfur peace process or preparations for the upcoming referendum on southern secession.
In light of the challenges currently faced by the Sudanese people, justice and accountability remain critical components of a comprehensive and lasting solution to the crisis in Darfur. As advocates, we thank you for the leadership you have shown pushing for peace in Darfur and supporting the International Criminal Court’s pursuit of justice. In this historic moment – a milestone in the pursuit of international justice and a pivotal step for the people of Sudan – strong leadership by the United States is of utmost importance. We urge your administration to seize this opportunity to lead the international community in working for a just resolution to the conflict in Darfur and lasting peace for all Sudanese.
Sincerely,
Gerald LeMelle
Executive Director
Africa Action
David Harris
Executive Director
American Jewish Committee
Ruth W. Messinger
President
American Jewish World Service
Nikki Serapio
Director
Americans Against the Darfur Genocide
Larry Cox
Executive Director
Amnesty International USA
Barbara Thomas
Clerk
Annapolis Friends Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)
Abraham H. Foxman
National Director
Anti-Defamation League
Bryan Ardouny
Executive Director
Armenian Assembly of America
Aram Suren Hamparian
Executive Director
Armenian National Committee of America
Daniel S. Mariaschin
Executive Vice President
B'nai B'rith International
Corey Dragge
Founder/Carl Wilkens Fellow
Champion Darfur
Sara Caine Kornfeld
Project Founder/Educator
"Change the world. It just takes cents"
Don Kraus
Chief Executive Officer
Citizens for Global Solution
Judy Lackritz
Community Relations Director
Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio
The Rev. Timothy Oslovich
Chairperson
Connecticut Coalition to Save Darfur
Daowd Salih & Mohamed Yahya
Co-Founder and Board President & Executive Director
Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy
Doreen Romney
Co-Founder
Darfur and Beyond
Mahmoud A. M. Braima
President
Darfur Association in the United States
Bakheit A. Shata
Founder/Executive Director
Darfur Community Organization
Richard Young and Martha Boshnick
Co-Chairs
Darfur Interfaith Network
Motasim Adam
Director
Darfur People’s Association of New York
Abdelbagi Jibril
Executive Director
Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre
Amal Allagabo
General Secretary
Darfuri Women Action Group
Gerri Miller
Founder and Coordinator
Dear Sudan, Love Marin
John Norris
Executive Director
Enough!
Mohammed Ahmed Eisa
Fur Solidarity
Mark Hanis
President
Genocide Intervention Network
Marv Steinberg
Coordinator
Genocide No More – Save Darfur
Robert Goodis
Director
The Goodis Center for Research and Reform, LLC
A.J. Fay
Co-Founder
Idaho Darfur Coalition
Mayurika Poddar
Director
India Foundation Inc.
Helen Fein
Board Chair
Institute for the Study of Genocide
Shrikumar Poddar
President
International Service Society
Eric Cohen
Chairperson
Investors Against Genocide
Rabbi Steve Gutow
President
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Tzivia Schwartz Getzug
Executive Director
Jewish World Watch
Eileen Weiss
Co-founder
Jews Against Genocide
Bob Brousseau, Dr. Dave Robinson & Phil Nippert
Founder & Co-Chairs
Kentuckiana Interfaith Taskforce On Darfur
Julia A. Hays
Founder/Director
Keokuk for Darfur
Nancy Walsh
Coordinator
Long Island Darfur Action Group
Rev. David Emmanuel Goatley
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Lott Carey
William Rosenfeld
Director
Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur
Marc Furmanski
Founder/Co-President
Miami Help Darfur Now
Timothy P. Page, M.D.
President
Michigan Darfur Coalition
Gloria White-Hammond
Co-Founder
My Sister’s Keeper
Tony Kireopoulos
Associate General Secretary, Faith & Order and Interfaith Relations
National Council of Churches, USA
Lauren Fortgang
Co-Founder
Never Again Coalition
Sharon Silber
Co-Director
New York City Coalition for Darfur
Helga Moor
Founder
New York Darfur Vigil Group
Tanya L. Simon
Coordinator
North Jersey Coalition for Darfur
Mark Christopher Hackett
Founder, President
Operation Broken Silence
David Rosenberg
Coordinator
Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition
Rabbi Gilah Dror, President
Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, Executive Vice President
Rabbi Jack L. Moline, Director of Public Policy
Rabbinical Assembly
Michael Pertnoy
Founder
Righteous Pictures
Barry Hubbard
Co-Founder
San Antonio Interfaith Darfur Coalition
Mohamed Suleiman
President
San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition
Mike Edington & Bill Schulz
Board Members
Save Darfur Coalition
Rev. Jennifer Hope Kottler
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Sojourners
Gabriel Stauring
Director
Stop Genocide Now
Susan Smylie
Co-Founder
Texans Against Genocide
Union for Reform Judaism
A. Edward Elmendorf
President and CEO
United Nations Association of the USA
James E. Winkler
General Secretary
General Board of Church and Society
United Methodist Church
Sandra Hammel
Director
Use Your Voice to Stop Genocide Rhode Island
Roberta Roos
Member, Coordinating Committee
Westchester Darfur Coalition
Yale University STAND
Cc: Secretary Clinton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have You Ever?
Have you ever had a part of a song's lyrics in your head and you couldn't remember the song that they are from? Well, this has happened to me. For months now....the lyrics go like this "how sweet it is to love someone, how right it is to care". And I can't figure out the song.* While searching for the song I came across this song:
Rhymes and Reasons by John Denver
..................................................
..................................................
Uploaded by chiphead12
So you speak to me of sadness and the coming of the winter
Fear that is within you now that seems to never end
And the dreams that have escaped you
And the hope that you've forgotten
And you tell me that you need me now
And you want to be my friend
And you wonder where we're going,
Where's the rhyme and where's the reason,
And it's you cannot accept it is here we must begin
To seek the wisdom of the children
And the graceful way of flowers in the wind
For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness would clear a cloudy day
Like the music of the mountains and the colors of the rainbow
They're a promise of the future and a blessing for today.
Though the cities start to crumble and the towers fall around us
The sun is slowly fading and it's colder than the sea
It is written from the desert to the mountains they shall lead us
By the hand and by the heart they will comfort you and me
In their innocence and trusting they will teach us to be free
For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness would clear a cloudy day
And the song that I am singing is a prayer to non-believers
Come and stand beside us, we can find a better way
* I found it! I put it in my next post - a post all its own...
No comments:
Post a Comment