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Saturday, July 24, 2010

LET MY SPIRIT SING

Every time I am going to sing and play piano in public, I go through this "dialogue" with myself. I don't know why I do it so relaxed at home with my spirit doing the singing, not so much my voice....the voice is the vehicle, but the spirit does the "driving". So tomorrow I am singing. I would like just once - to get this right - to sing and be able to relax into the music's soul. Serve the sound.

For inspiration
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Uploaded by PinkVEVO

"Glitter In The Air"

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Closed your eyes and trusted, just trusted?
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, "I just don't care"?

It's only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg
The sun before the burn
The thunder before the lightning
The breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
You're whole life waiting on the ring to prove you're not alone
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It's only half past the point of oblivion
The hourglass on the table
The walk before the run
The breath before the kiss
And the fear before the flames
Have you ever felt this way?

La La La La La La La La

There you are, sitting in the garden
Clutching my coffee,
Calling me sugar
You called me sugar

Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight?
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself will it ever get better than tonight?
Tonight

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Sunday, July 18, 2010

"HOW SWEET IT IS TO LOVE SOMEONE, HOW RIGHT IT IS TO CARE..."

I found it! Here is a cover of it
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Uploaded by marthival
Poems, Prayers and Promises - John Denver

I've been lately thinking
About my life's time
All the things I've done
And how it's been
And I can't help believing
In my own mind
I know I'm gonna hate to see it end

I've seen a lot of sunshine
Slept out in the rain
Spent a night or two all on my own
I've known my lady's pleasures
Had myself some friends
And spent a night or two in my own home

And I have to say it now
It's been a good life all in all
It's really fine
To have a chance to hang around
And lie there by the fire
And watch the evening tire
While all my friends and my old lady
Sit and pass the pipe around

And talk of poems and prayers and promises
And things that we believe in
How sweet it is to love someone
How right it is to care
How long it's been since yesterday
And what about tomorrow
And what about our dreams
And all the memories we share

The days they pass so quickly now
Nights are seldom long
And time around me whispers when it's cold
The changes somehow frighten me
Still I have to smile
It turns me on to think of growing old
For though my life's been good to me
There's still so much to do
So many things my mind has never known
I'd like to raise a family
I'd like to sail away
And dance across the mountains on the moon

I have to say it now
It's been a good life all in all
It's really fine
To have the chance to hang around
And lie there by the fire
And watch the evening tire
While all my friends and my old lady
Sit and watch the sun go down

And talk of poems and prayers and promises
And things that we believe in
How sweet it is to love someone How right it is to care
How long it's been since yesterday
What about tomorrow
What about our dreams
And all the memories we share

Click the post title and go to John Denver singing this song....there is no embed available.


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DEAR PRESIDENT OBAMA - another multi-signature letter to plead for accountability of his words



Genocide Arrest Warrant for Bashir

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a second warrant for the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for three counts of genocide. When the first ICC warrant for al-Bashir's arrest on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes was issued last year, the Khartoum regime's retaliation put millions of civilians at risk. Take action today to prevent new retaliation, protect Darfuri civilians and support justice for Darfur.

Spirited Rally At The White House

July 14th, 2010 by David Tannenbaum

Dark 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.

Rally at the White House

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!


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Sign-on Letter to President Obama
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


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Our humanity in the balance


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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


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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...

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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

WANTED FOR WAR CRIMES, GENOCIDE, CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY - PRESIDENT OMAR AL-BASHIR



Rally for Justice
If you are in the Washington, D.C. area, there is a wonderful opportunity to join Darfuris and others at 1:00 p.m at the Whitehouse, Wednesday, July 14, 2010.







Posters made by human rights activist A.J. Fay
idahodarfurcoalition.org

You can also find the posters HERE

We have a great way to fax them, if you have access to fax the posters on a fax machine you can do that also, but if you go to www.faxzero.com you can:
-Enter in your information
-Enter the destination’s information
-Then you just upload the saved .pdf from your computer.
You can do this twice a day.

Fax numbers:
UN Secretary General: 212.963.4879
Department of State: 202.663.3636
Sudan Embassy Fax: 202.667.2406
White House Fax: 202.456.2461

Also, we can mail the posters via snail mail to:

President Obama and Vice President Biden :
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and Special Envoy to Sudan, Major General Scott Gration
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

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Uploaded by
ilovemylifesblog


Join the Sudan3 Campaign

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Monday, July 12, 2010

GENOCIDE, OMAR AL-BASHIR AND JUSTICE - WHO WILL TAKE THE COURAGEOUS STEP TO LEAD TOWARD JUSTICE?


The ICC story should be front page news today in USA newspapers and one of the major stories on network and cable "news" and political networks - what are the chances of that? What per centage of those will cover this story? It is heartbreaking, unacceptable and unforgivable that our USA news media have been complicit in the story being so stagnant and neglected in the reporting world. It is hardly breaking news that we care about what is put in front of our faces. Especially, our politicians need to be told what matters to us and what we want to define us. As Patrick Kennedy told me once in a Darfur lobby meeting with him...."the squeaky wheel gets the grease in Washington, D.C." And as then Senator Lincoln Chafee legislative aids told me in 2006- it is critically important for the USA citizens be many about speaking out to end the Darfur genocide. I said, " I was moved by the streams of people coming up out of the subway stop where I was volunteering...that they didn't have to come, and yet they did." And their response was "But, 'they' do have to come." - implying, or else nothing will happen....Well....nothing has happened and "some" of us have been speaking out for over 6 plus years.

WHAT HAS THE WORLD DONE TO PROTECT THE CURRENT VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE?

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Press Release: 12.07.2010


Pre-Trial Chamber I issues a second warrant of arrest against Omar Al Bashir for counts of genocide

ICC-CPI-20100712-PR557

Case: The Prosecutor v. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir
Situation: Darfur, Sudan

Source: www.icc-cpi.int

Also reported here: news.bbc.co.uk

Today, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a second warrant of arrest against the President of Sudan, Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir, considering that there are reasonable grounds to believe him responsible for three counts of genocide committed against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups, that include: genocide by killing, genocide by causing serious bodily or mental harm and genocide by deliberately inflicting on each target group conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s physical destruction.

This second arrest warrant does not replace or revoke in any respect the first warrant of arrest issued against Mr Al Bashir on 4 March, 2009, which shall thus remain in effect. In the previous arrest warrant, the Chamber considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Al Bashir is criminally responsible for five counts of crimes against humanity (murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture and rape) and two counts for war crimes (intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities, and pillaging).

On 4 March, 2009, Pre-Trial Chamber I had rejected the Prosecutor’s application in respect of the crime of genocide. On 6 July, 2009, the Prosecutor filed an appeal against this decision. On 3 February, 2010, the Appeals Chamber rendered its judgment on the Prosecutor’s appeal, reversing, by unanimous decision, Pre-Trial Chamber I’s decision of 4 March, 2009, to the extent that Pre-Trial Chamber I decided “not to issue a warrant of arrest in respect of the charge of genocide in view of an erroneous standard of proof”. The Appeals Chamber directed the Pre-Trial Chamber to decide anew whether or not the arrest warrant should be extended to cover the charge of genocide. Applying the standard of proof as identified by the Appeals Chamber, Pre-Trial Chamber I concluded today that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Al Bashir acted with specific intent to destroy in part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups.

Pre-Trial Chamber I requests the Registrar of the Court to prepare a supplementary request for co-operation seeking the arrest and surrender of Mr Al Bashir for the counts contained in both the first and the second warrant of arrest, and transmit such a request to the competent Sudanese authorities, to all States Parties to the Rome Statute, and to all the United Nations Security Council members that are not States Parties to the Statute. The Registrar is also directed to transmit additional requests for the arrest and surrender of Omar Al Bashir to the Court to any other State as may be necessary.

The situation in Darfur was referred to the International Criminal Court by the United Nations Security Council’s resolution 1593, on 31 March, 2005. In this situation, four cases are being heard: The Prosecutor v. Ahmad Muhammad Harun (“Ahmad Harun”) and Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (“Ali Kushayb”); The Prosecutor v. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir; The Prosecutor v. Bahar Idriss Abu Garda and The Prosecutor v. Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus.

The International Criminal Court is the only permanent international court established with the mission to help put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, namely the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and thus to contribute to the prevention of such crimes.

Decision on the Prosecution's Application for a Warrant of Arrest against Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir

Second Decision on the Prosecution's Application for a Warrant of Arrest

Judgment on the appeal of the Prosecutor against the "Decision on the Prosecution's Application for a Warrant of Arrest against Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir"

Warrant of Arrest for Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir

Second warrant of arrest for Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir

Case information sheet "The Prosecutor v. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir"

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The Save Darfur Coalition welcomes today’s decision by the International Criminal Court judges and highlights that justice and accountability are critical components of a comprehensive solution to the crisis in Darfur. SCD also urges the Obama administration to immediately make clear to the Government of Sudan that any retaliation against civilians, aid workers or UN personnel will not be tolerated. The US and international community should vigilantly monitor the humanitarian and human rights situation in Sudan and work to prevent and, if necessary, swiftly respond to any such retaliatory acts

What the decision means:
  • While the ICC arrest warrants for al-Bashir certainly add some legal weight to our long-held conviction that Omar al-Bashir is responsible for grave crimes against civilians in Darfur, today’s decision by the ICC judges does not mean that the ICC has declared genocide has occurred or is occurring in Darfur.

  • Al-Bashir would need to appear before the ICC judges, have his charges confirmed in an initial hearing, then face trial for and be found guilty of genocide before we could say that the ICC judges have determined that Omar al-Bashir committed genocide in Darfur or that genocide has occurred in Darfur.

What should be done:

  • The Obama Administration must immediately make clear to the Government of Sudan that any reaction to today’s news that threatens civilians, aid workers or peacekeepers in Darfur will not be tolerated. After the first ICC arrest warrant was announced last March, Bashir 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.
  • The US and international community must vigilantly monitor the humanitarian and human rights situation in Sudan and swiftly respond to any threats or acts of violence or other repression against civilians, aid workers or peacekeepers.
  • The United States government should reaffirm its support for the ICC’s pursuit of justice in Darfur and should work together with UN Security Council and ICC member states to ensure the enforcement of this and all ICC arrest warrants for those accused of atrocities in Darfur, including al-Bashir.

Save Darfur Coalition's blog will have more throughout the day: http://blogfordarfur.org/

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RIGHTS GROUPS RESPOND TO NEW “GENOCIDE” ARREST WARRANT FOR PRESIDENT BASHIR

International community must bring Bashir and other indictees to justice and prevent violent retaliation by Bashir regime

WASHINGTON, D.C.Four human rights advocacy organizations - the Enough Project at the Center for American Progress, Genocide Intervention Network, the Save Darfur Coalition, and the American Jewish World Service - jointly issued the following statement in response.

The issuance of a second arrest warrant for President Al-Bashir for three counts of genocide requires the international community to fully support the ICC and renew its efforts to apprehend him and all others wanted by the ICC for crimes committed in Darfur. The Government of Sudan should immediately turn over President al-Bashir to face trial in The Hague. Barring this unlikely cooperation, the United States and the international community should work together to ensure Bashir’s swift arrest.

After the ICC issued the first warrant for al-Bashir’s arrest in March 2009, President Bashir evicted more than a dozen international aid groups from Sudan, putting thousands of lives at risk. The international community did little to challenge this retaliation, and critically needed services, including aid for survivors of sexual violence, were lost and never replaced in Darfur. President Obama, the UN Security Council, and other world leaders must make it clear to President Bashir that any new retaliation against humanitarian efforts will be met with clear consequences. Sudanese civilians should not be targeted as justice is pursued for those who have died and suffered in Darfur.

The Bashir regime's decades of crimes must end. While risk of a return to full-scale, national war grows and a referendum for southern Sudanese self-determination draws near, the Obama administration should put in action the consequences and pressures it promised for the lack of measurable progress and continued backsliding on key benchmarks by the Government of Sudan and other parties. The United States also needs to intensify its diplomatic efforts to find a path to peace in Sudan, with support from President Obama and other senior members of his foreign policy team.

“Accountability is a fundamental component of sustainable peace in Sudan,” says John Prendergast, Co-Founder of the Enough Project. “President Obama should make abundantly clear his unequivocal support for peace rooted in justice in Sudan by sending the message that consequences will result from any retaliation against Sudanese civilians as a result of this warrant, and by building stronger international support for this warrant.”

“The American people are expecting President Obama to fulfill his campaign promises and forcefully support the ICC and protect civilians in Sudan,” says Mark Hanis, President of the Genocide Intervention Network. “The United States government should reaffirm its support for the ICC’s pursuit of justice in Darfur and should work together with UN Security Council and ICC member states to ensure the swift enforcement of this and all ICC arrest warrants for those accused of atrocities in Darfur, including al-Bashir.”

“The United States and broader international community must vigilantly monitor for any threats or acts of violence or other repression against civilians, Sudanese human rights activists, aid workers or peacekeepers,” says Mark Lotwis, Acting President of the Save Darfur Coalition. “While pushing for al-Bashir’s apprehension, the Obama administration must lead efforts to prevent a repeat of the merciless and cruel retaliation by the Khartoum regime last year.”

“Today’s decision comes at a perilous time for the Sudanese people,” said American Jewish World Service (AJWS) president Ruth Messinger. “The Obama administration’s vigilance in implementing the accountability mechanisms central to its Sudan policy is critical to ensure this decision is not used as a pretext to punish civilians and interrupt life-saving aid.”




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Daily Actions

from http://www.stopgenocidenow.org/daily-actions

Check back weekly for updated things you can do!

It will only take you 5 minutes a day to have an impact on millions of lives.

Obama Administration: Don’t Be AWOL on Justice for Sudan!

Today the International Criminal Court issued a second arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al awol.jpgBashir – it has now added charges of three counts of genocide to his previous seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. It is the first time ever the Court has issued an arrest warrant for genocide.

Yesterday President Obama called for the prosecution and arrest of those that carried out the genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina 15 years ago, saying “there can be no lasting peace without justice.”

Why, then, does he remain AWOL on justice for Sudan?

Take Action! 
 Please do one or more of the easy, suggested actions to tell President Obama, “Do Not Be AWOL on Justice for Sudan!”

On Facebook:

Leave messages for President Obama (you’ll have to click the “like” but ton on the page first) and tell him:

Following the ICC’s arrest warrant against Sudan’s President Omer al Bashir, the US government must do everything in its power to support the ICC’s effort to bring justice to Sudan, to renew the international community’s efforts to apprehend Bashir, and to prevent retaliation against innocent civilians in Sudan. President Obama, don’t be AWOL on justice in Sudan!” http://tinyurl.com/382jldx

By Phone:

Call the President Obama at 202-456-1111 (9 AM – 5 PM EST, M-F) and tell him:

“My name is ________, and I’m calling from ____________. Following the ICC arrest warrant for genocide against President Bashir, the US government should do everything in its power to support the ICC’s effort to bring justice to Sudan, to renew the international community’s efforts to apprehend Bashir and to prevent retaliation against innocent civilians in Sudan. Mere words of condemnation will not work any longer – the people of Sudan need real pressure on their government and full cooperation with the ICC. Don’t be AWOL on justice in Sudan!”

On Twitter:


ACTIONS YOU CAN DO
from Save Darfur Coaltion

1) Call the State Department at 202-647-4000 and ask that the US government do everything in its power to prevent retaliation against innocent civilians in Sudan.

2) Spread the word about & show public support for this new arrest warrant.

a. Tweet about it:

The ICC issues a 2nd arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir - for crimes of #genocide http://ow.ly/2aaO0 #Sudan cc: @statedept & @whitehouse

// or cc reporters and news agencies.

b. Post a link to the ICC’s press release on your Facebook page: http://www.icc-cpi.int/menus/icc/press%20and%20media/press%20releases/pr557

c. Send an email to your list. Include the quote from the press release: “there are reasonable grounds to believe [Omar al-Bashir] responsible for three counts of genocide committed against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups, that include: genocide by killing, genocide by causing serious bodily or mental harm and genocide by deliberately inflicting on each target group conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s physical destruction.”

3) Support members of the Sudanese Diaspora gathering on Wednesday July 14, 2010 to protest Bashir’s continued flaunting of international justice. More about the DC event is available here: http://blogfordarfur.org/archives/4655

Save Darfur is putting together a petition that will be emailed out later today, and GI-Net is updating 1-800-GENOCIDE with talking points. I’ll let you know when that is all available.

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Sandra Hammel

Use Your Voice to Stop Genocide RI
Genocide will only stop with us demanding it - Our leaders have taught us this
"The most important things belong first, not last or never."
Words of the Earth by Cedric Wright

If you want peace, work for justice

إذا كنت تريد السلام ، أعمل من أجل العدالة

President Obama: 202-456-1111 or 1-800-GENOCIDE

our humanity in the balance

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