IT'S NOT ENOUGH THAT YOU HAVE FREEDOM

I BELIEVE USING YOUR VOICE TO SPEAK UP FOR JUSTICE IS NECESSARY

JUSTICE DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN

I have been preoccupied with real life recently and haven't posted in several days. I led a lobby meeting regarding Sudan, Darfur and genocide to our United States Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed's office on December 9, this past Tuesday. It is the fifth time since April 2006 that I have lobbied him on Darfur. During the preparation time and follow-up I have squeezed in a couple of movies, yesterday, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and today Changeling.

Over the years, I have also lobbied our other Senator who was Lincoln Chafee and now is Sheldon Whitehouse, as well as our U.S. RI Representative Patrick Kennedy regarding Darfur.

Here is some of the information used for our meeting this week:

OVERVIEW for Darfur and Sudan

On July 22, 2004 the United States Congress took an unprecedented step when it recognized that the ongoing atrocities occurring in Darfur were genocide. However—nearly 4 and a half years later—the genocide continues. So far this year, at least 1,200 people have been killed by direct violence and over 300,000 people have been displaced. 2008 also saw the continuation of the Sudanese government's offensive military overflights in Darfur with 43 attacks. Darfur peace initiatives have failed and the current peacekeeping mission is still largely ineffective.

What’s Needed in Darfur: a Three-Pronged Approach

Peace Surge: An expedited and robust commitment to peace is needed. This will require the selection of a senior official responsible for this issue. The United States must also reach out to interested parties with leverage in Sudan and the region, especially China, the United Kingdom, France and key African countries, to coordinate efforts.

Commitment to an Effective Peacekeeping Mission: UNAMID is failing to achieve its central goal of protecting the civilian population in Darfur. A robust force on the ground in Darfur, with a competent lead nation and a clear command and control structure, is essential for saving lives, creating an environment amenable to the peace surge and establishing the international credibility required to ensure that a broader peace strategy succeeds.

Accountability and Justice: Accountability for crimes against humanity in Darfur remains an essential element of a lasting peace in Sudan. A premature deferral of the cases against Sudan’s leadership through invocation of Article 16 of the ICC’s Rome Statute would set back the cause of peace. The U.S. should veto any UNSC resolution invoking Article 16.

Preferred Responses to Questions
for Presidential Nominees on Darfur/Sudan
December 9, 2008
U.S. RI Senator Jack Reed - Policy Director Nancy Langrall

Question 1: Is ending the genocide in Darfur a top-five foreign policy priority for the Obama administration?

• Genocide in Darfur has greatly contributed to instability in the entire region. Instability, particularly on this scale, should be a serious concern as it relates to U.S. security.
• Iraq and Afghanistan are important foreign policy priorities, but Darfur should be too.
• The U.S. does not need to send troops to Darfur, but we need a concerted diplomatic effort to get an international peacekeeping force on the ground, get an inclusive peace process, accountability for perpetrators of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Question 2: Under what circumstances would the Obama administration consider Article 16 for the case of Sudan?

• Support vetoing Article 16.
• If Article 16 is going to be invoked, worries that the following won’t happen:
o Peace deal
o Alternative mechanism for accountability
o Evidence that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has been implemented

Don’t trade accountability for war crimes for empty promises from Khartoum.

Question 3: What steps will you take to reinvigorate UNAMID?

UNAMID, the hybrid U.N.-African Union mission in Darfur, is failing to achieve its central goal of protecting the civilian population in the region.
• Sudanese government cannot be allowed to dictate the terms of UNAMID. We must not allow Khartoum to decide the mission’s force size, national composition, the extent of AU versus international participation, timeframe for deployment, or civilian protection mandate.
• We need a robust force on the ground in Darfur with a competent lead nation and a clear command-and-control structure is essential for saving lives, creating an environment amenable to the peace surge. This will establish the international credibility required to ensure that a broader peace strategy succeeds.

Question 4: Who will have the Sudan portfolio in an Obama administration? To whom will that person report?

• We need a senior U.S. official within the Administration (as high up as possible) to take responsibility for the “Darfur/Sudan Portfolio”. This person will make this issue progressively improve from the day he or she is assigned to the Sudanese issues.

• The reporting structure should reflect the importance of the issue by ensuring that a lead decision-maker in the Administration is readily made aware of any changes on the ground.

Question 5: In 2008, there were 43 reported aerial attacks in Darfur. What will your administration do to enforce the UN ban on military offensive overflights by the Government of Sudan?

The U.N. Security Council has demanded an end to offensive military flights several times, most recently in Resolution 1769, which authorized UNAMID. UNAMID has not enforced that demand. It is clear that the Obama administration and the U.N. Security Council need to consider how best to counter these continuing aerial flights and provocations and then make the plans work.
• What are the nominee’s thoughts on a no-fly zone? What would a no-fly zone entail? How else might offensive military overflights be stopped?

Question 6: Given its dependence on Sudanese oil, China has an interest in a peaceful Sudan. What steps will you take to work with China to ensure that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement holds and that the crisis in Darfur is ended through a negotiated solution?

• We need to change the conversation with China. In other words, appeal to China’s economic interest in Sudan. Use China’s economic interest, as a starting point to work with China on an initiative for peace in Sudan.

Lobby your U.S. Congressperson -
Setting up and Preparing for a Face to Face Meeting

An in-person visit with a member of Congress or their staff is the single most effective way you can advocate for an end to genocide. You can meet your legislator or their staff in Washington, DC, or in their district office near your home.

How to schedule a meeting
• Find the office phone number for the district or Washington, DC office of your elected official. Go to www.congress.org
• Enter your zip code and then select which official you would like to send a message.
• The "contact" tab will give you the phone numbers of both the district and Washington, DC offices.
• Choose which office you would like to call based upon where you will be meeting (if you are meeting in-district call the district office closest to you).
• Call the office and ask to speak to the scheduler.

Schedule your meeting
• Let the scheduler know that you are a concerned constituent interested in meeting with your representative/senator.
• Be prepared to describe who you are and what you would like to talk to your legislator about.
• If your representative/senator is not available, ask to meet with the legislative assistant who handles international affairs.

What to expect
• It may be difficult to meet with your elected official in person. However, you can always meet with a member of your elected official's staff. Oftentimes meeting with the staff member who handles international affairs is the best person to talk to about your issue.
• Don't go alone. It will be easier to get a meeting and have greater impact if you have a group of people and/or represent a group of people.

What to bring to your meeting
• A printed copy of your legislator’s report card from www.DarfurScores.org
• Basic talking points on the conflict and your specific ask.
• Other members of your community concerned about the issue.
• Information about your efforts, your organization and any related local news coverage.
• A camera to document your visit. Got pictures? Send them to info@genocideintervention.net

My personal advice: As I have scheduled and organized several lobby meetings, I have found that the scheduler wants the names of constituents who will come one week in advance. Constituents don't always make this easy on you. I had one college student email me at 10:00 p.m the night before our appointment this week and say that four college students would be "showing up" at our lobby appointment. This puts the organzier of the meeting in an uneasy position. You want to present yourselves as well-prepared and follow rules of common courtesy to the Senator's office staff.

I have been asked to email my agenda in advance of the meeting to their offices. But always, I bring copies of the agenda to the meeting and hand it to the staff when arriving. This is much appreciated even if it isn't required by the office.

I have always had a meeting with the constituents one hour in advance near the Congressperson's office to go over the agenda and assign different points to the participants. This makes us look well-organized, answer any questions and allows us to feel more comfortable ourselves.

We want to make our "asks" known, but also the goal is to build a relationship with the Congressperson's staff for future follow-up contacts.

I encourage you to get the office phone numbers in your home state and in Washington, D.C. and email addresses of key people in your Congresspeople's offices. Let them know how you feel about any issue. It is their job to hear you. Tell them why the issue is important to you.

Senator Reed told me in the previous lobby meeting to let him know when I know something about Darfur, a bill about Darfur, etc, because he doesn't always know. It is very important to follow-up with their offices also. They don't do what they say they will do necessarily. "Squeaky wheels" will be the ones that get attention. Patrick Kennedy told me that one.

Also, President-elect Obama has set up a page for you to let him and his staff know what is on your mind. Here is the direct link: http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Clips and Interviews
Thanks to the upload by allaboutfilm24

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Trailer - The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Thanks to and uploaded by TheMoviePreviews

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Changeling trailer
True story
Recommended
Angelina Jolie
Clint Eastwood
Thanks to and uploaded by screamingangieZ

I saw Imagining Argentina recently on cable TV
which is about governments who have silenced voices by murdering the people (happening now). This document includes case studies of enforced disappearances around the world including in Pakistan, Philippines, Iraq, Lebanon, Russia, USA and Chad: www.amnesty.org

Facts and Figures

Trial into the murder of human rights journalist Anna Politkovskaya

www.amnesty.org - Enforced Disappearances

www.amnesty.org - Human Rights by Country

They Dance Alone - During Pinochet's Regime

It is this time of year that Christians like to post
PEACE ON EARTH. That is far from the truth.

I hope you won't be silent or a "sheep" this season.
Justice only survives when we tend to it.

Otherwise injustice grows like weeds.

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All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray
Maestro Marcelo Ramos
Coro Madrigale
Orquestra Sinfônica de Minas Gerais
December 19 and 20, 2007
Grande Teatro do Palácio das Artes
Thanks to and uploaded by gusarquiteto from Brazil

Human Rights Watch: www.hrw.org

Important News

PEACE IS BREAKING OUT WHERE?

WHAT CONSTITUTION IS GEORGE UPHOLDING & PROTECTING?

If George Bush Is Our Leader Where Is He Leading Us?

What Constitution precisely did George Bush put his traitorous hand on the Bible to swear to uphold and protect? I think I must be angry.

This American government’s administration that we now have representing us to the rest of the world is corrupt and morally bankrupt. And the United States of America is financially bankrupt. Do we really think our taxes won’t have to astronomically and necessarily be raised to pay for this Iraq war that George led us like lemmings into? George won’t do it. He isn’t responsible. We have no idea how in debt we are. George acts like it is not a concern. And we have no idea how affected the soldiers and families of our soldiers are from this disaster – the Iraq war - that Rumsfeld kept asking us if we would rather fight this fight here or there.

* “In April, 2003 an intergenerational team of Niko Matsakis of Boston, MA and Elias Vlanton of Takoma Park, MD created costofwar.com. After maintaining it on their own for the first year, they gave it to the National Priorities Project to contribute to their ongoing educational efforts.” You may find * this site at

http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182

At 9:15 p.m eastern standard time USA time April 12, 2007 this was the cost of the war:

$416,605,400,890

But know that the counter is going constantly, so the number changes every second.

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Cost of the War in Iraq

To see more details, click here.

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The above is supposed to be a counter for the “Cost of the Iraq War” embed. If it works here and you desire to use it in your website, I found the embed at the following website:

http://costofwar.com/embedinstr.html

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If you want to learn about U.S.A. dead and wounded in the four year U.S. proclaimed war go to:

http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/

The following was taken from this web sit (at the site the first three lines listed below are actually links to take you to get information on those topics):

“U.S. lacks mechanism to accurately track troops wounded in Iraq

A Running Log of the Wounded

UPI reports :

As many as 1 of every 10 soldiers from the war on terror evacuated to the Army's biggest hospital in Europe was sent there for mental problems.

Between 8 and 10 percent of nearly 12,000 soldiers from the war on terror, mostly from Iraq, treated at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany had "psychiatric or behavioral health issues," according to the commander of the hospital, Col. Rhonda Cornum.

That means about 1,000 soldiers were evacuated for mental problems.

The hospital has treated 11,754 soldiers from the war on terror, with 9,651 from Iraq and the rest from Afghanistan, according to data released by the hospital.”

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If you want to see the body count of Iraqi dead from the four year U.S. proclaimed war go to this website and look on the left hand site of the web page, as well as in the center of the page:

http://www.iraqbodycount.net/

I have been repressing my distaste and repulsion for George Bush for so long that it makes me want to burst out in raw truth. Not that kind of truth that has to cloak itself in polite and cloudy language, but truth that comes from just saying it like I feel it. We need to beware of the metaphorical dog that might bite us in our pretentious mentality and behind.

When war is the answer, what was the question?

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War is big business. The United States of America is one of biggest suppliers of weapons around the world to so-called stable governments, but also to unstable governments. Do we really want peace? It would put a lot of people out of business. Hypocrisy.

It’s on the same plane of hypocrisy as saying we care about poor people then want to pay wages below a reasonable amount that won’t allow people to live with the bare necessities. We say we don’t want the Mexican immigrants to be in our country. We are building a fence between Mexico and U.S.A. so that the unwanted Mexicans theoretically will be kept out of our country. But then we love the wages that the Mexicans will put up with. It’s “slavery” in a different form – using people who will take our bad treatment because they feel they have no way to support their families. They can't question their rights being possibly violated because they are enslaved by the fear of what we as a country can do to them, therefore the welfare of their children.

Most of the clothes on our racks come from under-developed countries where sweat shops afford us our low prices on clothing. Do we really want to know the conditions our clothing is made in? Do we really care if a child sits for 18 hours a day at 6 years old weaving an oriental rug for us to buy and walk on in our homes?

If the short term result of changing our ways to address global environmental effects means we would have to adjust our daily habitual ways and some corporations would not make the profits they are accustomed to – would we just choose the apathetic route of staying the course?

Certainly the implied answers to these questions are far from upholding the golden rule, Do to others as you would have them do to you”. http://www.jcu.edu/philosophy/gensler/goldrule.htm

We would want someone treating us with more thoughtful, wise and compassionate acts than we are and have been for a long time.

So, let’s stop and think. Let’s stop pretending who we are and face ourselves in the behavioral mirror. Let’s find truth buried under our hypocrisy. Let’s wake up and be alive. Staying in the status quo while spewing hyperboles of our values and honor is just the lazy man’s way. Mr. Bush. And the rest of us, too. We the People put him in the position of power and of being our leader. And by default, the leader of the world - until some other country bypasses our pretentious power base, like China and claims the title of “World Power”.

George Bush in China trying to escape through a locked door to avoid being questioned.

Okay so I didn’t vote for George Bush. And I admit a little guiltily that I loathe him as our leader. But there he is. Chest puffed out. Inarticulate. Lame-brained. By all accounts, unabashed by his failures, maybe even ignorant of them. But this is a democracy. No one told us, as a country of “we the people” that he had to be our dictator. It’s sad. Just painfully sad - that we can get it so wrong with all we constitutionally had handed to us.

“We the People” need to take back our empowerment, take back our government and pressure our leaders to be the kind of representational government that we pretend we are.

“Light tomorrow with today.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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GLOBAL DAYS FOR DARFUR

April 23 – 30 , 2007

Find an event to attend at

http://www.savedarfur.org/page/content/globaldays/

As of 4:00 p.m. April 12, there were so far 256 Events in the U.S.A

Planned in 175 Cities in 42 States, plus Washington, D.C.

Let’s Tell George Bush LOUD & Clear to Make Genocide History

“Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world. All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors.”* George Bush in his 2005 Inauguration Speech

· http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050120-1.html

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Join the "Fidelity Out of Sudan" Campaign
www.FidelityOutOfSudan.com

www.sudandivestment.org
www.ajws.org
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www.amazinggracemovie.com
www.theamazingchange.com

Zach Hunter, a fifteen year old, wants to put an end to world-wide slavery
Zach’s website:
http://www.myspace.com/amazingchange

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Barack Obama 2008

http://www.barackobama.com/

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George W. Bush uses a producer's shirt to wipe his glasses during a commercial break on the Letterman show.
Watch the video clip.

http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushlettermangaffe.htm

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"It turns out, Abramoff got a lot of money from the Indian gaming people and then he defrauded them. He defrauded Indian tribes and took their money. I just hope this one incident doesn't poison the normally good trust that existed between the white man and the Indian." Jay Leno

For Jack Abramoff jokes: http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/republicans/a/jackabramoff.htm

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