DO YOU WANT THE DARFUR GENOCIDE TO STOP?

Would you be willing to make a phone call ~ 1-800-GENOCIDE ~ to make a difference about stopping the Darfur genocide? Here is your opportunity......

Last Step for SADA: President Bush Must Sign Bill

Dear Anti-Genocide Activist,

Our office is abuzz this afternoon. Less than an hour ago, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act (SADA) with a vote of 411-0. While speaking on the floor of the House earlier today, Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) personally thanked the Genocide Intervention Network, STAND and advocates across the country for their dedication and commitment to SADA.

Now we need your help with the last step! Last Wednesday, the Senate passed SADA by unanimous consent. With the House's vote today, all we need is for President Bust to sign the bill.

President Bush now has 10 days to sign the bill into law. Call 1-800-GENOCIDE and ask President Bush to sign SADA.

During his first year in office, President Bust wrote the words "Not on my watch" in the margins of a memo on the genocide in Rwanda. Help President Bush to remember his promise.

Call President Bush and ask him to sign the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act.

Your support is critical in ensuring that American dollars are not enabling the genocidal government in Khartoum. Call today!

Thanks for all you do to end genocide.

-Sam, Allyson and the GI-Net team
genocide intervention

The Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act:

• protects state and local divestment
• prohibits federal government contracts with the companies listed
• authorizes state and local governments to prohibit contracts with the same companies

1-800-GENOCIDE

• Call 1-800-GENOCIDE
• Enter your zip code.
• Choose to be connected to President Bush.
• You will receive talking points on SADA before you are connected.
• Visit www.1800genocide.com after your call to tell us how it went.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (from Save Darfur Coalition )

December 18, 2007

DARFUR DIVESTMENT BILL PASSES HOUSE AND SENATE, MEASURE CLEARED FOR WHITE HOUSE ACTION

Statement: ‘Scrawling ‘not on my watch’ along the margins of this bill isn’t required, the president just needs to sign his name’

WASHINGTON – Following unanimous action last week in the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act, clearing the bill for White House action. The bill would authorize state and local governments to divest from companies that support the Khartoum government at the expense of marginalized populations in Sudan and prohibit federal contracts with those companies.

In a joint statement, Darfur activist groups – including the Save Darfur Coalition, Genocide Intervention Network, and American Jewish World Service– said the president has an opportunity to make a difference for the people of Darfur by signing this bill.

"The House of Representatives wasted no time in passing this key bipartisan measure and Darfur activists applaud their swift action,” the groups said in a joint statement. “Representatives Frank, Lee and Bachus all played key roles in ensuring this legislation was tough, thorough, and was singularly focused on helping the people of Darfur. The measure is now ready for White House action and Darfur activists across the country expect nothing less than for President Bush to swiftly sign and implement this legislation. Scrawling ‘not on my watch’ along the margins of this bill isn’t required, the president just needs to sign his name.”

In 2001, President Bush wrote "not on my watch" in the margins of a memo detailing the Rwandan genocide. With a little over a year left in office President Bush has an opportunity to protect civilians in Darfur and help ensure lasting peace for Sudan. Signing the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act is the first step towards fulfilling the promise he made early in his presidency.

President Bush described the ongoing crisis in Darfur as “genocide” more than three years ago and identified the Government of Sudan and its allied militia as responsible. Since then, diplomatic efforts by the United States and the international community have failed to leverage sufficient pressure on the Government of Sudan to end the violence. In the meantime, as many as 400,000 Darfurians have been killed and more than two million displaced.

A U.N. peacekeeping mission authorized by the Security Council in July has yet to deploy in large part because the Government of Sudan has refused to allow non-African peacekeepers into Darfur, landing rights for U.N. transport and unfettered communications between peacekeepers. In addition, the Government of Sudan continues to bomb villages and to relocate its supporters onto land vacated by the displaced.

Since 2005, 22 states and over 50 universities have adopted Sudan divestment policies. The movement has rapidly spread through Europe: in July the European Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution calling on European Union members to support targeted Sudan divestment efforts. Seven major foreign companies - CHC Helicopter, ABB, Siemens, Rolls Royce, ICSA of India, Schlumberger and La Mancha Resources - have ceased problematic operations in Sudan or significantly changed their behavior in the country since the proliferation of the Sudan divestment movement.

The broad and diverse coalition that supported and played a critical role in the passage of Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act also includes the American Jewish Committee, the Armenian National Committee of America, the Armenian Assembly of America, B'nai B'rith International, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the National Council of Churches, the ENOUGH Project, STAND, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Religious Action Center, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, and dozens of state and local faith-based and community organizations.

Thank you.

Sandra Hammel

Portsmouth ~ Rhode Island ~ USA

Above pictures of the New York City Torch Relay are provided by Gerry and Melissa or Fall River, Masschusetts, who were Torch Carriers at our Providence, Rhode Island Torch Relay.

President Bush's Comment Phone Line
202-456-1111

save darfur
genocide intervention
darfur genocide
amnesty

GENOCIDE STOPS WITH US

FIDELITY INVESTING IN CHINESE COMPANIES IN SUDAN

What does Fidelity Investment Company have to do with the Darfur Genocide? Follow the money and find out. They are investing in China's Sinopec and PetroChina in Sudan providing money for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's military budget that in turn is used to bomb the Darfur people. 70% of the Sudanese budget is spent on military.

May 9, 2007, here I am with the Fidelity Investment Company’s Public Relations employee at the Smithfield, Rhode Island headquarters. He has been instructed exactly what to do if we show up with petitions like was done at the Fidelity Headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts on May 7, 2007. They were prepared to keep us at bay.

“Fidelity Out of Sudan” petitions
being handed over to Fidelity’s Public Relations employee.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil

is for good men to do nothing."

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When Liars Talk

Lyrics by Sandra Hammel

Liar Liar

At best, you say you care

Liar Liar

‘s not enough to say

Liar Liar

At worst, y’ refuse to see

‘n pretend to be free

but lies just hold ’em down

O- Oh, children

Can’t eat your words of care

Can’t keep their spirits up

When

Liars Talk ‘bout caring

Do nothing more than talk

when children’s spirits are dying

we refuse to see

‘n pretend to be free.

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My father died May 10, 2007.
That is why this blog has been dormant for about a month.

May 9, 2007, three Smithfield police cars behind my car along the highway near the entrance to Fidelity headquarters in Smithfield, RI before the STAND students showed up to join me from Providence College and Brown University (during Finals week) - We were not allowed on the grounds "proper" although the Fidelity security guard who called these three Smithfield police cars to keep me off their grounds - said the side of the road was also their land.

Providence College and Brown University STAND activists and students for the petition hand over at Fidelity rethinking our plans on the side of the highway since we're not being allowed to enter the Fidelity Investment property proper.

Colin O’Brien getting filled in by Sandra Hammel

at Fidelity Investment Company May 9, 2007.

Fidelity's Public Relations representative waiting for us. He waited for a long time because I showed up about an hour before the other Darfur activists arrived.

Getting the petitions out of my car to hand over to Fidelity.

Anna Hildago, STAND student activist from Brown University stating reasons
for being interested in the people of Darfur
to the Fidelity Investment Company representative in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Colin O’Brien, Anna Hildalgo and Sandra Hammel with the Fidelity representative.

College students in the middle of final exam week, taking time off to stand up against Fidelity and its complicity of the Darfur genocide.

The truck sent down to transport the petitions.

You can see three Fidelity employees about the truck.

May 9, 2007, near the entrance to the Fidelity headquarters in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Four STAND students from Brown University and four from Providence College (during finals week) and myself presented our points regarding Darfur and Fidelity's responsibility to the designated Fidelity Investment Company's representative (in the blue shirt).

I'm holding one of the petitions presented to the appointed Fidelity representative, May 9, 2007 while we were speaking to the Fidelity representative - who obviously was instructed to say absolutely nothing to us. We were told to call the Boston Fidelity office to get the already released Fidelity official response to us. Our petitions, we were told, would be sent to the Boston Fidelity office.

Here's a handful of petitions "Fidelity Out of Sudan”

They had a couple of boxes brought down from the Fidelity complex for the
"Fidelity Out of Sudan" petitions to be shipped to Boston

May 9, 2007 employees leaving work at Fidelity headquarters in Smithfield, RI

Standing on Bryant University property across from Smithfield RI's Fidelity headquarter's entrance until the Fidelity security called the Bryant University security to have us kicked off their property too.

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In case you haven’t heard, genocide is when a group of human beings are targeted to get rid of them. This can be done through demolishing their livelihood, murdering them, maiming them, raping as a tool of genocide, starving them to death, torturing them. And cultural genocide is included as a part of the overall picture. It is systematic and it is for the purpose of exterminating a group of people. It is an ugly behavior and we have had it as a part of human history. And we still stand for it. We still don’t want to get involved if we aren’t pressured into it. Our government is no better than the rest. Our record on standing up and against genocide is not only dismal, but our government was founded on stolen land that perpetrated genocide on the indigenous people who were already living on North American soil. We forced the native north American peoples to leave their homes, forbid them to live their established way of life, forbid them their beliefs, forced them to take English names in place of their own names, cut their hair, legalized stopping their speaking in their own languages, forced them to lose their children by way of forcing them to boarding schools in order to become “civilized”, get a white person’s education and become “cultured” into an assimilated white culture. Genocide is an ugly word that no country happily or even just willingly, stands up to say, “Yes, we did that. We committed genocide.”

And countries around the world have shown that they don’t want to do what it takes to stop a genocide unless absolutely pushed to do the right thing. Our current and most widely known genocide is on the Darfur people in Sudan. It’s been going on for over four years. Hitler’s regime went on for twelve years. Will it take 8 more years to end the Darfur genocide? The 100 day genocide in 1994 that the whole world “knew” about but stood absolutely idly by and unapologetically - was in Rwanda. We just didn’t care enough to say, “Hey, we won’t let this happen.”

If our principles don’t cause us to stand up and out against something so blatantly morally wrong as genocide, then our principles are null, void and lack any kind of remote integrity.

Shame on us. We aren’t strong. We aren’t courageous. We aren’t free, if genocide happens on our watch.

Monday, May 7, 2007, the Massachusetts Save Darfur Coalition presented petitions to the Fidelity Headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts:

http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=D11243F6C8EC5883CE72CB80CC6E0DD3?contentId=3137558&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

“More pressure on Boston-based Fidelity Investments. Activists rally in Boston, calling on Fidelity to stop investing in Chinese oil companies doing business with the government in Sudan. They say those investments are bankrolling genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.”

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On Wednesday, May 9, 2007, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur and their resolute focus to stop investing in the Sudanese genocide on its own people of Darfur, I managed with the help of eight STAND college students to deliver 5,865 petitions to the Fidelity headquarters in Smithfield, Rhode Island, USA. Fidelity investment company has investments in Chinese companies in Sudan that in effect fund the four + year genocide in Darfur. Regardless of the rhetoric, the smokescreen Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir talk and Youtube presentations by Sudanese government officials, the Sudanese government is behind the genocide of the Darfur families.

Is it surprising that someone who is perpetrating genocide doesn't simply admit that they are indeed doing it? They wouldn’t welcome the international media across its borders to witness what they are doing, would they? That is why it is only possible to know what is going on if you find a creative way to get around the Sudanese government’s forbidden entrance to Darfur. Press is not allowed in. Don’t you think that if there was nothing to hide in Darfur, that the media would be allowed to go in?

Fidelity Investment company’s response to their direct relationship to funding the Darfur genocide:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqq3Bb44JjE

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Contact Presidential Candidates Today -

• Watch the video on YouTube - Fidelity sponsors presidential debate, 2.5 minutes, disassociate from Fidelity!

Did the presidential hopefuls know their debates were being sponsored by Fidelity? The mutual fund with ties to the genocide in Darfur? Contact the Candidates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QouWU-wUtuI

If you watched the Democratic and Republican presidential debates televised this week on CNN, you may have been concerned to see that the television coverage was sponsored by Fidelity Investments. Although Fidelity took a positive step when it recently sold a substantial amount of its PetroChina and Sinopec shares, Fidelity continues to have massive holdings in these two worst offending companies that help to fund the genocide in Darfur. Additionally, Fidelity has made no commitment to avoid further investments in these problem stocks.

Many of the presidential candidates have been increasingly vocal, both during and prior to the debates, about their commitment to helping end the genocide. Some, including Senator Brownback, Senator Edwards, Mayor Giuliani and Senator Obama, have taken important steps to divest their personal investments in companies that help to support the genocide.

Given the concern expressed by the presidential candidates regarding the crisis in Darfur, their association with a debate sponsored by Fidelity, a company whose investments help fund the genocide, is an issue for many voters. This association was widely reported in newspapers across the country and around the world:

We ask you to call or email one or more of the presidential candidates today and let them know that you noticed this connection to Fidelity. Specifically, please ask the following of the candidates:

• Personally divest (if they haven’t already) from companies and investment firms with holdings that help to fund the genocide in Darfur.
• Refuse campaign contributions from companies and investment firms with holdings that help to fund the genocide.
• Decline to participate in any events or debates sponsored by companies or investment firms with holdings in companies that help to fund genocide.
• Publicly commit to each of the above three actions.

Every individual, especially those in a leadership position, has a personal responsibility to avoid any situation in which they directly or indirectly enable the government of Sudan to continue its genocidal campaign against the people of Darfur.

We expect those who aspire to the highest public office in our country to not only condemn the genocide, but to support effective action to stop it and disassociate themselves from all those connected to the genocide. Please join us in telling the presidential candidates how Americans feel about this important issue.

Contact information for the presidential candidates is listed below.

Thanks for making a difference.

The FidelityOutOfSudan Team

Democratic

Joseph Biden - http://www.joebiden.com/footerlinks?id=0001
Hillary Clinton - http://www.hillaryclinton.com/help/contact/
Christopher Dodd - http://www.chrisdodd.com/contact
John Edwards - http://johnedwards.com/about/contact/form/
Mike Gravel - http://www.gravel2008.us/contact
Dennis Kucinich - http://kucinich.us/contact
Barack Obama - http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/contact/
Bill Richardson - http://action.richardsonforpresident.com/page/content/contactus/

Republican
Sam Brownback - http://www.brownback.com/s/Contact/tabid/108/Default.aspx
Jim Gilmore - http://www.gilmoreforpresident.com/contact.php
Rudy Giuliani - http://www.joinrudy2008.com/contact.html
Mike Huckabee - http://www.explorehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Home.ContactUs
Duncan Hunter - http://www.gohunter08.com/inner.asp?z=3
John McCain - http://www.johnmccain.com/Contact/
Ron Paul - http://www.ronpaul2008.com/contact/
Mitt Romney - http://www.mittromney.com/ContactUs
Tom Tancredo - http://www.teamtancredo.com/tancredo_state_index.asp
Fred Thompson - http://www.imwithfred.com/contact.aspx
Tommy Thompson - http://www.tommy2008.com/Contact_Us.aspx

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WHY IS GENOCIDE OKAY WITH US...BECAUSE IT'S NOT HAPPENING TO US?

"......We understand you're having problems choosing

whether to do the work of God

or the work of a political activist......

we suggest you can do both."

from the movie Amazing Grace

Eisenhower Park at Washington Square, Newport, Rhode Island
(also where Amistad the movie was shot)

Walking along America's Cup Avenue

America's Cup Avenue

Thames Street and Americas Cup Avenue intersection

Just before we take off to begin our Darfur Walk

Signing the "Fidelity Out of Sudan" Petition

Passing out posters and volunteer jobs at Touro Park

Touro Park Organizing

Four Women Who Rock - We Made the Posters for The Walk at my house in Portsmouth, RI
Left to Right Beth Milham, Mikki Green, Gail Hollingworth & Sandra Hammel

Beth Milham busy at work

Table of Contents:

1. Darfur Genocide Points

2. The Newport Daily News article of the Newport Darfur Walk & Gathering during Global Days for Darfur

3. The Newport Daily News – my Letter to the Editor about Global Days for Darfur

4. My Darfur speech presented to the Gathering April 28 in Newport, Rhode Island

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Darfur Genocide Points:

* Divestment Campaign of companies in Sudan who are essentially funding President Omar al-Bashir’s genocide on his own country’s people in Darfur is in full swing nationwide. The following organizations are working together in this campaign:

· www.fidelityoutofsudan.com

· www.standnow.org

· www.sudandivestment.net

· www.savedarfur.org

* Regarding Sudan, a Biden-Lugar Letter was written and sent to President Hu of China:

·     As of April 26, 96 Senators had signed the

  Biden-Lugar Darfur letter to President Hu of China!  

                 At that time:

*    Not-signed for Darfur: Senator Ted Stevens (Alaska) 

*    Not-signed for Darfur:  Senator Daniel Inouye (Hawaii) 

*    Not-signed for Darfur: Senator Judd Gregg (New Hampshire)

* I am a registered voter in the state of Rhode Island and United States Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed and freshman Senator Sheldon Whitehouse signed the Biden-Lugar letter to President Hu of China regarding Darfur.

* You can ask President Hu to take the humane action regarding the Darfur Genocide, too:

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=7549

* To ask for action to stop the Darfur genocide, you can be connected to your governor, President Bush, your U.S. Senator or U.S. Representative by calling 1-800-GENOCIDE

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On April 28, 2007, as a part of the week long Global Days for Darfur, I organized the Newport Darfur Walk & Gathering Saturday. As disappointed as I was that all three network news stations said Newport was either too far away from their Providence office, that they were typically under-staffed on weekends, that they only covered “breaking news” or "we can't cover everything"…. We did get great coverage from our local community newspaper,

Sandra Hammel, Joe Baker, Newport Daily News Political Writer

& TJ Kirkpatrick, Staff Photographer

The Newport Daily News April 30^th, Monday’s paper on two pages, complete with two colored pictures. I loved the picture with all of the signs. And on Friday, April 27, The Newport Daily News published my Darfur “Letter to the Editor”. Below you will find both.

Click on images to enlarge.

THE NEWPORT DAILY NEWS

April 30, 2007

Article retyped here about the Global Days for Darfur event in Newport, Rhode Island

Newport Darfur Walk & Gathering

Here I have typed the entire article from The Newport Daily News:

Quote at the top of a huge picture (picture takes up almost the entire top half of the page showing all the posters, with accidentally all the correct wording of a variety of messages we need to get across): “One voice won’t stop genocide, but that’s no excuse to remain silent.” Sandra Hammel, a retired Portsmouth music teacher who organized Saturday’s protest.

Headline: Rally heard around the world Lead in to the article: Local protesters echo global call for an end to the killings in Darfur by Joe Baker Daily News staff.

NEWPORT- The hardy group gathering Saturday around the front steps of the Florence K. Murray Judicial Complex was a stone’s throw from the balcony where the Declaration of Independence was read following its adoption and just down the street from Touro Synagogue, the recipient of President George Washington’s famous letter disavowing bigotry and intolerance.

About 50 people donated their weekend afternoon to participate in what they hope is another historic public disavowal of man’s inhumanity to man. The rally was Rhode Island’s sole event in a weeklong, nationwide series of demonstrations intended to focus attention on the ongoing conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan. During the week, similar demonstrations are scheduled in more than 300 cities U.S. cities and in 40 countries around the world.

Toting signs and wearing demonstrative T-shirts, the local group gathered at Touro Park and wound its way through downtown Newport to Washington Square, where organizer Sandra Hammel urged them to action.

“Bad things happen when good people do nothing,” said Hammel, a retired Portsmouth music teacher. “One voice won’t stop genocide, but that’s no excuse to remain silent.

More than 200,000 (well I stated 400,000, media often picks up their numbers from very old press coverage and then don’t keep up on the accurate reports) people have been killed and more than 2 million (there again, I stated 2.5 million) have been displaced from their homes

(continues DARFUR B3) Exacted quote at top of this section: “It’s time to let people really know what’s happening in Darfur.” Francis Andersson, resident of Narragansett.

since the conflict began in 2003. The Sudanese government has resisted efforts to allow in a 20,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force to help bring an end to the armed conflict.

Hammel got involved in the issue three years ago after seeing a news report about genocide in Rwanda. While researching that, she learned about the situation in Darfur, where Arab militia groups, supported by the Sudanese government, have been waging war against African rebels. Although she admitted that it is sometimes frustrating trying to get more people involved, Hammel said she can feel the tide turning. (These are not my words, he took some poetic license in a different way than my poetic words actually were, but he did do a wonderful job…so I give him some slack).

“This, what we have behind me, is new,” Hammel said of the group marching through the streets of downtown Newport. “This is very galvanizing. It motivates you to become more active.” (What I really answered to his question of “Don’t you get discouraged?” “No, I would do this if I was the only one doing it. Because I believe in it. Well, yes, sometimes it is a little discouraging. Some people don’t know it is even going on. But this will be galvanizing to these people today. People sit at home and don’t know what they can do. But when they see that there are others who care about this, it gets a momentum going. It is like when I taught school and started a choir. I had to beg the boys to be in it at first. But eventually after it was successful and everyone saw it, everybody wanted to join in. It is human nature. People will want to be a part of this. When they see others stepping up and it taking on a momentum, others will join. We talked along the walk. The reporter asked excellent questions, overall. And I think he did a comprehensively great job. Now, back to the article…)

Among the marchers was Suzette Lefevre, who made the trip from Plainfield, Conn., with her husband, after learning of the event on the Internet.

“I was with my husband, sitting on the couch, watching CNN, and we were eating really good food, and we saw a report (on Darfur),” Lefevre said. “I said I’m sick of watching this stuff and not doing anything.”

Making the trek over from Narragansett was Francis Andersson, who owns a construction management company.

“I wanted to show my moral support. We certainly don’t want another Rwanda,” Andersson said. “It’s time to let people know what’s happening in Darfur.”

The group actually picked up some people as they marched through the streets of Newport. A group of Boston University students visiting Newport for the day decided to tag along. One, Margaret Hartley, was vice president of the university’s Darfur coalition.

A group of students from Blackstone Academy, a charter high school in Pawtucket, also joined the march.

“People really need to know about this,” Michael Murphy, 16, a junior at the school. “No one is helping them.”

Hammel urged the demonstrators to contact their elected officials, especially U.S. Senator Jack Reed, D-R.I., who is on a Senate committee considering legislation aimed at divesting taxpayer dollars from companies doing business with the Sudanese government. The Rhode Island Senate and House of Representatives already have passed individual bills calling for state divestiture. The respective chambers must pass the legislation already approved by the other and they need to be signed by Gov. Donald. L. Carcieri to become law.

“Our presence can empower us to make genocide a word only in the history books yet to be printed.” Hammel said.

The end of the article.

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Click on image to enlarge.

The pictures that are interspersed amidst the post are of the Newport Walk & Gathering taken by activist, Don Mallinson.

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My Speech

Newport Darfur Walk & Gathering

April 28, 2007, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Start: Touro Park

Walk up Pelham to Bellevue, down Memorial, to America’s Cup Avenue to Washington Square

442 Darfur events

in 307 cities

in 47 of our 50 states

AND

In over 40 countries around the world

The Newport Daily News sent a reporter and photographer.

Thanks to

The Newport Daily News

Here is my speech delivered on April 28, 2007:

Historical Town

This is a historical town. Newport. We have a history here rich in examples of how varied human behavior expresses itself. The good, the bad. Just every day average people.

Native Americans- Genocide Right Here

This land was once the homeland of people such as the Wampanoag, Coweset, Nipmuc, Niantic, Pequot and Narragansett. The truth is we stand on land that once had an entirely different social structure than the one that came from immigrants.

Slave Trade

Newport, Rhode Island played a leading role during the Colonial Period in the Slave Trade.

By 1776, several thousand African slaves lived and work in this New England seaport.

In Colonial times, slaves comprised nearly one third of the total town population

with one in three Newport families owning at least one slave.

Jews

When Jews were forced to convert to Catholicism in Europe

and expelled if they refused,

some eventually came to Newport.

In the spring of 1658, fifteen Spanish Portuguese Jewish families arrived in Newport

who formed the beginnings of what eventually is the congregation of Touro Synagogue.

The establishment of Touro Synagogue played an unique role in Colonial American History

as well as democracy.

George Washington wrote a letter titled: To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport Rhode Island.

Today, we stand here in this historic New England seaside town, as empowered “We the People”.

In this 21st century we have a Genocide going on

and where is the attention?

On the Darfur people?

who are the victims?

Victims, not only of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir,

but of the world’s complicity.

Our being silent is used as a tool in the arsenal of Bashir.

But we gather here to say with our presence

Genocide is Not Okay with Us.

Genocide in our time

MUST Be Noticed,

Must be Reported by our media,

Must have the leaders of free nations use their political clout

To End the Darfur Genocide

And actually put some meaning to the words

Never Again

Words we love to use

At the languishing end of each genocide that this planet has hosted.

There has been no acceptable genocide.

Bad things happen when good people do nothing.

Genocide is not only a word, it is crying of the whole human race.

There is nothing redeeming about being silent when speaking up is the humane thing to do.

The honor and integrity of the human race relies on it.

Complicity is not a policy.

Complicity comes from a lack of will.

It comes from an administration that has lost its moral compass.

It comes from a world too wrapped up in its self-importance to stop and contemplate

just what human disaster will we condemn, if not genocide?

Choosing to live in a world where it is okay to murder, torture, rape and starve to death a group of human beings truthfully

means we live in a world with a moral vacuum.

Just exactly when is genocide not okay with us?

Just exactly which ethnic group of people can genocide be used to rid the earth of them

and Just exactly which group of people can we turn our backs on and the definition of genocide fits our values?

A Moral Nation Needs to Stand Up for Right

And Know that Genocide flourishes when there is no accountability.

Stopping Genocide is a Choice.

What does it say about us If We Choose to Allow Darfuri families to live this 5th year of genocide as a way of every day life?

Where there is a Will there is Always a Way

Where there is No Will there is Never a Way

One voice won’t stop a genocide, but that is no excuse to be silent.

We CAN make a difference.

Get on board with we activists who have been working for the last few years.

Join a group. Join my group. Go online to www.savedarfur.org

Don’t leave this up to me

Commit a minimum of 15 minutes a week to doing something to help stop this genocide.

If not you, then who?

Don’t leave this up to me, to the few who have been carrying the torch with so little help.

Get on board.

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400,000 have been murdered

2.5 Million are homeless

We are not told the numbers of rape, including girls as young as 4 years old

We are not told the number of tortured victims, with eyes gouged out and arms and legs chopped off

The story is not being given the attention it should by our media

Let’s make some noise so that they will.

First Genocide with the Internet as a networking source

But this is the FIRST genocide not only of the 21st century,

but in the time of the internet with very affective dissemination of news and information

And it is the FIRST genocide with nationwide conference calls among we activists.

We THE People have power to stop THIS DARFUR GENOCIDE

· Get informed

· Tell your family, your friends, your co-workers, your employees and your bosses about it.

o Your President,

o Your US Senators, Your US Representative need and many want to hear from you on this issue.

ü When I met with Rep Patrick Kennedy on 9/11 last fall, he relayed how important it is for the elected officials to hear from their constituents on what issues are important to their hearts. Because it gives them more confidence that what they choose to support will have our support.

ü When I met with Senator Jack Reed, October 10 (the day after he returned from Iraq) last fall, his grade on Darfur was a “C”. We would like him to be more supportive of legislation regarding Darfur.

China and Sudan

· Both Senators Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse have just recently signed the Biden-Lugar Darfur Letter to President Hu of China

· You see, China could use their leverage with President Bashir of Sudan to give him the message that the world needs to see the Darfur people treated with decency and respect and

· Chinese companies, such as PetroChina and Sinopec, who are in the business of extracting Sudan’s oil for the worldwide market, in turn provide Bashir with the money to purchase the bombers and helicopters that are killing the people of Darfur.

· China could have pressure put upon it by President Bush to help stop this Genocide.

· We can tell President Bush that THAT is exactly what we want him to do.

v The President at 202-456-1111 or call 1-800-GENOCIDE and you’ll be put through to your Governor, your President, Senator or Representative after you put in your zip code.

· You don’t have Freedom of Speech unless you exercise it.

Divestment

· Have you heard of Divestment?

· Divestment from Sudan?

· There is a nationwide campaign about it.

· The state of Rhode Island has passed two bills as of April 5^th, that will merge and go to Governor Carcieri to be signed – it is a Targeted Divestment from Sudan bill

o Insuring RI pension monies will not invest in companies in Sudan that are funding the genocide.

· If you go to one of three sites

· You can get an education about Divesting from Sudan and join in the campaign.

o www.Fidelityoutofsudan.com

o www.genocideintervention.net

o www.sudandivestment.org

They are all working together on Divestment from Sudan

Added after the speech: This is an on-going campaign, so please go to the website and sign the petition. Get your family members, friends, employees, bosses and neighbors to sign the petition. www.savedarfur.org has just begun, as of May 1, 2007, to make divestment a focus of their efforts.

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Sudan and Oil - Follow the Oil Money

The government of Sudan continues to draw on its oil revenues to provide arms and funding for the genocide.

An American Investment Company, called FIDELITY, through its mutual funds, not only has been a major investor in oil companies operating in Sudan, but it has been significantly increasing its holdings.

Fidelity’s holdings of PetroChina $1.3 billion, making it the largest holder of PetroChina on the NYSE.

Join us and tell FIDELITY to stop investing our money in companies helping to fund the genocide in Darfur.

I have moved my money from Fidelity for this reason.

5,000+ Signatures (these 5,685 Petitions are being delivered to the Fidelity Headquarters in Smithfield, Rhode Island by 50 StandNow students from Brown University and Providence College, as well as myself, Wednesday, May 9, 2007)

There is a petition that volunteers have today that we ask you to sign. The Nationwide Fidelity Out of Sudan Campaign expects to get at least, 5,000 signatures to present to the offices throughout the U.S. in the month of May. I and other activists, hopefully some of you, will go to the Smithfield, Rhode Island FIDELITY office and present the petition.

Twenty states are working bills through their legislatures on bills to divest their state pension funds from companies that are known to help fund the coffers of Bashir. Ten have already passed Divestment bills.

70% of the Sudanese government’s budget goes to military purposes.

Please, go to one of the websites and get more informed on Divestment

This is one action We CAN make that will be effective in putting less bullets, bombers and helicopters in the hands of a government that is inflicting genocide on its own people

Will it work?

Divestment worked in South Africa.

We need our government to use their pressure, political will and moral compass to help put an end to genocide

But THIS Divestment Action is something we can do with or without the government.

So DON”T think there is NOTHING YOU CAN DO. There is.

We CAN make a difference.

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Your Mutual Funds

So you can contact your elected politicians, divest your mutual funds from Fidelity, PetroChina, Sinopec, and mutual funds that hold these stocks.

Ask your 401K plan administrator to avoid Sudan oil investments.

To be Clear

The reason to divest is that

Sudan and its Government-sponsored Janjaweed militia have committed pervasive violations of human rights in Darfur, Sudan since 2003. The link between the Sudan oil industry and the revenue of the Government of Sudan is well-established and the money made goes to increased arms and funding of the genocide in Darfur.

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Rolls Royce pulls out of Sudan - 4/19/07
The British firm Rolls Royce announced its decision April 19 to leave Sudan citing "increasing international humanitarian concerns about the situation in Darfur." Rolls Royce will begin withdrawing from current contracts in Sudan and cease pursuing news ones. Rolls Royce has had a history of selling oil-engineering equipment to the genocidal Government of Sudan.

Rolls Royce has been a top target of the Sudan Divestment Task Force movement that I have been telling you about today.

We CAN make a difference.

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Call-in Day for Jack REED

STAND NOW (www.standnow.org) is a college and high school group of activists who have organized many successful efforts in educating, acting and campaigning to end the Darfur genocide

In a conference call with the Brown University, PC and Roger Williams leaders of STAND this week I was asked to ask you to help with a CALL IN Day this coming Wednesday, May 2 to Senator Jack Reed. There are flyers being circulated about this.

Simply call

1- 800 - G E N O C I D E then press in your zip

and you will hear the points needed to be made to be effective,

prior to being connected

The Sudan Divestment Authorization Act, Senate 831 authorizes states and local governments

to prohibit the investment of State assets in any company that has a qualifying business relationship with Sudan.

This bill would protect Universities, cities and states that divest from Sudan.

This bill is currently in committee.

Senator Jack Reed is on the subcommittee that has jurisdiction over this bill

This is a time sensitive bill.

Ask your Senator, Jack Reed, to move this bill out of committee as soon as possible.

He needs to know we want him to pass and to co-sponsor this bill.

We CAN make a difference.

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Lobbying Senators and Reps

I am asking citizens to join me in a honorable action of lobbying Senators Reed and Whitehouse as well as Rep Kennedy. I have contacted each of their respective schedulers for their RI Offices and am waiting for confirmation of the date and time of our meeting. The period is at the end of May and early June when they are on recess.

Go on the www.savedarfur.org website and type in your zip code

And register with me there

There is plenty you CAN do.

We CAN make a difference.

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Time is Up

We Need Action.

We Need Now the Deployment of the already authorized UN Peacekeeping force.

We Need Now the Strengthening of the understaffed African Union force already in Darfur

We Need Now the Enforcement of the No-Fly Zone in Darfur already established by the UN

We Need Now to give safety to Aid workers in Sudan and bordering Chad, some of which have already been murdered

We Need Now to Increase Humanitarina Aid and Ensure Safe Access for delivery.

These Actions can be found on website after website.

Save Darfur.com is the one I have events that I am working on registered and you can sign-up there to join me in any one of them.

We CAN make a difference.

Let’s be the ones who can say:

WE MADE The DIFFERENCE,

Let’s be the ones who can say:

OUR CONVICTION IS THAT GENOCIDE MUST BE ENDED

OUR VOICES ARE GOING TO BE HEARD

OUR PRESENCE CAN EMPOWER US TO Make Genocide a Word ONLY

in the history books yet to be printed.

Let’s Be the Difference.

I am Sandra Hammel, Standing UP & Standing Out in the Fight against Genocide

I live in Portsmouth

Remember:

1 – 800 - G E N O C I D E

and the website:

www.fidelityoutofsudan.com

SIGN THE FIDELITY OUT OF SUDAN Petition today

Thank you on behalf of the victims of Silence. The perpetrators and governments around the world don’t realize we will not take complicity for the answer to genocide, Anywhere.

Thank you on behalf of the people of Darfur.