THERE ARE TIMES IN MY LIFE I HAVE PRIDE THAT I BELONG TO THE HUMAN RACE AND TODAY WAS ONE OF THOSE

There have been a few times in my life that I feel more at ease, warmth in the heart, stand up more erect and have pride in belonging to the human race. Only a few, but those few times have been inspirational and memorable. Those times never fade from the prominent place that they reside in my experience.

Today, was one of those.

Gabriel and Katie-Jay Stauring, James Thacher, Eric Angel and Yuen-Lin work as a team to bring the people at a Darfuri camp into our lives. Today, the three who are in the camp, Gabriel and Katie-Jay Stauring, James and Eric Angel in California and Yuen-Lin (in Malaysia, I think) did a LIVE online-cast of a Town Meeting, where we could ask questions of the Darfuri people and hear their answers while watching them on our computer screens. Technology meets genocide.

To watch a recorded version of the LIVE Town Hall Meeting of Sunday December 12, 2010 with Darfuris in Camp Djabal in Chad, on the border of the countries of Chad and Sudan (African continent), go here.

Also, if you click the post title, it will take you there.

And I hope you won't miss watching videos by the Darfuri youth, who Gabriel and Katie-Jay provided with cameras. Pictures and videos have been uploaded . It gives a view from their camera lens of what life is like, where they are forced to live because of a genocidal regime in their home region of Darfur.

Much thanks goes out to each one that helps bring this to us and also for allowing those there to have a voice. It is powerful to hear from them!

Darfuri Youth Photo Journalists
Katie-Jay and Gabriel have turned Darfuri youth into photo journalists. The camera work tells us so much about student videographers and photographers and the camp, all at the same time. The town hall, the videos, pictures and stories altogether makes it so easy to feel we are them and they are us.

Photo credit: Khaltouma

Photo credit: Khaltouma

More photos iactivism.org/ionground

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December 13, 2010

Poetry From a Young Darfuri

A young Darfuri handed us these carefully written pages yesterday. They provide a glimpse into one person’s experience of exile, hardship and hope for the future.

Continue Reading

WHY DARFUR?
Reason #12: Children deserve a childhood
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i-ACT 9: Raouda's little brother from iActivism on Vimeo.

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Raouda's little brother and the stuffed animal brought by Katie-Jay

Katie-Jay writes ~
When we met Raouda in January 2009 we asked her what she missed about Darfur. She described a small animal that had cotton inside it, a stuffed animal! Something almost every child has connected with at one time or another during their life. Several people sent us animals to give to Raouda and the other children. Today, we were able to give one to Raouda. It was her youngest brother, Mydi, that enjoyed the animal the most. Raouda herself smiled a bit when I gave it to her. She is married now, at age 13, and I fear that between caring for her grandmother, and now her husband she has missed the small joys of childhood, like playing with stuffed animals.


Blog posts of the trip to Darfuri refugee camp Djabal

www.stopgenocidenow.org/iact/iact9/day3
December 11, 2010

www.stopgenocidenow.org/iact/iact9/day2
December 10, 2010

www.stopgenocidenow.org/iact/iact9/day1
December 9, 2010

www.stopgenocidenow.org/iact/iact9/day0
December 8, 2010

Communicate to the President
that he has a role to play

1-800-GENOCIDE
1-202-456-1111
www.whitehouse.gov/contact


Won't you use your voice?
Darfuris have been put on the back burner by our President
and many other leaders on the planet
and
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir
has put them on the front burner.

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Eric Reeves' November 12, 2010 article

The Obama Administration"Decouples" Darfur

Khartoum is given free rein to obtain its "perfect ending" ("Misk al-Khitam")

A small fraction of the article ~

One well-informed Darfuri has written to me that “evidence of mobilization in Darfur is everywhere: airports, convoys leaving large cities and towns, heading toward villages in North and West Darfur” (email received November 2, 2010).

This source continues: “Many tanks, troops were seen in North Darfur near Kutum, Kornoi, and al-Tina. Additionally, Janjaweed gatherings were seen in the West Darfur areas of el-Geneina and Kulbus.” And further, “Loads of pro-Government of Sudan volunteers landed in Kutum (North Darfur) airport.” When asked who they were and where they were going, one enthusiast replied, “We are mujahideen and the government told us we have to fight the infidels and supporters in Darfur. We came to clean Darfur.” The same source reports that a family member in Nyala has observed a sharp uptick in military flights out of Nyala airport.

Eric Reeves full article www.sudanreeves.org

JUSTICE DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN ~ GENOCIDE ENDS WHEN ENOUGH OF US STAND UP AGAINST IT

From the www.enoughproject.org website:

The People Speak

Posted by John Norris on Jan 22, 2009

We are pleased to announce that we have just delivered a petition to President Barack Obama – signed by more than 39,000 concerned Americans – asking him to take action on Congo. This is the largest ever call to action in the United States on Congo and underscores the growing strength of the Congo activist movement. You can read the press release here. This tremendous effort would not be possible without our friends and allies, including Oxfam America, Amnesty International, Bureau pour le Volontariat au Service de l’Enfance et de la Santé (BVES), Campus Progress at the Center for American Progress, Congo Global Action, CONGO/Women, Genocide Intervention Network, HEAL Africa, Human Rights Watch, Family Violence Prevention Fund, PAIF (Promotion et appui aux initiatives feminines), STAND, Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles, The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, V-Day, and Women Thrive Worldwide.

The thousands and thousands of individuals who signed their name to the petition are testament to the fact that the movement to end to the world’s deadliest war is growing in strength and numbers. Learn more and visit our RAISE Hope for Congo website.

Day Three

Posted by John Bagwell on Jan 22, 2009

Today marks Day Three of Barack Obama’s presidency. Enough is partnering with the Save Darfur Coalition, Genocide Intervention Network, and STAND for a new campaign to ensure that President Obama makes Darfur a top priority in his first days and weeks of office. In the midst of a financial crisis and wars on multiple fronts, it is more important than ever that we, as activists, make our voices heard on this issue – keeping the new administration’s feet to the fire to bring peace to Sudan, by immediately appointing a special envoy and launching a “peace surge.” A new day has undoubtedly dawned in Washington. Let’s work to make sure Sudan sees a new day as well. Check out more information on the campaign and a short video from STAND student activists below:

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WRITE A LETTER TO CONGRESS

Take just a few minutes to make your message heard on genocide and crimes against humanity.

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Genocide Ends

When Enough of Us

Stand Up Against It

JOIN US
1-800-GENOCIDE
www.savedarfur.org
www.genocideintervention.net
www.standnow.org

www.miafarrow.org

Write President Obama
www.whitehouse.gov

You can also call or write to the President:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments to President Obama: 202-456-1111

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AND WE'VE KNOWN IT IS GENOCIDE AND YET OUR SILENCE AND ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN OUR RHETORIC

GENOCIDE HAPPENING NOW

THE WORLD HAS KNOWN FOR YEARS

KNOWLEDGE ISN'T ENOUGH ~ WE NEED MORAL INTEGRITY

AND POLITICAL WILL

Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
can be found at www.hrweb.org/legal/genocide

The Resolution 260 (III) A of the United Nations General Assembly was Adopted on 9 December 1948.

This is the time of year we like to feel all is peaceful, if only for a day. That day being Christmas.

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Silent Night on Harp by Susan Paree

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Posted at www.livevideo.com

Silent Night, not Silent Voices
Uploaded by PreacherWithParrots

I receive emails from a Darfuri who lives in California who is a human rights activist and keeps contact with people in his homeland. This is the text of his email sent this morning at 5:00 a.m.

December 16, 2008

Dear All,

Some of the things going on in Darfur from our daily
contacts:

Internally displaced persons (IDP) camp of Saraf Omra (between
ElFasher and El-Geneina), the Government of Sudan (GoS)
through the town Mayor - issued an order of removing the camp
(home to about 2,350 IDPs) even by force if necessary.
30 of the camp sheiks (tribal leaders) protested by
signing a protest petition to be sent to the state Governor
(who is GoS supporter). The move is seen as part of GoS move to
dismantle the IDP Camps ( the most visible evidence of
Genocide that houses living witnesses).

2- Military jets overflew Zalengie Camps in show of
force and intimidation. (This is following the killing
of one of the camp leaders and the rage that
followed).

3- Tension is growing among Arab tribes following
multiple inter-tribal clashes and killings. We spoke
with many Arab leaders and leaders in the movements
from Arab tribes who almost unanimously blamed the GoS
for having hand in the clashes.

I will keep you posted.

And this email text was received last Friday, December 12,
2008:

Dear All,

1- North Darfur: contacts with an Omdah ( local tribe
leader), 2 school teachers, and a rebel leader on the
ground in North Darfur. All witnessed today a GoS
military aircraft (Antonove) overflying villages in
north Darfur(North west of Kutum town). The Aircraft
kept circulating for more than 3 hours over villages
of: Korbia, Um Marahik, Um Shidig, Door.

Korbia, where there is a Khazan( water reservoir), was
bombed exactly four weeks ago (Friday 11/14/2008). I
was told that there are still unexploded ordinance
from last raid.

Today no bombing. Yet it sent villagers to hidings and
in mountains. The school teachers told me that they
have to cancel classes because every one was fleeing
for their lives.

Flying over without bombing is a new terror tactic
adopted by GoS lately. I was told some cases of
miscarriages had occurred during the panic. 

2- West Darfur: A woman was ambushed at a water pump
by seven Janjawed, abducted and gang raped. She went
to get water for her family.

Her name is Kaltoum Yahya Suliman, from Khamsa Dagaig
IDP Camp near Zalengie. She was taken to Zalengie
Hospital in critical condition where she was still
there when I spoke with some IDPs this morning.
UNAMID can check on her at the Hospital under the
above name.

I will keep you posted.

Massacre at Murambi
at Media That Matters
See the film at
www.mediathatmattersfest.org

It Will Take You and Me to Tell Our Leaders
to Help End The War On Decency

Make It Known that You Do Not Believe It Is Acceptable

to Continue the Complicity regarding Genocide

www.savedarfur.org

<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:

This video was taken of Darfuris in Chad last year ~ Christmas 2007
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2007 Christmas in Darfur
Christmas in Darfur filmmakers Jason Mojica, Jim Milak and Ryan Faith appear on WTTW"s Chicago Tonight with Phil Ponce days after their return from the Chad / Sudan border.
Uploaded by elmodernisto
Visit their website: www.christmasindarfur.org

<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:<:

Documenting Atrocities in Darfur

State Publication 11182
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and the Bureau of Intelligence and Research

U.S. Department of State

September 2004
(and it has only gotten worse since 2004)

Secretary Powell's opening remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Click on the Summary and it will enlarge

Read the report at www.state.gov

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Sudan: The Refugee and IDP Situation
Page at this link: www.state.gov

Learn more:
www.genocideintervention.net
www.genocidewatch.org

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International Criminal Court

The Prosecutor

Source: www.icc-cpi.int

"I deeply hope that the horrors humanity has suffered during the 20th century will serve us as a painful lesson, and that the creation of the International Criminal Court will help us to prevent those atrocities from being repeated in the future."

Statement made by Luis Moreno-Ocampo on the occasion of his election as first Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court by the Assembly of States Parties in New York on 22 April 2003.

On 21 April 2003, the Assemby of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, meeting in its second resumed first session, unanimously elected Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo of Argentina as first Prosecutor of the Court. Between 1984-92, as a Prosecutor in Argentina, Mr. Moreno-Ocampo was involved in precedent-setting prosecutions of top military commanders for mass killings and other large-scale human rights abuses.

He was the Assistant Prosecutor in the “Military Junta” trial against Army commanders accused of masterminding the “dirty war”, and other cases of human rights violations by the Argentine military. Mr. Moreno-Ocampo was the Prosecutor in charge of the extradition from the United States of former Argentine General Carlos Guillermo Suárez Mason, and in the investigation and prosecution of guerrilla leaders and of those responsible for two military rebellions in Argentina. He also took part in the case against Army commanders accused of malpractice during the Malvinas/Falklands war, as well as in dozens of major cases of corruption.

As the first case brought against top commanders responsible for mass killings since the Nuremberg Trial, the 1984-85 “Military Junta” trial involved 9 senior commanders, including 3 former heads of state, from the ranks of Army officials who ruled Argentina between 1976 and 1983. On the recomendation of a report produced by the Truth Commision established in Argentina in 1984, eight months of judicial investigation resulted in the Prosecutors presenting 700 cases of “murder, kidnapping and torture” as a sample of thousands of alleged crimes, calling 835 witnesses and citing thousands of documents. After 6 months of public hearing, on December 8, 1985 a panel of six judges convicted 5 of the accused.

In 1992, Mr. Moreno-Ocampo resigned as Prosecutor of the Federal Criminal Court of Buenos Aires, and established a private law firm, Moreno-Ocampo & Wortman Jofre, which specializes in corruption control programs for large firms and organisations, criminal and human rights law. Until his election as Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mr. Moreno-Ocampo worked as lawyer and as Private Inspector General for large companies. He also took on a number of pro bono activities, among others as legal representative for the victims in the extradition of former Nazi officer Erich Priebke to Italy, the trial of the chief of the Chilean secret police for the murder of General Carlos Prats, and several cases concerning political bribery, journalists’ protection and freedom of expression.

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo also worked with various local, regional and international NGO’s. He was the president of Transparency International for Latin America and the Caribbean. He has served as on the global Advisory Board and the Board of Transparency International, a world-wide organisation whose aim is to reduce corruption in business transactions. The founder and president of Poder Ciudadano, Mr. Moreno-Ocampo also served as member of the Advisory Board of the “Project on Justice in times of transition” and “New Tactics on Human Rights.”

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo has been a visiting professor at both Stanford University and Harvard University.

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo has taken office on 16 June 2003 by pledging his solemn undertaking as required by article 45 of the Rome Statute. As Prosecutor, he will assume full authority over the management and administration of the Office, including the staff, facilities and other resources thereof. For a full curriculum vitae of the Prosecutor, please click here.

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Blood and Soul: A World History of Genocide and Extermination
from Sparta to Darfur

By Ben Kiernan

books.google.com
Read it online

PUT DARFUR AND SUDAN ON THE LIST OF PRIORITIES

On Tuesday, December 9, 2008, I am organizing a lobby meeting with U.S. RI Senator Jack Reed's policy director for Darfur. My U.S. Senator is on the Armed Services Committee. He likes to talk about Iraq - that is the subject that he is asked to talk about on television often.

Senator Hillary Clinton (nominee for Secretary of State) questioned the current and future Secretary of Defense Gates about Darfur on February 6, 2007 in this youtube video :
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This was at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Link

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.

Here are some questions and the preferred answers that cabinet nominees hopefully will be asked at hearings and confirmation meetings in regards to Darfur and Sudan:

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.

Sudan activists fear more arrests over war crimes case

02 Dec 2008 18:12:32 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Andrew Heavens KHARTOUM, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Sudanese rights campaigners are afraid the authorities will arrest more activists suspected of giving prosecutors evidence for a war crimes case against the president, a senior campaigner said on Tuesday. Amir Suleiman, of the Khartoum International Centre for Human Rights, said he and two other activists had been held and later released last week. "We fear that maybe other activists will be arrested," Suleiman told reporters. "We are under pressure all the time." International Criminal Court judges are considering a request made by the ICC's chief prosecutor for an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, accusing him of genocide and other war crimes in the western Darfur region. International experts say 200,000 people have died and more than 2.5 million left homeless in five years of fighting between mostly non-Arab rebels and government-backed militia in Darfur. Suleiman said security forces repeatedly asked him about his links to the Hague-based ICC during two days of interrogation last week. He denied supplying any evidence to the global court. U.N. officers told Reuters this week that aid workers faced increasing harassment in South Darfur where government officials have forced staff to hand over confidential files and emails to try to collect evidence of collaboration with the ICC. The Sudanese government's Humanitarian Aid Commission in the region denied any harassment had taken place. Commentators say the ICC judges may not reach a decision on the arrest warrant until the new year. Amnesty International said along with Suleiman, security forces detained and later released Osman Hummaida, a British citizen and the former director of Sudanese Organization Against Torture (SOAT), as well as activist Abdel Monim Elgak. (Editing by Katie Nguyen) There was no immediate comment from Sudan's intelligence services.


United Nations Sends Team to Subdue Violence at Darfur Camp

By Heba Aly

Dec. 3 (Bloomberg) -- The United Nations sent a team of armed peacekeepers to a camp for people displaced by war in Sudan’s western Darfur region to calm violence between residents and militia members.

A “quarrel” erupted on Dec. 1 between two so-called Janjaweed militiamen armed with a rifle and residents of the Hassa Hissa camp near the western Darfur town of Zalingei, the UN-led mission, known as Unamid, said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. One camp resident was injured, a militiaman was severely beaten and later died, while the surviving militiaman was taken into police custody, Unamid said.

“As a result of the incident, about 30 armed Janjaweed marched toward the camp today, shooting sporadically in the air,” Unamid said. The militia set ablaze five water pumps supplying the camp. Another camp resident received a minor injury during the second incident.

Government-allied militia have been accused of some of the worst crimes in Darfur, where 300,000 are estimated to have died and close to 3 million others forced to flee their homes. Fighting in Darfur intensified in 2003 when mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated government, complaining of marginalization.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, or ICC, has accused Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir of committing genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. Under the pretext of counterinsurgency, Bashir armed militias that subsequently burned villages, raped women and killed civilians, the prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, alleged in his summary to the court.

Sudan’s government has said it will take unspecified legal steps to fight al-Bashir’s possible indictment.

To contact the reporter on this story: Heba Aly in Khartoum via Johannesburg at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: December 3, 2008 03:46 EST

Aid Worker: No Easy Answers In Darfur

by Michele Kelemen

Listen Now [3 min 56 sec]

Morning Edition, December 3, 2008 · Jerry Farrell has lived in Darfur for three years and currently runs programs for Save the Children. He describes a lawless region, where peacekeepers can't even patrol camps, and bandits run off with just about anything they can steal. Asked what a new Obama administration could do, Farrell says there are no easy answers other than trying to restart peace talks.

Related NPR Stories

• Dec. 1, 2008
  U.N. Envoy Nominee Rice Known As Smart, Tough

Darfur Women Scarred By Fighting

Listen Now [15 min 25 sec] add to playlist

Enlarge

Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur, written by Halima Bashir and Damien Lewis. Random House Publishing Group

Tell Me More, October 23, 2008 · Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur is the first memoir written by a woman caught in the war in Darfur.

The author, Halima Bashir, was born into the Zaghawa tribe in the Sudanese desert.

She received a good education away from her rural surroundings. Halima excelled in her studies and exams, surpassing even the privileged Arab girls. With her love of learning and support of her father, a cattle herder, Halima went on to study medicine, and at 24 became her village's first formal doctor.

Yet, that, nor anything else, was enough to protect her from the encroaching conflict that would consume her land. Janjaweed Arab militias started savagely assaulting the Zaghawa, often with the backing of the Sudanese military. Then, four years ago, the Janjaweed attacked Bashir's village and surrounding areas, raping 42 schoolgirls and their teachers.

After treating the traumatized victims — some as young as 8 years old — Bashir spoke out, igniting a horrifying turn of events.

www.savedarfur.org

www.genocideintervention.net

1-800-GENOCIDE

Contact President-elect Obama:

change.gov

CALL PRESIDENT BUSH:

1-202-456-1111

URGE PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA TO MAKE DARFUR A PRIORITY ON DAY ONE

THEY'VE BEEN WAITING SINCE 2003

Urge the next U.S. President to make Darfur a day one priority

When they were Presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama pledged "unstinting resolve" in pursuing an end to the Darfur genocide.

Be a voice for Darfur. Join one million people declaring with one voice: President-elect Obama must make Darfur a Day One priority.

To help reach the goal of one million postcards, sign the online postcard or order yours today for FREE by simply filling out and submitting the order form below. They will ship them to your door!

Collect signed postcards and simply mail them back to the return address on the postcards and they will be added to the number that will be presented to the new president.

CLICK TO ORDER OR SIGN THE ONLINE POSTCARD

» email this page | printer friendly version

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On December 3rd, people around the world will ask their friends and families to join them for STANDFast - an event that asks you to fast from one luxury item, like coffee or your morning newspaper, and donate the money that you would have spent on that item to protecting civilians in Darfur and Burma.

The money you donate supports GI-NET's Civilian Protection projects in Darfur and Burma, which provide much-needed protection to people living in fear of violence and attack.

On December 3^rd, we're asking you to STANDFast with us against genocide.

Over the past three years, GI-NET members have raised more than $500,000 for civilian protection in Darfur. This year, we plan to raise even more and expand our protection efforts to those in Eastern Burma as well. Please join us this December to STANDFast against genocide and mass atrocities taking place in these areas and around the globe. You can make a difference!

» email this page | printer friendly version

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Contact your U.S. Senator - Contact information

Contact your U.S. Representative - Contact information

Learn Your Congresspersons' grades on Darfur: www.darfurscores.org

Senator John McCain's Grade: C
President-elect Barack Obama's Grade: A+

Contact President-elect Obama - Contact information

1-800-GENOCIDE

Call President Bush at 201-456-1111

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I believe that when we are told we have to sell our souls to save our souls that something is drastically wrong. That is what we were expected to do under the outgoing administration. We need to get a grip. We need to get our noses into our government and change some things. In the movie Amazing Grace, William Wilberforce says to Thomas Clarkson, "you must never speak of revolution in my presence ever again." But Clarkson calls Wilberforce on this very issue of revolution.


Thomas Jefferson said: "Every generation needs a new revolution." And I think we have allowed our government to flail without our oversight for far too long and need a revolution within our nation. But first we must be informed. "Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government." Again, Thomas Jefferson.

Do Something to Use Your Freedom of Speech
To Stand Up and Stand Out Against Genocide
Don’t Be Complicit
Don’t Choose Silence
Don’t Choose Apathy
Don’t Choose Ignorance
Be Proactive
Be Alive
Be Aware
Be Present
Do Something To Tell Your Leaders To Lead
In This Human Disaster of Genocide
If Not You, Then Who?

The Genocide is Five Years, 8 months old
The Holocaust Went On For Twelve Years
…Before We the People’s Government Did Something Right
…Does That Mean We Are Going to Wait 6 More Years
Until We Decide Darfuri Families
Have Suffered Enough On Our Watch?!

Freedom of Speech means
nothing
if you don’t use it.

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“…unless we all have plenty
one of us will become a thief and the thief will make you angry
you will hurt him

this will hurt his children
they will punish you
this will hurt your children
they will punish his children
and that’s how it begins

to believe in man is to know
peace will not work if just one man alive
is unjust
if one man alive
is ignorant
or hungry
or crazy
or ashamed
FOR we have seen if only one of us
decides to pull the plug, the millions of us can kiss
the world good-bye
whether we like it or not.”

From Joseph Pintauro’s little book To Believe in Man
Illustrated by Sister Corita Kent

"The strong can not expect the weak to placate
them and call it healing." Sandra Hammel

Don’t let weeds grow around your dreams. From H. Jackson Brown, Jr.’s
Life’s Little Instructon Book. Volume 2

“We are All the Keepers of Justice.

Or not.”

Sandra Hammel

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Amazing Grace - the movie - The Voice of the People scene
Not the scene I was looking for, but still...
Uploaded by Flowbee79


Stop Human Trafficking

COURAGE IN ACTION FOR THE DARFURI PEOPLE BY DARFURI PEOPLE

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Uploaded by stopgenocidenow on August 20, 2008
Text from the poster:
Barack Obama sends message of support to Darfuri refugees. Refugees send message of support to Obama. Stop Genocide Now from Darfuri refugee camp on Chad-Darfur border.

From www.stopgenocidenow.org is the following information:

Darfur Guerilla Action (DGA)

Posted by Webmaster on August 6th, 2008

The victims of genocide are usually nothing but numbers—faceless and nameless. Today’s action is the start of a “guerilla” campaign that puts a face and name on the numbers. This action will go on for as long as necessary and will come in waves.

For the first DGA wave, print multiple copies of one or more of the DGA posters and distribute widely. Post them in your community—place of worship, workplace, home, school, coffee shop, and street-poles—everywhere!

Let us know about your DGA activities and share ideas on how to make DGA more effective on the SGN Forum! More DGA waves to come!

Download individual posters by clicking on the images below, or use our compiled sheet of colored DGA posters, or the compiled black and white versions.

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Also from www.stopgenocidenow.org
Copied and pasted here August 23, 2008

• Recent fighting in Chad did not directly affect refugees at Oure Cassoni (camp we recently visited). Rain has affected, damaging many homes. Click
• Candorville's comic on Olympics & Darfur: Click
• Darfuri Refugees for Obama - Obama for Darfur: Click
• Scouting Chinese Consulate in LA for possible action..DGA. Small Falun Gong protest going on right now Click
• Waves of intense actions, civ. dis., creative engagement of groups..but sustained; reflecting urgency of what is happening..5yrs and going. Click
  

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1-800-GENOCIDE

GENOCIDE STOPS WITH US

GENOCIDE ESCALATING WHILE IN ITS 6TH YEAR IN SUDAN

Civilians are being rounded up by the Sudanese government, tortured, killed in order to intimidate Darfuris. The world continues to standby and continue to let this genocide continue. How many reports have you seen on television about the escalation in Sudan the last couple of weeks?

Here is a text of an email I received today:

A few days ago a massive mobilization
by the Government of Sudan and Janjaweed
in Darfur around city of Al Geneina in west
Darfur was reported.

UNAMID report that they were attacked on
Wednesday by horsemen with AK-47 and rockets.

This is ominous sign the worst is yet to come.

This is an attempt to isolate or neutralize
the UNAMID so that they will not intervene
in protecting the Darfur civilians.

Here is an article as reported by BBC :

Horseback raid on Darfur troops

There are numerous armed groups operating in Darfur

Armed men on horseback have attacked and stolen the weapons of Nigerian UN peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region.

The joint UN-African Union troops were ambushed by up to 60 men armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades on Wednesday, the Unamid peace force said.

It is not clear who was behind the attack, which has been made public for the first time.

The UN took joint control of the force in January but has not been able to bring peace to the region.

It has just 9,000 of the planned 26,000 troops.

"We are a peacekeeping organisation but there is no peace on the ground to keep," Unamid spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters news agency.

He said the incident had been kept quiet while attempts were made to identify the attackers.

"We have bandits and we have armed groups and we have the [rebel] factions. With our very limited number of troops, it is not an easy job."

The attack happened near the West Darfur capital, Geneina.

The conflict began five years ago, when rebels took up arms in protest at alleged government discrimination against the region.

Pro-government Arab militias have been accused of widespread atrocities against the black African population.

But the rebel groups have split into numerous different factions, making a settlement difficult.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk/africa

Mohamed Suleiman 

The following letter was sent to our President:

Senator Specter Calls on George W. Bush
for Definitive Action in Darfur

May 22, 2008

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. President:

Fourteen years ago the world watched as genocide
unfolded in Rwanda. Despite dire warnings and please
for help, 800,000 people were brutally killed in less
than one hundred days. Today the world looks back in
painful regret at its failure to take action. Yet,
we are likely to face a similarly harsh historical
judgment if we do not once and for all take action
against the genocide in Darfur.

The crisis in Darfur is now more than five years old.
In the time since it began, the world has once again
watched a horrific humanitarian crisis unfold.
Entire villages have been torched, their populations
displaced. Thousands have been raped and tortured.
Today, millions are living in sprawling refugee camps,
their livelihoods and families having suffered
unimaginable consequences. Over the years, you
and the Congress have rightly called the actions in
Darfur genocide. Both have said we must halt the
violence. Yet today, as we enter the sixth year of
this crisis, efforts to bring an end to the violence
are insufficient. The 26,000 member UN-African Union
peacekeeping team, which was agreed upon last July,
has put in place only a third of its forces. In
addition to Sudanese obstruction, deployment has been
delayed by a shortage of helicopters. It is simply
unimaginable that the United States cannot provide,
or work with allies to provide, a handful of helicopters
to help fully deploy this critical peacekeeping
force.

Some years after the genocide in Rwanda, President
Clinton visited the country and met with families
of the many victims. It was an honorable and important
decision. He said, "We in the United States and the world
community did not do as much as we could have and should
have done to try to limit what occurred in Rwanda in 1994."
Later in his life he said that the failure to act in Rwanda
was "my great regret in international affairs." If we turn
our backs on Darfur today as we did on the Rwandans in 1994,
we too will be left to face the harsh light of history.

We urge you to use all the power of the White House to
ensure that your legacy includes definitive action in Darfur.

Senators Durbin and Snow were the authors. Here's the full
list of Senators who signed the above letter to President
George W Bush:

Carl Levin (D-MI), Arlen Specter (R-PA), Bob Casey (D-PA),
Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Daniel Akaka
(D-HI), Russ Feingold (D-WI), John Sununu (R-NH), Diane
Feinstein (D-CA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), John Kerry (D-MA),
Susan Collins (R-ME), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ben Cardin (D-MD),
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC),
Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Frank
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar
(D-MN), Barack Obama (D-IL), Joe Lieberman (ID-CT),
Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Hillary Clinton (D-NY),
Gordon Smith (R-OR) and George Voinovich (R-OH)

Things you can do to help:

Collect Signatures by June 1

Activists in more than 30 states are collecting signatures in their communities urging President Bush to help protect Darfuri civilians. Join our petition campaign and help us reach our goal of 75,000 signatures.

Send in your petitions by June 1, when the U.S. assumes the presidency of the U.N. Security Council. We have just one week left!

Click here to download the petition and pledge to collect as many signatures as you can.

June 20 Day of Action: Spotlight on the Sponsors

Sponsors of the 2008 Olympic Games must pressure China to do its part to end genocide in Darfur. On June 20, Darfur activists will protest the inaction of Coca-Cola, General Electric, Swatch, and Volkswagen.

Join us: Click here for more information

House Approves Funding for Darfur

The House approved $800 million for peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and other assistance for Darfur - a huge victory for Darfur activists. The funding process now moves to the Senate. Call 202-244-3121 and urge your senators to support full funding for Darfur.

You can also use this number to call your senator:
1-800-GENOCIDE

Visit Save Darfur Coalition web site for more information

And...

Dream for Darfur and Save Darfur Coalition's
Spotlight on Olympic Sponsors Day


Available online is a Toolkit.

The toolkit includes background information on
Dream for Darfur and each of the four Olympic
sponsors targeted, as well as tips for creating
an event and a comprehensive timeline.

The Olympic Sponsors:
Coke
General Electric
Swatch
Volkswagen



Please visit 
http://tinyurl.com/59sfkb 
to obtain the toolkit and corporate sponsor
profiles.

GENOCIDE STOPS WITH US

Genocide is when a group of human beings are targeted with the end result of death, slow or fast. Starvation, rape as a tool to control and terrorrize, torture or immediate killing ~ the intent is to do away with a group of people.  The behavior and practice of ending a people's existence has only been given the name of genocide since the holocaust was ended after 6 million were killed. The Holocaust's Genocide is not unusual. It has been repeatedly done before and after the holocaust.  Hitler's led genocide went on for 12 years before the world made a difference.  It has been happening with the knowledge of the "civil" world for over five years currently.  The place is Darfur.  The country is Sudan.  The continent is Africa.  And it is clear that the developed countries' leaders don't care enough to do anything to help end the crisis. 

It is up to us to change the world.  We can't wait for our political leaders to have the will to end genocide.  History tells us this.  

Will you make a commitment to change how genocide is ignored?

Go to www.genocideintervention.net

and you can call 1-800-GENOCIDE

where you will be given points to make to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators in the USA state that you live in for the sake of the people of Darfur and for the moral integrity that you live by.  

RIGHT TO LIFE. WITHOUT GENOCIDE. THE HOLOCAUST LASTED 12 YEARS. IS THAT HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE

IS THAT HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO STOP THE DARFUR GENOCIDE?

Imagine a world with no genocide. What would it take to have that? It won't happen without you and me committing to the expectation that it can be that way. And it can. We can do what we can do. Or we can choose apathy. We can cave in to the thought that there's nothing we can do.

Here Is The Truth

You CAN do something! What you do or do not do will be the difference for this genocide. We the People have the means to do something to be the difference this time, this genocide. This is the first genocide not only of the 21^st century, but the first genocide with the internet to help us network, work together as We The People of the Planet and stop this madness. And it is entirely madness. Madness by those perpetrating the genocide and madness by those who say they can’t do anything and madness by those in leadership positions and just let it go on and on and on and on. This is chosen madness. The question remains: Who are we? How do we define who we are? In this case, apathy, ineffectiveness, complicity, silence - define us. We aren’t who we SAY we are. We are what we do about it. How we respond to tragedy defines us.

Are you okay with genocide
as long as it is happening to someone else,
in some other place?

There was a positive thing happen July 31st, regarding the Darfur genocide on the Darfuri people, recently with the United Nations. But that is because of people like you and me who are doing what we can do to make it clear we will not stand for genocide. Genocide Stops With Us. If it weren’t for activists who are putting the pressure on the so-called leaders of the world, the genocide on the Darfuri families would be ignored completely. I am convinced of that. But the pressure must continue. Because over and over we thought we had taken a step forward only to have it go absolutely nowhere positive. In fact it has gotten worse some of those very times. Bashir repeatedly agrees to troops then withdraws his acceptance. So much so, that it is impossible to believe him when he speaks. When you can't believe someone when they talk, your strategy must have more safeguards in place and the utmost clarity in the plan.

Turning your back on someone who needs you is nothing less than abuse, neglect and speaks for you. We can pretend to be or we can simply be. One of those things feels so much better than the other. Okay, off my soapbox.

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Call 1-800- GENOCIDE

to talk to your elected United States politicians.

Call “Not on My Watch Bush”

202-456-1111

and tell him it is indeed happening on HIS Watch.

Sign petitions at the websites below.

Use your voice to stand up on this basic human right to live out a life.

Put human back in being.

Here are websites that have clear things you can do:

www.savedarfur.org

www.dreamfordarfur.org

www.sudandivestment.com

www.genocideintervention.net

www.standnow.org

www.aiusa.org

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http://youtube.com/watch?v=H7JgDJ6dPaw

from AegisTrust

2,500,000 people displaced. 350,000 ... more iAnd this is a quote from its Youtube page: “2,500,000 people displaced. 350,000 people killed. 3,200 villages destroyed. 5 UN resolutions. We must act now because: tomorrow is too late.”

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http://youtube.com/watch?v=a7luhsbBCMs

Darfuri young woman talks about life in Sudan.

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