OurPledge

New York Times Op-Ed: “Dropping the Torch”

Dave Eggers has a great Darfur Op-Ed in today’s New York Times. I’ve emphasized some important parts below. To sign up for the April 9, 2008 Olympic Torch relay action in San Francisco, click here.

Dropping the Torch
By DAVE EGGERS
March 23, 2008

San Francisco — THERE’S only one stop in North America on the Olympic torch’s 95,000-mile trip from Athens to Beijing, and that’s here. On April 9, standing side by side with sports fans along the parade route, there will be thousands of protesters who hope to bring attention to China’s complicity in the genocide in Darfur.

When the presidential campaigns swung, ever so briefly, through California, those advocating for Darfur tried to get the issue into the debates and on television. But nothing seemed to work. The last time a questioner raised the issue in a significant forum was during one of the YouTube debates last year.

During a speech in November, Hillary Rodham Clinton said of Darfur: “Every day we fail to act is a betrayal of our common values.” In a YouTube video last year, Barack Obama said: “We can’t say ‘never again,’ and then allow it to happen again.” In a similar video, John McCain said the United States “has the obligation to lead, to act.” But since then, the campaigns have been quiet on the subject of the 21st century’s first genocide.

It’s easy in California, far from the active primaries and farther from Sudan and China, to feel powerless. That’s why the organizers of the protest feel they have a rare opportunity to put the crisis back on the national stage. In 418,000 copies of the April 4 edition of The San Francisco Chronicle, subscribers will get a placard that on one side explains the connections between China and the genocide in Sudan, and on the other side says, “China: Extinguish the Flames of Genocide in Darfur.” How’s that for an early morning jolt?

The placard and the protest are the work of a group called the San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition. Its thousand or so members have been agitating for more than a year to remind Americans that the violence in Sudan is increasing and that the time to act is now.

ACTION: Stop China’s Sale of Arms to Sudan

[If you've already followed up on this action alert, please send it to your friends and family! We'll keep this posting up above-the-fold until Mar. 20 or 21. Thank you!]

Help us stop China’s sale of arms to Sudan.

Today, we’re launching a new campaign to halt the deadly transfer of arms from China to Sudan, and I’m asking you to join us.

“Made in China: Stop Arms Sales to Sudan” comes at a critical moment. The continuing violence in Darfur, combined with China’s latest “charm offensive,” gives us a unique moment to get China-the largest provider of small arms by far-to promote peace by halting its arm sales to Sudan.

Help us stop China’s sale of arms to Sudan. Sign the petition today.

ACTION: Tell your mutual fund to become genocide-free!

[An important action alert from Investors Against Genocide:]

Investors Against Genocide is running a campaign to make sure mutual funds do not make investments that contribute to genocide. They have submitted resolutions to more than 50 mutual funds.

As early as March 19, large and small shareholders of the following Fidelity funds will have a chance to vote on our resolution: Blue Chip Growth, Blue Chip Value, Capital & Income, Contrafund, Dividend Growth, Equity Income, Growth & Income Fund, Low Priced Stock, Puritan, Real Estate Investment, Select Health Care Portfolio, and Utilities.

Votes at more Fidelity funds plus other major fund companies, including Vanguard, Franklin Templeton and Barclays, will follow. To see the list of mutual funds with a pending vote on genocide-free investing, please visit: www.investorsagainstgenocide.org/shareholderhelp.

In case you missed it…Darfur commentary from The New Republic

First, an Op-Ed from Eric Reeves, published last month:
“Boiling Over”

Second, some clear-sighted commentary on Darfur from TNR’s Editors:
“Balkan Ghosts”

[End of Post]

BBC: Sudan still bombing in Darfur

March 6, 2008 — A BBC correspondent in Chad has seen helicopters drop bombs over the Sudanese border in Darfur.

Stephanie Hancock says she saw a helicopter flying across the sky, then heard explosions and saw clouds of smoke coming from the ground.

Nations sending peacekeepers to Darfur are due to discuss how to speed up the force’s deployment later at the UN.

Earlier, Russia offered to provide some of the helicopters which the force needs to move around the vast area.

So far only 9,000 of the planned 26,000 troops are on the ground.

ACTION: Tell your Representative to sponsor House Resolution 1011

[From the Genocide Intervention Network:]

With the humanitarian crisis stemming from Darfur continuing to destabilize not only Sudan, but the surrounding region, including Chad and the Central African Republic, it has become increasingly urgent that the international community develop, fund, and implement a “comprehensive regional strategy.”

The United States and President Bush have the ability and responsibility to protect by using their influential position on the United Nations Security Council and financial ability to provide humanitarian assistance to the region.

House Resolution 1011 urges President Bush to stick to his promises by:
“Urging the UN Security Council to implement sanctions against the government of Sudan for its detrimental actions and the continued destabilization of the region, and continue US humanitarian assistance to the refugees and internally displaced people in Chad and the Central African Republic.”

This week, ask your Representative to call on President Bush to stick to his promises and implement a comprehensive regional strategy by co-sponsoring House Resolution 1011. CLICK HERE to send an email to your Representative.

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ACTION: Concerning S.RES.455 – Please call and leave a message TODAY

[Please call! Adapted from a Friends Committee on National Legislation action alert:]

S. Res. 455, a resolution “Calling for peace in Darfur” is rapidly gaining momentum but needs more cosponsors.

Currently, S. Res. 455 has 25 co-sponsors; Congressional staffers and activists are aiming for 50 co-sponsors to show broad support for this resolution. There is only a short window of time to plug in with Senators and urge them to cosponsor this important legislation as the Senate Congressional Leadership would like to ‘hotline’ S. Res. 455 on Monday. (Hotlining is a procedure to quickly move legislation to the Senate floor for a vote.)

Advocacy groups and activists could best help by urging Senators to co-sponsor S. Res. 455. Senator’s can be contacted via the Capitol switchboard: 202–224–3121.

In brief, S. Res. 455 urges:
- support from all parties for a ceasefire;
- cooperation from Khartoum regarding the full deployment of UNAMID;
- broad representation from Darfur’s civil society at a future round of peace talks;
- unity among rebel groups to help end the conflict; and
- support for the CPA.

The full text of the legislation is available here.

The original sponsor of S. Res. 455 is Senator Durbin (IL). Current co-sponsors include: Senators Allard (CO), Biden (DE), Boxer (CA), Brownback (KS), Burr (SC), Chambliss (GA), Coleman (MN), Feingold (WI), Feinstein (CA), Hagel (NE), Klobuchar (MN), Lautenberg (NJ), Leahy (VT), Lieberman (CT), Menendez (NJ), Mikulski (MD), Obama (IL), Schumer (NY), Snowe (ME), Specter (PA), Sununu (NH), Voinovich (OH) and Whitehouse (RI).

[End of Post]

ACTION: Please Act to End Chinese Arms Transfers to Sudan

[From the San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition:]

China’s special envoy on Darfur, Liu Guijin, recently criticized Sudan for not allowing UNAMID (the United Nations-African Union hybrid peacekeeping mission for Darfur) to fully deploy. Such criticism by China — a powerful friend of Sudan — is a sign of the effect of continuing pressure on China. Now: Click here to add your voice to the pressure for action in addition to words at HumanRightsFirst.org.

ACTION: Dollars making sense in Darfur

[From Amnesty International:]

Maybe some stockholders prefer not to know that their investments support a government responsible for massive human rights abuses. But in today’s globalized world, stockholders must make it their business to know the human rights impact of their investments. Increase the pressure on investment firms to support human rights by taking a stand for Darfur.

Thousands of you have already joined with Amnesty International to call on firms investing in Sudan’s oil sector to make socially responsible investments. By using their influence, these firms have the power to help put an end to the Sudanese government’s stalling tactics against the full deployment of peacekeepers in Darfur. Thanks in part to your actions, JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, T. Rowe Price and Citigroup have begun taking positive steps to address our concerns. However, we need your help to get the same commitment from two other firms – Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo.

ACTION: Urge the European Union to Impose Sanctions

Dear Darfur Advocate:

The United States has imposed sanctions against the genocidal regime in Sudan, including placing restrictions on companies that do business there in U.S. dollars. The Government of Sudan is in the process of converting its reserves from U.S. dollars to euros. It is essential for the European Union to impose banking and other economic sanctions on Sudan and its government leaders responsible for the Darfur genocide.

Please send your message to the EU at http://noeurosforgenocide.org.
Please scroll down to Option 2 and send your email.

This is really important! The U.S. cannot end this genocide alone.

And, this week, please forward this email to your acquaintances in Europe and ask them to go to http://noeurosforgenocide.org and take action.

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